Page 71 of Supernova

“You too!”

“Don’t get up to too much trouble,” Carter added with a wink.

“I’ll try not to.” I gave them a final wave.

It would be hard not to see each other for a while, especially after being with each other every single day for the last third of year. But I promised them it wasn’t goodbye for good. And I was able to walk away from them with that promise binding us together.

I couldn’t say the same for Griffin. The way we had left things was horrible. I didn’t even get to say a proper goodbye before he stormed out of there. If I thought about it too much, the pain that thronged inside me became unbearable. Life was a bitch. This was a full circle moment; I had left River like that and now Griffin had left me in the same way. Karma could go fuck itself.

As I took a seat in the busy carriage, I was hit with an unnerving sense of deja vu. Once again, I was in the same spot; on the same train, leaving the person I cared about behind and running away from a plethora of problems. Feelings of sorrow and heartache, anger and guilt, plagued me. My heart was again racing as I watched the landscape change for the second time as I left my new life that I had come to love. A life where I had found a sense of direction and purpose I never had before.

If it wasn’t for River and falsely believing he was a killer, I never would have known this side of me. When I sat in this same spot all those months ago, I had hoped the city would bring about something good. And it sure had provided. It was so good, that leaving it now was almost as hard as coming here to begin with. The city had given and given; friends, love, purpose, confidence, fight and now answers.

Once again, everything I thought I knew had been wrong. And I couldn’t fight the guilt that all of this had come at River’s expense.

CHAPTER 40

The car skidded slightly as I sped into the familiar paved driveway and pulled up just outside the front door of the pack house.

I had already stopped at my house first. Saw my mum and sister. Even though the urge to go straight to River was eating at me, I thought they deserved to know I was back. I updated them on everything I’d found out. Although, mum had already learned bits and pieces from Thea who’d called to inform her I’d left. It was no surprise that mum had been looking into the pack further and had been one of the informants that had helped the Knights gather their evidence against the rogues.

I didn’t have too much time to catch up, and sensing my urgency to get to Riv, Celeste insisted I take the car. She still didn’t trust him completely—given her scepticism and natural dislike for the wolves—and after I finally spilled a bit about Griffin, she was mad at me for a whole new bunch of reasons. But she knew this was what I needed right now. I promised I’d be back soon for a proper reunion.

I took a moment to soak it in. Being back here was hard. Very hard. But I couldn’t shake the sense of familiarity and homely comfort that enveloped me, even if I wanted to. This place had always been homely to me. Until it wasn’t.

I stood outside the large oak door, looking up at the wooden panels that made up the house. I wondered if River had seen me from the large open windows of his room that looked over the driveway—the same windows that I looked out of that night when I saw him carrying Amelia’s dead body.

I couldn’t believe I had been so wrong. That I hadn’t even given River a chance to explain before I ran out of there like my life depended on it. This whole time I hadn’t spoken to him once. I had left him and basically moved on with my life. The whole reason I even went to the academy was so I could get my revenge on him. On poor River who did nothing but look after me and the people of this town from evil supernatural scum. I couldn’t believe how quick I had been to think the worst of him. I could only hope and pray he would forgive me now.

Standing on the large stone porch, I took in the smell of pine, dirt and nature as I tried to calm my nerves; a stark contrast to the city that had become my new normal. The smells were the same as I had remembered, comforting yet stronger now as my senses were enhanced. I was not the same as I was in the life I lived here. I was no longer that person. Yet I felt like I had almost been transported back in time. A time where River and I were all that mattered.

I stepped towards the door and grabbed the large black handle. As I pushed, someone else pulled and my heart stopped.

There, standing behind the door, looking startled, crushed and hopeful all at the same time, was River. His warm honey eyes locked on mine as his lips parted in shock.

“Venus?” His voice was so sweet and full, and hearing it shook my whole body. I never thought I’d hear it again.

“Riv,” I breathed out, emotion filling me as tears swelled at the corner of my eyes.

I took him in. All his supernatural beauty. He was wearing a white t-shirt that stretched against his broad chest, the light starkly contrasted the dark I’d been so used to seeing with Griffin and the compound. And for a second my thoughts waivered, wondering what Griff was doing right now. But I pushed the thought aside.

River stared at me, patiently waiting for me to make the first move. Unsure of what to do in this delicate situation. He looked a little scared to touch me and who could blame him after the last time we saw each other. He was probably waiting for me to freak out again and run for the hills. He ran his fingers through his hair, seeming a little frustrated. I watched in awe, missing that signature move so much. I stared as the long strands fell back into his eyes and he sighed. It had grown longer since I last saw him, now sitting in beautiful, tousled curls just past his chin, almost reaching his shoulders. I mindlessly reached out to touch them out of habit, like I had done so many times before.

He stiffened, not knowing how he should react. After I pushed back his hair, I rushed into him so fast that I knocked the wind out of him. Wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face into his chest, I sobbed. Tears attacked my eyes. I swear my body betrayed my macho girl front way too often. I was an emotional wreck more often than not.

Everything spilled out of me, no longer able to contain the overwhelming feeling of being in his presence once again.

“Riv, I am so sorry. I should never have left without letting you explain yourself. I know everything now. I know you didn’t kill her. I know the rogues did and you were trying to save her. I know you’ve been trying to protect our town from them this whole time. I should have known you would never hurt a fly!” The words rushed out of me so fast, I was surprised he understood a thing, but he was used to me and my emotional ways. He’d dealt with it for years after all.

He sighed again and breathed me in, his head resting on my hair. He was about to say something when I cut him off. “I’m so, so sorry,” I sobbed. “Please can you ever forgive me?”

When he chuckled, I stilled. Unsure and afraid. I tilted my head up, trying to read the emotion in his face—relief and joy. Not a single sign of resentment, anger or disappointment in those lovely warm orbs of his. The corner of his mouth was basically touching his eyes as he smiled down at me, his perfect teeth on show for the world to see. He stroked my hair, his golden tinged eyes squished up real small as the light danced across them, literally sparkling. It was a mesmerising sight.

He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips—gentle and tenderly. It was quick. A fleeting moment between two people who had so much love for each other. Two people who had been apart for what felt like too long.

“There is nothing to forgive you for, Vee. I’m so glad you’re back. I missed you so much it hurt. I’m so sorry that I failed you, I truly am. I understand that I scared you and I couldn’t forgive myself knowing I hurt you—”

I cut him off. “It’s my own fault that I was hurt. For not giving you a chance to explain. For not believing in you. When all you did was try to protect us.” I reached up and held his cheek. “Listen to me. It’s not your fault.”

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