Elena.

"Can I ask you something?" Leverett asked, kissing the top of my head as he held me closer to him. I nodded, intertwining my fingers with his. "If...I'm...planning on going to Paris...will you come with me?"

I lifted my head up from the pillow to face him. "What kind of a question is that? Of course." I tried to sound enthusiastic, which I was, but I was truly exhausted. I could barley lift my head any longer. He noticed this and understood, so he just chuckled and started playing with my hair with his fingers.

"Leverett, I haven't been tired since I was..."

"Human?"

"Yes, human. So what is happening to me?" I tried to suppress a yawn then, so I gave up and rested my head on his chest.

"We can still tire. It's just that we need more...extreme tasks for that to happen." He had made a playful emphasis on the "extreme" which made me blush since I knew what he was referring to. "And all we have to do is sleep. We don't sleep obviously, but it's the same idea. You're inactive, so it's difficult to bring yourself out of it until your body is rested."

"Are you tired?"

"A little. I have a meeting I have to go to though. I would like to take you but you have to rest. I'll make it up to you later, promise." He was about to say something else, but instead he smiled and went to his bathroom to shower

When I heard the water running, I rested my back against the headboard, letting my head get supported by my knees. I had a year. A year to figure out a way to get out killing Leverett and still somehow save Ryan. It almost seemed impossible, but everything that had happened since my birthday up until now would've seemed just as strange and unbelievable to me if I hadn't lived it myself.

I need to find a way out. I love both of them too much to let them down.

Leverett was right, I was extremely glad that I had stayed behind. I didn't remember lying back down to sleep, but I apparently had, and I had been out for a couple hours according to the clock resting on the opposite side of the room.

I didn't do anything the rest of the day, after taking a shower and dressing in fresh clothes, I had helped Molly cook again, but did nothing much after that. She'd seemed especially nice to me today, which although odd I highly appreciated. I knew that there would be no reason of really fearing going outside, considering that "they" needed me here anyway, so when Molly thought I was upstairs reading, I snuck out. I left a note in the room saying so, in case she did happen to go to my room, which I thought unlikely.

I wondered how many hours I had left before Leverett would get back, I was guessing it wouldn't be for another three or four hours, That's usually when he'd get home.

I made my way to the road, during these hours, I knew it was abandoned. I knew there was a city an hour away-driving. I could run there at a steady pace. Which I did, and before I knew it, I was in the city, and in less time than I thought I would as well.

The city lights that reflected off the cars had my mind pleasantly wander off, at least for a few moments. I couldn't help but smile. Even though I was alone, the people walking in the sidewalks passing by me didn't make me feel alone. A siren sounded nearby, and as my eyes followed it as it disappeared around the corner, I heard the distant sound of an acoustic guitar coming from a nearby park.

Colored lanterns bordered the edges of the park. It was a public party, and I was sure it was almost over. I went by to see who was playing. Almost the whole audience seemed to be made of of college students. They weren't nearly as rowdy as I would think, as they all listened attentively to the twins onstage. Both in their late twenties, the girl was singing while the brother played the guitar. The song was nice, but it wasn't enough to coax me into staying longer.

I heard two pairs of footsteps behind me on my way out of the crowd. Two girls approached me. One of them asked if I had a light, which I told her I didn't. The other girl, one who looked nervous, tried to take the shorter one back to the party. She wouldn't budge however, as she smiled and started to make small talk with me, her eyes looking at me tentively. There was something different about these girls, and I didn't want to stay to try to figure out what that was. I curtly told them I had to leave. I walked away and as I made my way around the corner, I heard the two girls walking back, and whispering to themselves. I found no point in finding out what they were saying, but then the whispering stopped. After a minute or so, the short one started whispering to the other again.

"I'm telling you-we should have followed her."

"Are you crazy? What if you're wrong?"

"She's one of us too- what if- maybe she can lead us to more like us-"

"Or not. Remember what happened last time we followed a vampire?" There was no response from the shorter girl this time. Fireworks went off then, which I took as I cue to leave and get back to the house as soon as possible. I would've wanted to help them, but I knew I was just as lost as them, just under different circumstances.

After leaving for the city that first time, I didn't go back much after that. Molly hadn't found out that I'd left, or anytime after, but I stayed more for Leverett than for me. The happiness we had when we'd first confessed our feelings for each other in Leverett's study, seemed miniscule in size as to how we were now. It would be a year next week.

A year.