Waindale

twenty. our last time

I follow Vivianne to her bedroom upstairs as her mom continues to talk things through with my own. Vivianne's room is neat and tidy. The books on her bookshelf are ordered by color, and under her bed are baskets labeled according to their contents. I sit down on a chair that hangs from the ceiling while she crashes onto her bed, covering her head with a fluffy pillow. I stare up at the chair's connection to the ceiling above and feel as if the thing is going to pop right out and send me tumbling to the ground.

"This is all my fault," Vivianne whines, her voice muffled. "How could I be so reckless? So stupid? I shouted in front of everyone!"

"Yeah, I know," I say, getting up from the chair. "Did you mean what you said about me? Do you really think of me that way?"

Vivianne comes up for air and tosses her pillow to the side. "No, Wrenley. I was just mad. So many girls would kill to be in your position, and you're just ready to throw it all away."

"That's not true. I can't throw it away."

"From the conversation downstairs, it sounds like you and your mom are ready to book it out of here on the first chance you get."

I sit down on her bed and place the pillow on my lap. "Part of me wants to run away, yeah. I can't lie. I'm scared. But if I run, I don't know how far I'll make it without him."

Vivianne mutters, "Yeah, I know, before you get too sick."

"No. Before that, I'll probably lose my mind from missing him so much. I won't be able to stay away. He's my mate. I need him," I say. "Do you think he'll forgive me?"

"I think so," she says. "I mean, you're mates, right? How mad can he be?"

Suddenly his scent comes into the air. I immediately stand and drop the pillow, clinging to the window like a magnet. Vivianne climbs off her bed and does the same. "He's close, isn't he?" She asks.

I try to look down the street but can't see very far. "I have to go out there and talk to him. I can't have him running into my mom. God knows what will happen."

"If you go out the window and onto the lower roof, you can drop down from there. I do it all the time. If you go through the front door, our moms will stop you."

I look to her and nod. Vivianne slides open her window and pops the protective screen off. She helps me through and onto the roof. I carefully step down the slope, making sure to not put my weight on any loose shingles. I peer back at her when I reach the end. "Turn around and get on your hands and knees. Then get your legs off and shimmy on your stomach till you can drop down. It might feel like a long drop, but it's not," she instructs me.

I do as she says and successfully get on my knees. Adam's scent grows stronger, so I try to hurry up. I have a hard time sliding down on my stomach. My shirt keeps getting caught on the shingles and the rain gutter is in my way. Once my entire lower body is hanging in the air, I look back at her. She motions behind me but hands suddenly grab my hips. There's no question of who it is.

I hold my breath as he lifts me down. When my feet reach the ground, I turn and face him as my heart vibrates in my chest. "Adam," I breathe. He looks down at me, jaw clenched, brow furrowed. He takes a breath as I bite my cheek.

"Adam, I—"

"How did you manage—how did you manage everyone finding out? You were there for one day and suddenly I'm being asked by my Beta if a rumor he heard is true."

"We can't be here," I say. "We have to go somewhere else."

"What else have you done, Wrenley? Who's in there?"