The Second Coming (Sequel to Taken)

Chapter 12

When I get home that night, Theo's sitting at my desk in my bedroom.

"Hey," he says while turning to face me.

"Leave me alone," I say.

He sighs. "I wanna apologize."

"For what? For letting them make me into a chimera? Letting them kill my best friend?"

"For whatever I did that made you mad at me."

"So basically the stuff I just listed. Theo, these things can't be undone. I'm gonna be like this for the rest of my life."

"I can help you through it. I'm still learning too, and I've been like this for several years."

"I heard you killed your sister."

He stares at me for a second. "Who told you that?"

"None of your business. But I want to know the truth. No lying to me."

He sighs. "I was nine."

"That's even worse."

"What do you expect? I still believed that a fat guy slipped down my chimney every December to leave me presents, so when three people in leather masks told me to kill my sister I believed them too! They said they'd make me powerful! I was a kid!"

"And so you killed your own sister."

"I didn't think it would lead to this. If I knew you back then, and I knew you'd hate me for it, I never would've done it. I'm sorry I did it and if I could I'd reverse it but I can't."

I shake my head. "Get out of my house."

"Ec, please, you can't do this to me."

"Can't do what?"

"You can't leave me, you can't abandon me."

"You lived without me for eighteen years, you'll be perfectly fine."

"I don't now how I survived for all those years though. I felt like my life didn't have meaning until I met you."

I stand there and silently stare at him.

"I heard your heart pick up last night, when I was leaving. I could smell the sadness, the wishing that I'd come back."

"Theo-"

"Echo you love me. I now you do. You just won't admit it."

I look down at the ground. "I really don't want to do this."

"It's better to talk about things than hide them, because when it surfaces it could always be too late."

I sigh. "I promised Liam-"

"You didn't promise Liam anything."

"Yes, I did. I told him I'd give him a chance."

"If he really likes you, he'd want you to be happy."

"What makes you think you make me happy?"

He stares at me for a minute, then walks over to me and kisses me.

"I can feel your heart racing," he says once he pulls away. "I can hear it."

"What if it's just fear?"

"I do smell a little fear, but what're you afraid of?"

I sigh and look at the ground. "I'm afraid I'm gonna make the wrong decision."

He puts his hand under my chin and makes me look up at him. "Echo. Who do you wanna be with?"

"I-I don't know."

He grabs my hands and squeezes them. "Echo, I love you. I need you. I need you with me, I need your help, I generally need you."

"I-I don't know..."

He takes a step back and smiles at me as he slowly pulls his shirt off, over his head.

"What are you doing?"

"Just showing you what you could have."

I stand there and stare at him for a second. He looks really hot without a shirt.

"Decided yet, or do you need a closer look?"

I close my eyes. "I think that's all I'm legally allowed to see."

He chuckles. "I meant do I need to step closer."

I slowly open my eyes, and see that he took a couple steps forward so his face is inches away from mine. "You're trying to persuade my by distracting me."

"No, I'm showing you what you could have. Plus, me and my pack, we'd treat you better than anyone in Scott's pack could. We'll do whatever it takes to protect you."

I sigh. "You can't make me decide on the spot."

"Okay." He takes a few steps back and sits down at my desk. "I've got nothing but time."

"Go home, Theo."

I hear shuffling in the hallway, and the door to my room opens a second later.

"Mom!"

She looks around the room. "Where have you been all day?"

"I was out with my friend Liam."

"Who's this Liam fellow? He your new Theo?"

"Mom, he isn't-"

"Relax, I'm kidding. I heard you talking to someone, I guess you were on the phone or something. Go to sleep, you've got school in the morning."

I nod. Does she really not see Theo? 

"You okay? You look... worried."

"I'll talk to you about it another time, I've gotta go to sleep right now."

She chuckles and nods. "Okay, good night."

"Night."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

She smiles at me and steps out of the room, closing the door.

I turn around to the desk and see that Theo disappeared. 

"Miss me?" he says from the doorway of my closet.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"Werewolf reflexes."

I roll my eyes. "Of course. Go  home."

He sighs. "I'll be back, I'm not giving up."

I walk over to him, press him against the wall, and kiss him. When I pull away, I take a step back. "There, now go."

He slowly walks over to the window, pulling his shirt back over his head. "What you said to your mom, I really hope you'll say that to me someday."

"What? That I've gotta go to sleep?"

He shakes his head. "Love you too. I love you, Echo."

"You confuse me, Theo."

He chuckles. "Goodnight."

"Goodbye."

He smiles at me before climbing out the window. 

I watch as he runs off into the night. Maybe he's right. I can't die again, I have to stay with my family. And Scott's pack won't kill to save me, and they won't respect me if I have to kill someone. 

I think I know what I have to do. I grab my phone from my pocket, sit on my bed, and send a text:

Text to: Theo

You win