“How could I not with all of you surrounding me?”
“I know we’ll be heading back to Midway soon, but if you ever need me, I will drop whatever it is I’m doing and come. You just say the words. Kade made me promise to watch over you if anything ever happened to him, and I will keep my word. No assignment will ever be too important. Understand?”
“I do. Thank you,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you so much.”
Thomas stood to the side, his hands folded in front of him. “The same goes for me. Kade was my friend and brother, and I will always be here for you should you need me.”
“Thank you, Thomas,” I said, hugging him.
He awkwardly hugged me back, like he didn’t want to break me. Then he added, “But I doubt you’ll need us. After you transform you’ll probably be more kickass than both of us put together.”
“Yeah, so I might be calling you instead,” Dom added. “But we’ll keep that between us. We wouldn’t want rumors to leak about me needing help from a chick. I have a reputation to uphold.”
“Deal,” I said, giggling.
I glanced behind them and saw a faint smile on Alaine’s face. I nodded to her and she nodded back.
“Well, I don’t think any of us will be getting any sleep tonight knowing it’s your transformation. I think we will all be like proud parents, waiting and anticipating the birth, or in your case… rebirth,” Dom said.
“Well, hopefully I’ll still be alive to show and tell you all about it in the morning.”
“Someone better put the sleeper on me tonight. I’m not kidding. I still have a lot of healing to do,” Dom said, rolling his eyes.
“I’ll tuck you in,” Thomas said.
“Fine, but don’t you dare try to fondle me.”
“Dude, you’re disgusting.”
“So I’ve been told,” he said raising his brow. “And Emma, when you get up, come and wake me up. I’ll be in the room next to yours. Thomas will be across the hall.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Good luck, princess,” Dom said.
“Thanks.” I smiled.
“Bye, Emma. See you in the morning,” Thomas added.
I hugged them both once more, and they left.
Alaine stayed a bit longer and gathered my tray.
Before she left she turned back to me. “Remember, if you need us—”
“I promise to call.”
She smiled. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you too,” I answered. Her smile grew, then she turned and walked out.
I’d just come out of a shower, where I stood under the stream of water for almost a half hour. The uncertainty and unanswered questions of the transformation consumed me. My heart rate elevated, and my stomach was twisting.
My mind began to spin, rewinding to all of the horrific images of death which had been hardwired into my mind, and I couldn’t stop it. It was making me relive the deaths of Ethon and Kade, over and over again, and it was making me sick.
I then realized being alone wasn’t working out like I’d planned. At least, not while I was still so weak. I needed help. I was scared and didn’t really want to be alone. If there was someone to help me through it, maybe my mind wouldn’t constantly be focused on the negative.
I remembered Arella and Raphael’s words to me… to celebrate life instead of mourning death.
All of my good and positive memories were stored in my photo album, and the only reason they were here was because Kade went all the way back to L.A. to collect them. He knew having them would help me through the hard times.
I reached under the foot of the bed and pulled it out. The last person to touch it was Kade. I held it to my heart, not sure if I was strong enough to open it.
Laying the album down in front of me, I slowly flipped the cover.
There on the first page were my parent’s smiling faces beaming back at me. God I missed them so much. I closed my eyes and tried to revisit them in our old house. But as soon as I did, the negative would jump right in, and take me to the accident and the hospital. I hated I had to fight against my own mind.
The next few pages were of me, Lia, and Jeremy. Random shots of our school years together. I smiled at their wide smiles, wild poses, and goofy faces.
As I flipped to the next page, I couldn’t breathe.
It was filled with pictures of me and Kade. Lia had taken them while she was here. How did she develop them? And when did she find the time to put them into my book without me knowing? I didn’t remember Lia taking half of these pictures… my own little paparazzi.
It was as if he were still alive, his beautiful face radiated so much joy as he held me in his arms.