AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Marla had gotten to come home yesterday. The doctors were still stunned at her recovery.
Her father grinned. “Your sister is trying to show that she accepts you.”
“Yeah, well, she could just say that. We watched those movies years ago. Whoever heard of a vampire sparkling?”
He leaned in. “Marla’s like your mom. She has a hard time saying things sometimes. Not like you and me.”
It was true, Della realized. She and her dad didn’t sugarcoat things like her mom and sister did.
Her father leaned back in his chair. “Are you sure I can’t talk you into staying home and finishing out the year at your old school?”
Della made a face. “I kind of like it at Shadow Falls. I have my best friends.” Chase lives close. Though why that mattered she didn’t know. At least a hundred times, she’d written him a text, only to delete it.
He’d kept stuff from her. Wasn’t that the same as lying?
“Okay, I’m not going to try to talk you out of it. But I’d buy you a new car if you reconsidered.”
“That’s bribery,” Della said. “And it’s a low blow.”
He sighed. “Okay, I just can’t stand the thought of you leaving.”
“I’m almost eighteen.”
He sighed and held up his hands. “You know I’ll still buy you a car. I was going to when you graduated high school.”
She stood up and hugged him. “Can I have stick shift?”
“You don’t drive a stick shift,” he said.
“I learned.” She remembered her driving lessons with Chase. Her heart did another tumble. Would she ever stop missing him?
“I’ll let you help pick it out.”
“Thank you.” She hugged him again.
Funny how lately she’d become almost as much of a serial hugger as Miranda.
* * *
Sunday, at almost eight that night, her whole family drove to drop her off at Shadow Falls. They hugged, kissed, and Marla even cried.
“I’ll be back in two weeks.” Della stayed at the gate and watched them leave. Then she cried. For the first time, she actually knew they were going to miss her. She knew she still had a place at home. Would always have that place.
She turned around and stared at the Shadow Falls Academy sign. This was home too.
Oddly, she was surprised when Kylie and Miranda weren’t at the gate waiting for her. They had called five times today, asking when she’d get there.
She walked through the gate.
“Hey,” Miranda called from the dining hall. “I was just grabbing us some Cokes, can you help?”
“Sure.” Before she walked through the door, their scents hit. Vampires, shape-shifters, faes, witches, werewolves, shape-shifters. The whole bunch of them. She was still surprised when they all yelled, “Welcome home!”
She almost got a little teary eyed. Everyone was so nice. Over the next hour she spent time laughing with all of her Shadow Falls family, Holiday and Burnett, and little Hannah, Jenny and Derek, Perry and Miranda. Lucas and Kylie. Jonathon and Helen. Even Fredericka and Chris came over and welcomed her back.
When Della was ready to head back to her cabin, Burnett asked if he could see her in the office.
“Is there a problem?” She walked into Holiday’s office.
