Ivory - Movement > the album I used for my chapter it suited it.

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Katherine and I stood side by side watching Chelsea humming away in the kitchen, taking a few sips to her coffee and grabbing the toast from the toaster.

"Kate, you can go." I murmured.

She shook her head slowly, her eyes watching Chelsea move around the kitchen. "Not just yet. Things are going to get... interesting."

I grimaced a little. "How interesting."

"Amy interesting." She whispered. "If John doesn't steal her away."

Balls.

Chelsea turned toward us and I jumped into action, forcing a smile onto my lips. "Chels, you look great."

Of course, she saw right through me. She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip out. Her blonde hair tumbled over her shoulder as she tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. "Thank you. But what's going on. I know I was here during Christmas but now Amy's had a kid and... Katherine, I'm so sorry about your grandmother."

She nodded her head beside me but didn't say anything. From behind me, I could see John waving at me. He gave a pointed look to the stairs and I felt the colour drain from my face when Amy descended the stairs.

That wasn't the same Amy. Chelsea would know something's up. She won't even recognise her straight away, oh dear. "Um- uh, Chels-"

"Why do I recognise that v- oft!" I turned my head around the corner in time to watch John cover Amy's mouth and lift her. He ran up the stairs throwing me a small thumbs up in the process and disappeared. That'll buy us a few minutes.

"Chels," I resumed. "Why don't we talk about this properly over breakfast. Just me and you, I'll explain everything." Almost everything.

"What about Amy?"

"You can see her when she wakes up. I'll bring you right back." I grabbed her hand and started ushering her down the stairs and out the house. I glanced up at the window and Kate pointed at her phone. I checked my texts; she told me to come back around eight after Amy and the baby have been fed but she'd be gone.

I released a heavy sigh at the steering wheel and glanced at Chelsea watching me. "Evie, you look like hell."

"Yeah," I groaned, her honesty still as present as before. "That's because I slept on the porch last night."

Her eyes widened. "Why in the world were you sleeping on the porch?"

"I'll explain, trust me. You'll want to hear this."

**

**

"Oh, gosh." Chelsea leaned over the restaurant table and took my hand. "And this Nate guy... you told him you didn't like him... well, like that?"

I squeezed her hand and gave her a wan smile. "Last night after I left the house, he'd followed me and I'd told him. It hurt but in time I'm sure we'll be okay."

"I'm so sorry, Evie. Have you spoken to Michael yet?" Her stunning blue eyes darted toward our server picking up our plates before focusing them back to me. "Do you think he'll kick his ass?"

"He tried to, let's hope he doesn't try again."

She patted my hand one more time and picked up her coffee cup. "And what about Amy? She doing okay?"

"Oh... yeah. She's... she's doing great. Amelia's good too." I shifted. Once again her eyes narrowed. "You'll see Amy later."

"Yeah? Nothing else you want to say?"

"Nope. Don't think so." I chewed the corner of my lip.

She clocked it. "You sure, Evangeline?"

"Yeah... yeah, I'm sure."

Her eyes searched my face for what felt like forever until she paused on my eyebrow. "Is that a new scar?"

Double balls. "I fell."

"Oh my God." Her eyes widened. "Is Michael hitting you."

I gasped. "No! Michael has never laid a finger on me Chelsea. My God, how could you think that?"

"What else am I supposed to assume!" She huffed. "You tell me absolutely nothing and neither does Amy."

"I know, I know. But come on, Chels really? Mike hitting me?"

Her nose wrinkled and she smiled a little. "Yeah, that was pretty dumb."

"Enough about that though, how are you? How were your exams? How was your birthday?"

Chelsea welcomed the change in conversation and I smiled and watched as my animated friend went ahead to explain the last six months. I missed her dearly, the way she lifted her hands to explain things, the way her eyes relayed her events almost as if she were reliving it. Even her smile, so carefree, a little quirk to the corner I recognised whenever she was up to something. She graduated next month, earlier than us all. She'd studied earth and environmental science. Such an odd subject but Chelsea was a traveller through and through.

"I broke up with Travis."

I cringed a little. "Oh,"

"Yeah, oh." The blonde leaned back against the booth with a large sigh. "He was being such an ass you know? He may have treated me like a queen in the bedroom but he was the biggest douche I've ever come across."

"You were together for six months."

"Yeah, half a year wasted. I thought he was just going through a phase. I've had enough of men right now anyway. Travis was distracting me from my studies. As soon as I graduate, I'm going to Rome. Or maybe even Cairo, that is my dream. I want to go on year long digs and trek's around the world, I want to document the earth surface processes and the environmental changes; I'm going to O.D on it trust me."

"I don't get how you and Amy are so damn smart. She's an astrophysicist and you're a geologist. And I'm... a weirdo in history."

"You're a smart weirdo in history. You probably aced your finals."

At the reminder of my finals exams I frowned a little. "Yeah, I ran out near the end of my last one because I found out Amy was going into labour."

"What! Evie."

"Don't you Evie, me. I may have rushed the last answer but I rushed it in a good way."

"Now how in the hell do you rush an answer in a good way. Good God woman. But you're great at history anyway, always have been. I'm sure it's fine."

I stared at my friend contemplating her words and the fact that she wasn't safe here and released a strangled sigh. She hadn't changed much; maybe the maturity level has been raised more than a few bars. Still as gorgeous as the day I met her. Still sporting a grin and that signature sass.

But she couldn't stay here. And I didn't know how the hell I was going to get her to go.

After paying for the food we sat in my car silently. I hadn't even started the engine yet, I was still trying to find a way to word telling Chelsea she couldn't stay here, word it without it coming out like I didn't... well want her here.

"Chels, we're going to see Amy." I said sparing her a side glance. "But I need you to believe me when I say things are extremely complicated right now. And you being here makes it even harder. With Kate's gran passing, Amy just having a baby and now my, um, relationship strains it's just not the right time. Look, you graduate in a month, I graduate in September. Next year, Amy'll be paying to do her final exams- she's lucky she's all famous otherwise I'm certain she wouldn't have appealed to try and reschedule. Do you understand where I'm coming from?"

For the longest time, she searched my face probably waiting for a flaw in my barely thought up excuse. I held my own though - didn't even start biting my lip either, I'm pretty sure I'm growing out of that habit - holding her gaze and waiting for her reply.

And finally she nodded. It was a slow almost uncertain nod but a nod nonetheless. "I understand."

"So..."

"So, by your request I'll see Amy and the baby but I'll book a ticket and get on the next flight out of here. Only because you're asking me and clearly you're hiding something you're not ready to tell me about."

I'll never be ready.

"I will be back though, I hope you realise that. Because that kid isn't going to grow up without knowing her aunt Chels."

"Oh, of course not. But thank you... really Chelsea. Things are... just-"

She held her hand up to wave away whatever lie I was about to bumble on and on about. "Tell me whenever you're ready. Just know that I'm here for the both of you whether I'm two thousand miles away or down the street... wait, the thing you're not ready to tell me... are you... with-child?"

Finally back to normal, I turned the car on and started back to John's. "Trust me, I am far from pregnant."

All the way back to the house, Chelsea and I bantered and reminisced. I was laughing hysterically at something when I realised I was getting a little slap-happy. Running on less than four hours sleep would do that to a girl.

But as I parked up at John's I noticed Michael's car parked up. I released a breath and sent Chelsea a tired smile. "Just to warn you Amy looks a little... well, different. Canada and giving birth looks really good on her."

"She can't look that different. Are you going to speak to Mike now?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck my red-headed friend. I'm excited to see them though. But really how different can Ames look?"

Let's just say I just wished I recorded her seeing Amy. We'd walked into the living room and there Amy stood bouncing her little bundle of half-vampire, in her arms, feeding her a bottle of - thankfully - milk. Chelsea had frozen like a deer caught in headlights. Michael and John exited the kitchen at that precise moment and I caught his eye. We're going to talk, his eyes said. He looked ten times better today. He didn't look like the lost boy he did yesterday. I probably looked like a train wreck; bird nest hair, dark under the eyes.

Both of their eyes zoomed into Chelsea's pale face and the way her mouth was practically touching the floor. Amy looked from me to our friend and then to the boys watching the scene unfold like some sort of nightmarish drama. And cue the dramatic music.

Chelsea's eyes closed and opened four of five times. Probably thinking this wasn't real.

"Holy hell." She murmured approaching mother and child with as much hesitance as a frightened puppy. "Holy... hell."

"Chelsea!" Amy laughed nervously, her cheeks blushing furiously at the way Chelsea was looking at her from head to toe. "Wow, John told me you were here but I didn't-"

"Holy hell Amy is that really you? Is this a joke? This is a model right? A look a like?" Her frantic stare directed to me then John then back to me. "Right? Because no way... is that... holy..."

"It's Amy." I said nudging her closer suddenly finding this almost too hilarious. "And that's Amelia in her arms. Go hug them."

She had pure stars in her eyes as she gave the smallest of hugs - so not to squash the new addition - inhaled a little probably because she smelt like a citrus rainbow and pulled back to look down at the baby. "Holy... I should stop saying hell, right? Like I need to stop swearing because you have a baby. You have a baby. You made a little human being," Surreptitious glance between Amy and me. "John have you no self control?"

"Take's two to tango, Chelsea." John chuckled. "Go on hold her."

Whilst Amy placed Amelia in her arms and chattered away, I gestured for Mike to follow me to our old room. I closed us into our old little sanctuary from a few months ago. Michael sat at the edge of the bed, his hands clenching into the sheets behind him. "Nathaniel came to my house after you text me this morning."

Oh, God.

"Told me about last night." He said. "Told me he followed you to the house and talked to you."

I took a step forward. "Michael, I swear we only-"

"It's okay. He told me what happened too, about what you talked about."

I watched him silently. He looked a bit too... relaxed. Oh, no. "Did you... kill him?"

Finally he looked at me but it was a look of pure horror. "What? No, Evie." I sighed relieved. "I punched him though."

I darted my eyes to his knuckles and narrowed my gaze at the scabs forming on his hands.

"Okay, I punched him a few times. He got in a few shots to my ribs but otherwise he's still alive. I didn't mean for last night to go the way it did, I didn't mean for you to think it was your fault."

"It sounded like it. You may not have meant it but that's just the way I heard it."

"Evie," He grabbed both of my hands and dragged me between his legs. He mumbled, "Forgive me please. I'm sorry for being such an asshole last night. I was overwhelmed with... Ana... and then seeing Nathaniel and you... I drank myself to oblivion and thought the worst. I can't stand the thought of losing you. You're my everything, my now and forever."

I stared down at the top of his head as he buried his face in my stomach, running his hands along my back nudging me closer to his body. I placed my hands over his shoulders and leaned back to look him in the eye. "I'm sorry too."

His eyes hardened all of a sudden. "You have nothing to apologise for, Evie. I was the one in the wrong. I was the stupid one. You ran out of the house because of me, that was my fault. You said I hurt you." I flinched a little. "I don't ever want to be the one to hurt you, Dimples... are you okay, you look like you're about to pass out."

"No, yeah. I'm fine." I yawned. "I didn't sleep much last night."

Michael eyed me and finally he smiled. God, I missed his smile and it wasn't even twelve hours. "Then let's sleep."

We didn't sleep right away though despite his many protests. Instead I told him all about Chelsea and her spontaneous visit. To be honest he was surprised it hadn't happened any earlier. I was too actually, what with Chelsea's 'diving head first into 50 ft of water and figuring out how to breathe later' personality. We even spoke briefly about Nate and how Michael handled it. But he didn't say much.

Clearly what happened between them would stay that way and to be honest, I wasn't all that opposed to the idea. What mattered was that they talked. And I didn't have to worry about Michael killing Nate. I lifted his knuckles and shook my head.

At least not for now.

**

**

When I woke, I was alone. I checked my phone on the side and almost gasped at the time. How did I sleep right through the day and night? Was I that exhausted? Then again, the roller coaster of emotions and Chelsea appearing did its toll. It was almost 4am. To think I went to sleep around midday; I literally overslept.

I stretched and smiled at my holdall sitting in the corner of the room. Thank you, Michael. After refreshing myself completely in the bathroom, I emerged into the living room surprised to see Amy and Chelsea on the couch, changed clothes and laughing. I smiled at them and glanced in the kitchen. "Oh."

Christian rubbed a hand over his eyes and sent me a smile. "Good morning, Evie."

"What are you doing here?" I said, smiling at Kate, Callum and even Nate sitting half asleep at the island.

Nate sent me a small smile and I tried for one too. He'd healed clearly but I could see the faint bruises left on his cheek bones.

"Babysitting whilst your boyfriend and John have gone to feed and Amy is babysitting your friend in there. They should be back soon." He held up the baby monitor.

"Have you met Chelsea?"

"Yes but only a brief hello. They have been talking for hours, Amy had a quick nap but she's getting extraordinary with her restraint." He mused lifting a water bottle to his lips. "Maybe it's because of her baby."

"Maybe it is."

"Do you want breakfast? I was in the middle of making some for the girls."

I smiled and patted his cheek. "To think I used to believe you would drain me dry if you had the chance and now you're cooking me breakfast."

The charming man smiled. "Evangeline, you think the worst of me."

Christian cooked us a breakfast and disappeared to the living room with the others whilst we ate. Apparently while I was sleeping, Chelsea had booked a flight for tomorrow morning and a part of me sagged in utter relief. She'd be fine. Having all three of us together felt like home, even three years after finishing high school.

After breakfast Amy and I wandered outside. Chelsea took a little longer to join us, and I frowned when she emerged with a bottle in her hands. "Kate called me back. Said something about it being humid or whatever."

I shrugged a little. "It can get a little hot in the mornings."

She shrugged her own shoulder and walked ahead of us with a smirk.

I inhaled the warming air and looked up at the sky. I did love the sky on a summer's morning. Even yesterday morning when I'd woken up beside Nate, it was a beautiful colour. The sun wasn't out but I could see the colours peaking from the horizon.

"I'm happy to see her." I said, looping my arm through Amy's. "I mean, she came at the worst time."

"The worst." She agreed.

"And now I know she's going back tomorrow, we can breathe a little."

Amy's silence caused me to stop in my tracks. Chelsea glanced back at us but carried on walking and drinking from her bottle of... what is that? Looks a little like rosé. Of course she'd be drinking at five in the morning. "I can't keep this from her, Evie. I can't. I love her too much."

"I love her too. But you understand, right? Look at her, ignorant to the world. She didn't know she was in a house of vampires and she doesn't know what's going on with the killings. Imagine it Amy, if she knew. She's so..."

"Reckless, is the word you're looking for."

"Yes, reckless. And human like me. I get in the way enough, what would she do if she knew. It's better this way. At least until Florence is taken care of."

Amy's mouth turned downward, her eyes darting down to her shoes. Her mouth opened to reply but all of a sudden, I noticed her skin pale. I raised a brow as she turned her head to the side, her pupil's were pin pricks. That's fear. Pure fear in her eyes.

I was afraid to look, afraid to see what she was seeing but I had to. I turned slowly. My knees almost gave out at the sight in front of me. The twenty seconds that progressed from there were... surreal. Slow motion.

Florence stood with one arm circled around Chelsea's neck, her skin a burning pink, smoking into the flecks of morning sunlight piercing through the tree lines. She was burning in the sunlight. And she looked absolutely ghastly. Her eyes were as black as the night, bags under her eyes... Florence had finally lost it. Amy was right. She despised me more now ever than she ever did.

"You take someone I love away from me," She spat. "And I take someone you love."

Crack.

It was a crack to my everything. A crack to my heart, to my soul... To Chelsea's neck.

My ears were ringing as I watched her motionless body drop to the ground. I think Florence ran but I couldn't tell. I think three familiar bodies followed her but again I couldn't tell. All I could hear was the crack repeating over and over again... and the ringing.

The ringing continued as my world turned upside down figuratively and literally. The world tilted, but my head didn't hit the floor. The ringing, it wouldn't stop and it was only now I realised someone had caught my head, maybe Amy... I just didn't know.

Why wouldn't the ringing stop?

I clutched my hands into the leaves on the floor, trying to focus on... something. Anything. Beside me I saw Amy on the ground, her face contorted from its usual beauty to pain. I couldn't hear them though. I could only watch her with wide eyes as she lay on her side, her face a blood red, tear stained, her mouth open, her neck straining with what looked like shouts and probably sobs.

And then the ringing was gone. And I only now heard that the ringing was my voice. I was screaming, shouting, cursing, crying. I was on my hands and knees beside my best friend crying for our other best friend. Our dead friend.

Someone's hands grabbed my arms and lifted me. It was Katherine. Shaking me. "Calm down."

Was she joking?

"Evie, calm down." She said again, shaking me. I wanted to see her. I wanted to see Chelsea. I tried to make a run for her body but Katherine circled her arms around me and stopped me. Kate was pretty strong. "Evie!"

I tried to find my voice but it was no use.

And it looked like I was going to need it. Especially when Kate said, "She's not dead."

Because the first of many thoughts that entered my mind was, if Katherine knew this was going to happen, why didn't they stop it?

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Is this my final twist? Who know's but friendships will now be tested... Hope you enjoyed this whirlwind of a chapter. I've been aching to write this scene for months! Have fun speculating ;) I love when you guys do that haha!