Afterglow

frozen

I rode in Lachlan's SUV with Vera, Blythe and Evan while the others rode with Holden. I was glad that I didn't have to go back to my old dorm because I was more than scared that I'd run into Jenna and I really didn't have time to explain anything to that girl.

Being in Lachlan's car once more brought back a steamy memory and I let myself slip into it to distract myself from the lion's den that I was about to walk into. I conjured up images of his hands sliding across my body, his chilled hands causing bumps to rise up along my skin from his touch, not just from the cold.

I blushed as I recalled his domineering nature, something that I'd yet to see again after that day in the car, probably because he was trying to be gentle with me, but what Lachlan didn't understand was that sometimes I needed gentle, but other times it was the farthest thing from what I needed.

The car flew over a particularly large bump and jostled me out of my distractive thoughts, because that's exactly what they were- a distraction. From Ian, from my birth father, the fact that I had almost died not twenty-four hours earlier.

It was nearly seven in the evening when all was said and done, though the day felt as if it had dragged on for ages.

The snow was piled up and pushed to the sides of the road as we traversed though the slushy streets, and my heart was racing about as fast as the speed of the vehicle that was taking me to a confrontation with my mother.

"Hey, you okay?"  Lachlan's concerned eyes met mine after his question.

"Yeah, as okay as I can be right now, I'm just nervous."

"I can go inside with you if you need me to go with you..."

I thought about his offer, but I realized that this was something I needed to on my own.

"I'll be fine. Just give me five minutes," I told him, exiting the SUV into the cold and brittle New York winter air.

A few crunches into the snow later and I was to the front door, and I was more than glad that it was already unlocked otherwise I would have had to call my mother and ask her to open the door for me which I definitely didn't want, especially considering how hard I was trying to avoid her.

My snow covered boots tracked in melting snow onto the pristine marble floors, the glistening and gleaming white tile becoming streaked with muddy ice, and I couldn't have thought of a better analogy to describe what was going on with me than that image of something once so clean becoming wretched and streaked by dirt.

I scrambled up the stairs as quickly as I could, and darted into my room to grab a tote bag from the top of my closet.

A few minutes and an entire bag packed later, I was on my way out. I stopped to absentmindedly touch a family picture I'd had framed on my wall, and it was so out of place with the rest of my life in that moment, like a time capsule when everything in life was just...okay. Not good or bad, just fine. I could use something fine in my life, instead it was all just okay.

When were things ever going to be great?

I huffed out a breath of air and almost slipped on the slick tile underfoot as my mother's form appeared in front of the doorway at the foot of the stairs.

Gulping in a pained breath, I started forward towards her, her expensive heels tapping as she impatiently waited for me.

Her hair was perfectly coiffed in a curled updo, the golden curls shining in the yellow light of the chandelier above the foyer. A black evening gown clung to her curves and a diamond necklace adorning her chest glinted in the light. She was late for a gala, and she didn't look happy about it.