Draven Hawke

BOOK III CHAPTER SIX

I should have bought you flowers And held your hand

Should have gave you all my hours When I had the chance

Take you to every party 'cause all you wanted to do was dance

Now my baby's dancing

But she's dancing with another man

~Bruno Mars-Lyrics~

DRAVEN

"Where are you going?" Emily asked Draven as he walked away from Autumn's bedroom door. She could see the empty expression on her father's face, and it worried her. She had seen him like this before. When her mother had died the first time.

"She wants me to leave," he said, feeling as though a numbing agent were spreading from his head to his feet.

"I don't believe that for a minute. She wants you here, Father. She is just upset."

"Emily I appreciate you trying to appease me, but it is unnecessary. Perhaps you should go see if she is okay. I will be fine."

"She likes to be left alone when she's like this. I will talk to her later."

"Is she like this often, then?"

Emily nodded, but did not speak. She knew hearing the truth would make her father feel worse.

"Can we go outside to talk?" Draven asked. "I'm not sure I can continue to listen to her cry and be able to stop myself from going back to her."

"What is there to discuss?" Emily anticipated the conversation revolving around Isaac, and she was not ready to have that topic broached.

"Are you aware that you have been being followed?"

"Oh. I was aware, yes, but once you were here, I assumed it was you the whole time. Was it not?"

"I need to get out of here, Emily," Draven said while walking to the front door, before taking one last, longing look toward Autumn. The sound of her cries had quieted, which he was grateful for. He did not understand her tears to begin with. Could she be crying because she felt guilty for refusing him? He did not want her to feel that way. No matter how much her rejection stung, he still wished for her happiness.

Emily grabbed her light blue scarf and petticoat, then she followed Draven from the apartment. They walked in silence until they made it to the coffee shop he had sat at earlier that day.

Draven sat in the metal chair outside, and he put his face in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Father?" Emily spoke. Looking around her to see if anyone was near, she reminded herself not to call him that in public. "Draven?" she asked again, when he did not respond. "Are you alright?"

Draven took several minutes before he said anything, never answering Emily's question. No, he was not alright, but that was not something he needed to burden her with.

"Emily, I know you do not want to hear this, but it's time you make amends with Isaac."

Emily inhaled a sharp breath, not liking the turn the conversation had taken. "Is he the one following me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"He is here," Draven said, "but you have someone else following you. Isaac and I have taken turns watching the apartment. We don't know who it is yet. It could be more than one person, even. Isaac believes they are aware of us, and that is why we haven't seen them recently. I was told by a woman, that the man, who stays outside your apartment, has blonde hair. Isaac suspects something of the Dubhan siblings..."