Page 115 of Crystal Luna
That second night was much like the first. Asher and Velora shared the bed while Isaiah took the couch. They had dinner, then Velora curled up beneath the blanket and drifted off to sleep.
Her dreams were restless and confusing. One second, she would be comforted by strong arms, only to then see who the arms belonged to, losing every bit of that safety. Even her dreams were replacing Heath with the twins. It was as if they wanted to erase her past with him.
She woke up irritated, though irrationally so—the real Isaiah and Asher weren’t trying to steal her memories. Or were they?
Asher’s hand on her shoulder made her flinch. “What’s wrong, moonlight?”
“Just some bad dreams.” She moved to stand up but paused at the wet feeling between her thighs. She threw the cover back, cursing when she saw red spread over her pants, even leaking onto the bed.
Asher sat up too, brows furrowed in concern as he tried to peer around her to see what was wrong.
Isaiah was up in an instant. “Don’t worry. Should I run the shower for you?”
She sighed and shook her head. “I’ll do it.”
“Are you hurting?” Ash asked, face paler than usual.
“Not really. Just let me clean up.”
She heard the twins bumping around the bedroom getting ready while she showered off. When she stepped out of the bathroom, only Asher stood in the space. She glanced around and he answered the question that must have been written on her face.
“Isaiah went to let them know about the sheets. We’ll pay for the cleaning.”
She couldn’t help but grin. “I guess we enjoy destroying hotel rooms.”
“I guess. Let’s hope this is the last one.”
“Will we make it to Swiftport by tonight?”
He opened the door for her, letting her step out into the fresh morning air. “We’re hoping to get there around noon.”
“Okay.”
“The offer still stands to stop somewhere if you have things you need to get. We have time.”
“I wouldn’t even know what to buy.”
“Maybe some new clothes?” he suggested as they approached the SUV. “It’s not necessary, but it might be easier since we’re already out.”
Even though she knew it would be an ordeal to venture out once she was on the Crystal territory, she shook her head. “No, I really have everything I need.”
He didn’t push further and as soon as Isaiah joined them, Asher drove off and they hit the road again.
They took shorter breaks in an attempt not to waste time, but it wasn’t lost on her that they seemed to be giving her more restroom opportunities than normal. The twins only swapped positions once when they stopped for a drive through breakfast and the closer they got to Swiftport, the more nervous Velora became.
With just an hour to go Isaiah broke the silence. “Do you need a breather?”
She’d tried to stay calm, but her breathing had become heavier with each minute. None of her breathing techniques were working.
“It’s alright if you do, Vel,” Asher tried to reassure from behind.
Reluctantly, she closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay.”
Isaiah pulled up to the side of the highway and cut the engine.
Velora climbed out and paced the length of the vehicle. Every cell in her body wanted her to shift and take off—to run back home. She didn’t even care if she was discovered.
She only had to get to the mountains. She would be able to hide there and start over again—maybe even return to Heath. He would hold her in his arms, kiss her forehead like he’d done so many times before. He would let her sit in the office and read a book while he caught up on housework or shuffled papers back and forth the way he did when he pretended to work.