ZOE BELL PART 80

"Next time you go to see Amber, I want to go with you."

"I won’t be seeing her anymore, and I told her as much before I left her. You are my one and only, Zoe. Please believe me when I say that."

"With time I might, but you still have to gain my trust back. So keep that in mind."

"I will. Just remember that I really do love you." He knelt down in front of me with both my hands in his. "Please know that."

"I do know that. And I love you in return."

He grinned and hugged me around my waist. "You’re the best, Zoe. I’ll never fail you again for as long as you’ll have me."

 

Abbie and I had planned to go to the mall today, and since Mason was back in my good graces, the boys came with us to enjoy our company in the world of girls: Dressing Rooms!

We planned to fill our closets with a new college wardrobe, and that is exactly what we did! One matching outfit after another was tried on and added to the growing pile of clothes that the boys were in charge of. My camera was filling up with an enormous amount of stunningness as Mason flashed away for our makeshift fashion show we were putting on for them.

"I don’t understand girls and clothes," Cliff said, looking through the camera while we waited in line at the checkout stand.

"You better learn fast boy!" Abbie kissed his cheek and grinned.

Mason’s arm slid around my waist and he kissed my forehead. "You okay?" he asked, noticing my slight discomfort when he touched my head.

"Yeah, just a bit of a headache. Nothing to worry about." It was my turn for a present from Mother Nature, so I was expecting the headache. I didn’t feel the need to fill him in on that much information though, so I kissed him. That worked in keeping his mind on light subjects.

We ended up going to Starbucks for drinks, and Mason teased me about what happened a week ago here at the mall. I took it light heartedly, but I really needed to sit down. My head was beginning to spin. The boys stood in line while Abbie and I claimed tables for us.

"Are you sure this isn’t one of those freak attacks you used to get?" Abbie asked, worry filling her eyes.

"No, it can’t be. I would have a lot more pounding going on in my head if that was the case."

We still weren’t so sure, so Mason casually checked the perimeter of the store to make sure Adrian and the creepy head guy weren’t around to cause my discomfort.

"I don’t think anyone is here, Zoe. I’m usually one of the first ones that can sense them, five miles away!" Cliff was looking around as he was speaking.

Mason came back with a dead serious look on his face. "What’s wrong?" I immediately asked.

"I’ll tell you in a minute. Let’s go get something to eat."

We had to walk fast to keep up with him, and as soon as we were outside the building, he swung me into his arms and ran to his truck. He set me down so he could unlock the door, and that’s when the trouble started.

We were surrounded by ten of Adrian’s vampire friends, and everyone looked extremely menacing. Mason hid me behind his back, and pushed me against the car.

"We don’t want any trouble. As you can see, I called Gerald off the mind tricks, so let’s just talk like normal people."

I examined my head, and the headache was completely gone. No more spinning. That didn’t meant it couldn’t come back at a moment’s notice though.

"That’s just it, Carter. We’re not normal people, so leave us alone now, or this is going to get ugly." Mason said in a low growl. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and hoped I could do something to keep him from starting the fight that was itching to break out.

I heard Mason’s voice inside my head, telling me to get inside the truck. As if on cue, I heard the door unlock. I didn’t hesitate, and I clambered inside with my bags of clothes. He was in right after me, and Cliff was in with Abbie.

If they weren’t vampires, I’m pretty sure that some of those guys would have possibly died. When Mason put the truck in gear and backed out of the parking space, it felt like we hit twenty speed bumps at 50 mph! I looked back to see the damage done, but they had all disappeared. Or at least that’s what I thought.

Three black SUVs were suddenly behind us, and I heard Mason swear when I told him they were following us.

"What do they want from you guys that makes them follow you like blood hounds?" Abbie asked.

She was sitting on Cliff’s lap, and she almost slammed into the dashboard when Mason swerved onto the freeway entrance ramp.

"Ab, please don’t ask questions right now. I don’t want you put in anymore danger than you already are." Cliff had weary lines on his face, and his eyes were drooping with tiredness.

"Same goes for you." Mason nudged me.

"Well if it concerns our well being, why shouldn’t you tell us what’s going on?"

I was kind of glad Abbie was the one voicing the exact questions that were running through my own mind.

"Because! If they happen to find a way to take you, they’ll torture answers out of you. If you don’t know anything that’s going on, you might be safer."

I looked behind us, ignoring Abbie and Cliff as they argued, and I could clearly see Adrian in the driver’s seat of the SUV directly behind us. He winked at me and I snapped my head back to the front of the car.