Drowning with Fire #3 ✔

Chapter 18 - Theo

I didn't want to think about Ember and I definitely didn't want to talk about her either. This temporary grief would benefit would no one; the only logical, pragmatic path to take now was action – not hesitating over inconsequential occurrences.

Yet when the others arrived, my dead lover's name hung unspoken on everyone's lips. Until we faced with another challenge, of course.

They came straight to Wednesday's, with her intuition having led her home; to where her dad had Victoria chained up and responsible due to the wolfsbane coursing relentlessly through her veins. Not that I pitied her, though.

After finding her, I walked back to Mrs Milburn's house, grabbed my phone and mine and Ember's bags, and wrote her a note explaining that we'd be staying at the Mortelles'. And not to worry, because almost all parents do is worry about their kids. I did it all in a trance-like daze; inexplicable exhaustion wearying my restless body.

I promptly fell asleep in a spare room as soon as I got back to Wednesday's.

I heard the others coming from a mile off – literally. Somehow, I'd become a light sleeper, sensitive to all nocturnal sounds. Hell, when Ember rolled over in bed the night before, I shot up like a bullet – despite the fact she was a floor above me.

Don't think about her.

Reuniting with the others would become yet another event to occur at the Mortelles', especially with the mix of emotions tying us all together.

I opened the front door as soon as they all arrived.

"Hey Theo." Ryder nodded casually, like we weren't all going through shit.

"Hey." I nodded back, shoving my hands in my jean pockets.

"Oh, stop pretending to be so macho, already." Thea huffed, pushing past Ryder and wrapping me in a tight hug. She dropped her voice to a whisper, her words a little choked; "You're allowed to be upset. You don't have to hide it. Not from me; not from us."

"I know." I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut as I hugged her back, just as tight.

"Let's get inside." Al started pushing past us, hand in hand with Wednesday and pulling her inside too.

Thea let go of me, patting my shoulder, before going over to Halia and leading her in through the door. Halia's eyes were bleary and red; and she smelt awful.

"She alright?" I raised an eyebrow at Ryder once she was inside.

"Nope." He sighed. "The reason why it took so long for us to get here was 'cos Halia didn't want to leave Hopecliffe."

"Well, life's not much better in Lake Oldoy, to be honest." I clenched my hand into a fist, unclenched it and clenched it again; desperately avoiding my thoughts.

"Thea was right, you know." After taking one last look around the neighbourhood, he stepped inside and his hand landed on my shoulder. "You don't have to hide how you're feeling from us."

"It's just... easier if I try focus on other shit." I swallowed, focusing on a dead moth lying on the same wooden floorboards that seemed to furnish every room in the Mortelles' place.

"I get it, Theo." He hugged me suddenly. "Trust me, I really do."

"Do you still miss Hayden?" Thinking about his dead lover, I forced out the question; finding that talking stopped me from getting choked up and teary (shut up).

"All the time."

A hair-splitting scream tore through the house; Ryder and I didn't hesitate to start running upstairs – to where the sound had originated from and where the girls had just disappeared to.