Page 2 of Forbidden You

I make more money than I can spend, if I can’t use it to cure my father, I will spend everything I have to at least get him the best care he can get.

It’s the one thing I can still control; making sure he’s safe and well cared for.

Supervised by the best of the best.

“You’re willing to give up your L.A. life?”

“I don’t give a shit about my L.A. life.”

A light chuckle comes through the line, and I imagine him in his waterfront house in Maine, the one where I spent most of my teenage years when I wasn’t at boarding school. An Australian bloke now completely established in the cold winters of the northeast. When he took me in, I thought he was nuts, but now I can imagine the lighthouse near his place and it feels more like home than Australia ever has.

“I figured you’d say that. It’s why I have already been in contact with the best facility in the country.”

“Where is it?” A small piece of me is scared he’s going to say something like bum-fuck Montana, but the bigger part really doesn’t give a shit.

I’ll make it work.

“It’s in Atlanta.”

“Georgia?” My brows lift.

“Sure thing.”

That’s not bad. Just a two hour flight to New York. Still mostly sunny. I can expand KPI with an East coast office or just move the business all together.

“And this is the best there is?”

“Yep, the attending has a Phd in neuroscience and is still running clinical trials for his patients. He’s our best shot.”

That’s all I need to know. “Set it up. I’m going house hunting. We’re moving to Atlanta.”

1

Never in a million years would I have expected to be creeping out of my dorm like a thief in the middle of the night before I graduate. It’s weird how my dream evaporated quicker than I’ve been able to muster up a new one.

My phone feels cold pressed against my ear as I prance under the stone arches of the university. The cobblestones are poorly lit, freaking me the fuck out with every step I take. I glance at my own reflection in the shadow every few yards to make sure I’m still alone.

God knows what weirdos sneak around the campus in the middle of the night.

The sound of my suitcase echoes through the hollow of the arch as I tug it behind me, completely drowning out the sounds of my footsteps.

“Keeks?” A surprised voice reaches my ear, when my cousin finally answers the phone. “Isn’t it like five in the morning in California?”

A jolt of relief warms my chest at hearing Rae’s voice as I walk off the campus toward the cab that’s waiting for me.

“It is. It means I have to hurry. I have less than two hours before the sun comes up and I melt.” I hand my suitcase to the driver, offering him a tight smile and a mumblinghellobefore I turn around with my hand on the open door.

Glancing over my shoulder, I take one last mental memory of the campus’s main entrance while looking up at the ivy creeping up the beige bricks. A lump forms in the back of my throat, a heavy feeling settling on my chest.

This isdefinitelynot how I thought my time at Stanford would go.

“You’re a vampire now?” she asks, her tone dry.

“Yeah, or a werewolf. I’m not sure.” I lower myself into the car, snapping myself out of my melancholic mood, and close the door, my gaze now peering to the passenger seat in front of me as the driver gets in.

His big brown eyes find mine in the rearview mirror, silently asking me if I’m ready, I assume, and I offer him a small nod before the car moves forward and I’m on my way.

With each yard further away from campus, I’m reminded of the dream I once had, with no clue what the future now holds for me.

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