Eternal [HS]

Chapter Fourteen

JO'S FINGERTIPS RUB THE FRESH BITE mark on the side of her neck anxiously while she stands on the front steps to Adeline's house.

Last night was surprisingly fun. Though she was two seconds away from wanting to fight him when he told her they were going to hike up the side of a mountain after a day at the gym, once they got to the top, all of the anger she felt simmered down into awe directed at the view and, of course, him.

They stayed up at the cliff for another hour after he fed from her, talking softly amongst themselves and exchanging stories, although he had much more to tell than her.

In return for how he opened up to her about his past, something she never expected him to do, she told him everything too. She shared descriptions of the family she misses, the people she holds dear to her heart, and some of her most vulnerable moments in life. It only seemed fair after he went into such detail about his transition from human to vampire and what happened with Melanie.

Her closed fist bangs on the front door a couple of times before it creaks open.

"Hello?" she calls out into the empty hallway, brows furrowing at the unlocked door.

With how dangerous of a life Adeline's husband led before he died, one would think she'd keep their house under tight security. For all they know, someone like her or Harry could come barging in if they so pleased.

Her steps are hardly audible on the carpet on her way through. She steps inside with one hand braced against the open door and roams her gaze over the front entrance to find nothing but open space waiting for her. Luckily for her, if anything goes wrong, all she has to do is hit Niall's contact on Harry's phone, which he gave her for the day, and he'll come running in to help from where he's perched in a tree across the street.

The only way Harry would let her walk out of the door without running up from behind and yanking her back inside was if Niall camped out outside for however long she stays here. Her last-minute self-defense course was successful, but not enough for him to drop her into the deep end with no additional protection.

"Adeline?" Her voice is loud enough to reach the top of the staircase she passes by, yet there is no response. "It's Jo, you gave me your address to come to see you at the dinner party last week."

The house is alarmingly absent of anyone else, and she remains, frozen, at the bottom of the steps with her hand on the banister while she listens for any sign of Adeline around.

It's as if the home is a ghost town. No family members mill about the property, nor do any friends, and all the noise she hears comes from a siamese cat that darts down the stairs and straight beyond her with a passing meow. Purple walls seal her in on all sides as she stares up at the second level of the house in curiosity.

Without thinking, she starts to ascend the staircase.

Her legs are still sore from the exertion of yesterday, but she's a bit too distracted with finding her new acquaintance to care about something as insignificant as tired, sore limbs. Even though this woman has direct ties to the people who have been trying to murder and feed off of her, Jo can't help but worry if she's okay.

The final few steps on the creaky staircase are harsh on her, but she makes it to the top within seconds, glancing from left to right down a grand hallway with more rooms than she could ever dream of having in her house back in the human realm.

Everything, from the curtains to the delicately sculpted crown molding, is carefully placed, painted, and designed. It's the type of house that a person can take one glance at and understand the enormity of the wealth that the family inhabiting the home has.