Chapter 37: Letting Go

“Dad?”

Chloe’s voice was faint, but there was no mistaking the fear and disbelief in her tone. What the hell was her father doing here? She’d told me he’d walked out on her and her mom, that no one had been able to find him. I got out of my truck and walked back toward Chloe’s house, careful to stay hidden.

As I got closer, I heard Beth’s muffled words. “Oh, Chloe. I’m so sorry. I was afraid if I told you on the phone that your father was here, you wouldn’t come home.”

That was smart on Beth’s part, because if Chloe had known and she’d asked me not to take her home, I wouldn’t have. I would’ve let her stay with me, or we would’ve gone somewhere else. Together. No way would I have willingly brought her here and let her walk in on this.

“What’s he doing here?” Chloe asked.

“I’m here to take you home, Chloe,” her father said.

I froze. Take her home?

“I am home,” Chloe snapped.

I pressed my back against the large tree at the end of the driveway and momentarily closed my eyes. Was her father really planning to make Chloe leave Keene Valley? Why would he do that? Surely, Beth and Dean wouldn’t allow that to happen. Would they?

Inside, Chloe argued with her father, then Beth. I wanted nothing more than to barge into that house and stand by Chloe’s side through all of this. But I couldn’t, so I settled for sticking close by until she decided she needed me.

“I’m not going with him. You can’t make me,” Chloe said.

Hearing her say that calmed some of the storm brewing in my chest. At least she didn’t want to leave. Of course, that probably had a lot more to do with her not wanting to live with her father than it did with me.

“You don’t have a choice,” her dad said, his tone firm. “I’m your father. You’re coming home with me.”

“No, I’m not!”

Footsteps pounding. Doors slamming. Chloe’s sobs. My heart splintered. I could easily get to her room through the window. I could climb in, hold her while she cried. I moved to do just that when Beth knocked on Chloe’s bedroom door. Shit. I stayed put.

“Please don’t make me go with him, Aunt Beth. I want to stay here. Please.” Chloe continued to sob.

“Oh, honey.”

“I don’t want to leave my friends. Or Trent.”

Tears pooled in my eyes at the sound of her saying my name. Since the moment I’d met her, all I’d wanted was her. She’d handled the truth of what I was, she accepted me as a vampire, she didn’t judge me or dump me when she found out I was cursed, she’d survived Isach and Hannah… And after all of that, she still wanted to be with me.

I didn’t understand why, but I did know one thing for certain—I deserve her.

Hell, she didn’t deserve me and all the trouble I brought her. She was too good. Too loving and caring and honest. She needed a life free from vampires and witches and curses. She deserved to be happy and carefree. Could she ever really have any of that with me?

“He can’t make me go with him. I won’t,” Chloe said, her tone pleading and desperate.

“I know this is a shock, and I know you don’t want to go. Believe me, we don’t want you to go, either. But he’s not giving any of us a choice,” Beth said.

“What do you mean? You and Uncle Dean have a choice. You don’t have to make me leave.” Chloe’s voice cracked.

“He threatened us. Said if we didn’t make you go with him, he’d get the police involved and say we kidnapped you.”

I snarled and curled my hands into fists. I hadn’t even met the man, and I already hated him. What kind of father disappeared for year, then suddenly showed back up and demanded his daughter leave with him? Didn’t he realize Chloe had a life here? Did he even care?

My thoughts raced with ways I could help Chloe, anything to make it so she could stay here in Keene Valley. Short of killing her father, or kidnapping Chloe, I had no ideas. If her father, aunt, and uncle insisted Chloe had to leave, then she’d have to leave, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“Get me back here?” Chloe’s voice rose with hysterics, snapping me from my thoughts.

I straightened, my senses alert. Chloe exchanged more heated words with her father, and then she was out of the house and running straight toward me. Not that she knew I was there, but she was racing toward the end of the driveway. When she was closer, I stepped out from behind the tree and gripped her arms.

“No! Let go of me.” She thrashed wildly.

“Hey, Chloe. Easy. It’s me.”

“Trent.” She collapsed against me. Her face was wet with tears, and her entire body trembled. “Get me out of here. Please. I don’t care where we go, but I can’t stay here.”

Without a single question, I put her in my truck and drove her straight to my house. By the time we arrived, she’d finally stopped crying long enough to tell me what had happened, although she didn’t really have to, but I assumed she needed to get it out, so I listened. I put my arm around her and guided her toward the house.

Jax stepped out onto the porch, arms crossed. “What’s she doing here?”

“Not now, Jax,” I warned.

Chloe shivered and leaned into my side. I loathed how scared and upset and hopeless she was right now. I was going to take her inside, wrap her up in my arms, and never let her go.

“When are you going to face the truth, Trenton? You can’t continue to live in this little fantasy world forever.” Jax moved slowly down the porch steps.

What the hell was his problem now? He’d been for a few hours, and he was already starting in on me and Chloe again? Did he not see how upset Chloe was right now? The last thing she needed was his unwanted commentary about our relationship.

“You did this,” Chloe said to herself and then louder, “You’re the one who got him to come back for me.”

I looked at her, confused. “What?”

Chloe stepped out of my embrace and marched straight up to Jax. I tensed, ready to jump in if needed. “You’ve wanted me out of Trent’s life since I got here. You threatened me, and when that didn’t work, you tracked down my father,” she accused.

My ears rang, and rage built in my veins. “You threatened her?” I pushed my way in between Chloe and Jax. “What did you do, Jax?”

“He said I was going to be the reason you got exposed, and that if I knew what was good for me, good for you, that I’d leave town. He said if I didn’t, I’d die here,” Chloe said.

Rage erupted in me, and my eyes blackened. I knew Jax wasn’t a fan of Chloe’s, and that he didn’t approve of my relationship with her, but threatening her was crossing the line. Why hadn’t Chloe told me about this before now? I curled my hands into fists, my fangs breaking through my gums.

“I know you don’t understand, but I had to do this,” Jax said, his gaze softening infinitesimally.

Chloe took a small step back.

“What did you do?” I bit out.

“You’re blinded by her,” Jax said. He now stood chest to chest with me. “I know how this ends. I’m saving you the pain and heartache of having to mourn the woman you love. You should be thanking me.”

I should’ve known this was really about Hannah. “Thanking you?” I snarled. “I’m going to kill you!”

I shoved Jax, who flew through the air. He slammed against a tree a few feet away, but the crack of the bark was like thunder. In a flash, Jax was back, crouched in front of me, fangs bared. We circled each other, snarling and growling, eyes black as melted tar.

Fighting like this was nothing new for us, but this time, the stakes were a lot higher. My brother had betrayed me in the worse way imaginable, and he needed to pay for what he’d done. I didn’t care if I seriously injured or killed him.

With a guttural roar, Jax tackled me to the ground, and we were a flurry of fists and teeth. I landed several hard punches to Jax’s face before he managed to pin me down long enough to tear into my neck. I cursed, kicked him off me, and then stood with my hand over my neck. Jax lifted his head and looked at Chloe. His mouth was covered with my blood.

Chloe turned away, horrified.

“Look at me,” Jax screamed. “This is what we are, Chloe. You can’t hide from it. You can’t pretend we’re not monsters. Is this the life you want? Because this is what you’re going to get if you stay here.”

“Leave her alone!” I lunged at Jax, but he moved quickly out of my way.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe take off on a dead run toward the road. The scent of her fear lingered in the air around me. “Shit,” I muttered and then raced after her.

“Chloe.” I slid my arms around her stomach and lifted her off her feet.

“Let me go.” She kicked her legs, barely missing contact with my shin.

“Stop.” I set her on her feet but kept a firm hold on her. “Please stop and talk to me.”

She wiped at her face, but her tears continued to fall.

“I’m sorry,” I said, taking her face in my hands and wiping her tears with my thumbs. “I lost control back there, and I shouldn’t have.”

She risked a look at my face, and all she saw was me. Human me. Her lips trembled.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” I said.

She nodded.

“Please say something,” I pleaded.

But she still didn’t speak. Instead, she dropped to her knees, buried her face in her hands, and sobbed uncontrollably. I stared down at her for a moment, unsure what to say or do. My heart broke, and my throat burned with a combination of thirst and tears. I’d succeeded in doing the very thing I swore I wouldn’t do—I’d broken her.

“Chloe?” I kneeled in front of her. “Please tell me what to do. Tell me how I can make this better for you.”

“You can’t,” I whispered.

The weight of defeat was heavy on my shoulders. I knew what I had to do now, and I hated to even think about what this would mean for us, but I didn’t have any other choice. No matter how much I loved her, I couldn’t continue to be this selfish, not when her very happiness was on the line.

I scooped her up in my arms, carried her to my truck, and then drove her home. I’d barely gotten the truck in park when Beth, Dean, and the man I assumed was Chloe’s father came running out of the house.

“Chloe. Don’t you dare take off like that again,” Beth admonished, but there was no force behind her words.

“Sorry. I needed some time.”

“That’s it. We’re leaving tonight. Right now.” Her father pointed to emphasize his words. “Get your stuff, Chloe.”

“No.” She took my hand. “Not until I get a chance to say goodbye.”

That single word—goodbye—was sharper and more permanent than a stake to the heart. Was I strong enough to do what needed to be done?

“So you can take off again? I don’t think so. Get inside, young lady,” her father demanded.

“That’s enough, Frank.” Dean’s voice boomed like a bullhorn. “She may be your daughter, but this is still my house.” He turned to Chloe. “Say your goodbyes, Chloe, and then come inside.”

“Thank you.” Chloe frowned. Once everyone was back inside, Chloe turned to me. Her tears were instantaneous. “I can’t.” Her shoulders shook with sobs, and she buried her face in her hands. “I can’t,” she repeated, shaking her head.

And that was what I was afraid of, that she wouldn’t be able to say goodbye, to let go and have the life she deserved. Right then, I vowed to be strong enough for the both of us.