Kate’s mouth hung open, and her eyes threatened to pop out of her head if she exposed them any more. “What?” Her voice came out as a whisper, directed towards her father who, of course could hear her.

Trevor stared up at her with pain evident on his face. Tears formed again in his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

Kate shook her head in disbelief. She didn’t know who to trust.

“So you both lied to me? You made up your feelings to get me to trust you?” She knew that wasn’t true, but she needed something to be angry at.

“No, Kate. Everything I feel for you and everything I told you was real. I love you.”

She covered his mouth with her palm. “Stop saying that.”

His eyes pleaded with her and she felt her defenses melting away. She let her hand fall, and gave way to tears for the second time in his arms.

He held her and rubbed her back .She was so confused. But the one thing she knew was completely true and right, was how he made her feel.

She mentally asked herself over and over again, “Can I be with him just because of how he makes me feel? Can I be so selfish that that is the only reason I stay with him? Could I learn to trust him again? Could he be telling the truth?”

She ended up falling asleep on his chest.

When she awoke, Trevor and his parents were talking in the center of the room. She didn’t see her dad. They heard her stir and glanced over to her. Trevor’s mom came and sat on the bed.

“We heard about what happened. What your father did. He’s gone at the moment, so you have the opportunity to make a decision.”

Kate nodded solemnly.

“You can choose to stay here with your father, knowing he sold you to a vampire. Or you can come with my family. Either way we’re leaving this town.”

Kate did not even consider the choice.

“I’m coming with you.”

Behind his mother, Trevor did a jump of triumph that ended with him cringing in pain and holding his ribs.

His mother continued, “If you come with us, you have to realize that your father will do whatever it takes to get you back. You understand that don’t you?”

Kate nodded again and didn’t contain the smile that spread across her lips.

Trevor’s mom smiled and hugged Kate tightly. “You can call me mom.”