♤ ı [3] An Everlasting Love

ı 30 ı Short Goodbye

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"Maybe if I don't cry I won't feel anymore"

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MY EYES burn as if I haven't blinked for seven days straight. My heart beats so rapidly inside my chest, it feels as if every bone in my body is rattling. I'm overtired, stressed, and no way in the best condition to be driving, especially the first thing in the morning. Turns out Stefan was right, however I wasn't about to give him that satisfaction.

I've been driving for a solid thirty minutes, scrambling to focus on my GPS while keeping eye contact with the road in front of me.

"Turn right here" the GPS instructs, causing me to let out an irritable growl.

"What the actual fuck Karen!" I yell at my GPS. "If I turn right, I drive straight into a goddamn lake!" I shout, smacking the stupid electronic off my dashboard in frustration.

I have no idea where Caroline's special lake house is, nor do I know if I actually have enough time to get back. For all I know, I've spent too much time navigating my way through cottage country, and Sheriff Forbes is dead. That would be the worst possible outcome of this situation, and I don't know if I could ever live with myself after if that happened.

I have tried calling and texting Caroline, but Stefan warned me the reception out here is weak. I'm not entirely sure why Caroline would want to come all the way out here while her mom is in the hospital. Maybe she needed a distraction. 

I suddenly slam on the brakes as I notice a small road narrowing off from the road I am currently on, deciding that is my best guess. James's truck takes the off road pretty steady, however it's not as fast as I would like it to be. I severely miss the first car I had ever owned. It was right after I came out of the tomb and into the twenty-first century.

However, my unfortunate bad luck with owning my own cars isn't the priority right now- Caroline is. It just so happens the road I decided to take was the right one, as I see a small house through the trees.

I press on the gas harder, sending the truck roaring to life, lurching forwards. The sound it makes causes my heart to freeze, but now's not the time to go all car crazy.

I pull in front of the house, not even bothering to turn the truck off before I sprint inside, looking for a familiar blonde.

"Caroline!" I yell, but my voice echoes throughout the house.

I enter the kitchen, noticing a fresh bowl of cut up fruit laying on the counter, the knife still on the cutting board. I notice several boxes laying around the house, all of them labeled some special way, as if to guide Sheriff Forbes to where all her belongings are. One of them reads: The best books of all time.

I narrow my eyes at the box, thoughts swarming around my already clustered mind. Although I don't want to say anything, I know all these boxes contain the very last things Sheriff Forbes will ever see, and for some reason I know Caroline's picked out only the best books for her mother to ensure her last books are memorable.

"Blair?" Caroline's voice calls from behind me.

I spin so fast on my feet I nearly slip on the hardwood floor, my eyes wide as I take in Caroline's confused expression. "Caroline!" I exclaim, rushing to explain why I'm here but she cuts me off.

"Do you think the books I chose are okay?" she blurts out, noticing how I was staring at the box of carefully chosen novels.

"Uh..." I trail off, taken off guard.