And I supposed, in a way, they were.

“Tell us what happened, Stel,” Piper commanded.

I took a few steadying breaths and then I admitted, “I don’t really know. I mean, I now my…. sickness scared him, a lot, but I just talked to him this morning and everything seemed fine. He had…. come over to check on me, and he was really sweet. But then when he left me, he like really left me. He just went to his family, completely turning his back on me and Jupiter and my family. He didn’t even say goodbye- not really, anyway.”

“He didn’t even tell his grandpa he was leaving?” Piper asked in disbelief.

“Nope, he just left. We found out later.”

“How did you find out? Did he call you? Leave a note or anything?”

“Mutual friends just happened to see him, with his family.” I shrugged. This was mostly the truth, although there was no way she could pick up the gravity of my words, or their ugly meaning.

“So they live close by?”

“Not at all. He flew there.”

“He bought a plane ticket and just took off?” Piper gasped.

I shrugged and then echoed, “He just took off.”

“What’s his grandpa going to do?” Her voice was sadder now, as if she was finally accepting that he was gone.

“Nothing,” I admitted. “What can he do? Seth’s with his family. He’s obviously where he wants to be. There’s not a whole lot his grandpa or any of us can do.”

“I’m so sorry, Stella,” she whispered. She pressed a kiss to my shoulder and then laid her head back down. “What a bastard to just leave you like that, though.”

“Well, we weren’t exactly a couple or anything.” The words burned in my throat and ripped and clawed at my heart. We weren’t- but we should have been. Could I have prevented this all if I’d just given into the inevitable? Was my stubborn independence what drove him away?

But we had been growing closer recently. Lately thoughts and feelings for Tristan had been fading into the background because of a dominating attraction to Seth. There were moments when I knew what was growing between us would last forever, would surpass everything else.

And then Seth left me.

What was I supposed to think now?

Was there any hope for a relationship with him of any kind?

No. The oppressing realization hit me hard and fast. There wasn’t any hope. He was gone.

His words this morning whispered through my mind again and I couldn’t help but feel confused. Don’t give up on me. We can do this for the rest of our lives. We will get to do this forever.

It didn’t make sense. Why tell me those things? Make those promises to me…. and then leave me?

“But he obviously had feelings for you,” Piper insisted. “Is he going to call?”

I let out a bitter laugh before I could stop myself. “God, I hope not.”

Her head shot up and she gave me a concerned glance. “You don’t mean that.”

“Trust me; it wouldn’t be good for either of us if he called me now.”

“Who was the family he went to live with?” Tristan asked as the pieces started to come together for him.

“His sister and uncle,” I said meaningfully.

Tristan let out a foul curse under his breath and Piper’s eyebrows snapped together. “What am I missing here?”

“Nothing,” I mumbled.

“Don’t do that.” Piper slid off the tree trunk and whirled around to face me. She was all righteous indignation and bubbling fury. “Don’t go into secret Tristan and Stella world. Stop hiding things from me! I want to know!”

My expression sobered and I swallowed back the entire truth. I had wanted to tell Piper for as long as I could remember. But I always held back. Tristan knew, because there wasn’t a choice in my life in which he did not know exactly who I was. But it was easier to lie to Piper, even if I hated it. It was easier to gloss over this part of my life because she filled in every other space. She was my carefree humanity, my reckless immaturity. She was simply my friend, not a mile stone in my life or a choice to be made.

But she did deserve the truth. Or at least part of it. “His family is bad news, Pi.”

“What do you mean? Like they’re… what, like criminals?”

“Yes, and worse.”

“What’s worse than a criminal?” Her eyebrows were hidden behind her thick bangs, but I knew they were raised. Her eyes were huge, and her face flushed with the frustration to understand.

“Them,” I answered cryptically. “They’re just…. they’re the worst kind of people. That’s why he’s always lived with Jupiter. His other family doesn’t have his best interest in mind. In fact, before they’ve always tried to hurt him.”

“Like physically abuse him?” She was stunned and I didn’t blame her. Even out of context and watered down this sounded bad.

“Yes, and emotionally and mentally.”

“Does he think this time will be different or something?” I knew she was grasping at anything to make this situation better, but it was a futile effort on her part. There was no way to make this better, there was no way to bring Seth back.

“Maybe.” I looked down at the ground, unable to meet her eyes. “But it won’t be.”

She fell silent then, and I was glad. I didn’t want to answer any more of her questions. I didn’t want to dissect Seth’s decision any longer.

“I know you’re worried about him, Stella,” Tristan’s voice cut through the tense silence. I looked up and met his gaze. “But, you’ll be alright. And that’s what’s most important- that he didn’t hurt you before he left. If he was this…. unstable, it’s a good thing he left when he did.”

I knew what Tristan saw and how he wanted to view Seth in this new light, but I knew better. Seth wasn’t a ticking time bomb. He hadn’t been in danger of following the darker side of his soul, not once until this morning.

He was goodness and Light and all things admirable.

This move was calculated- I knew that. But why? What could he accomplish by entering enemy camp? And why was it more important than staying with me.

On top of feeling heartbroken and betrayed, I also felt vulnerable and exposed. Not three days ago, he saved me from getting my head chopped off.

I would have died without him.

I still might die without him.

If he didn’t want me to give up on him, then exactly what did he expect me to do?

“Stella, I have to go,” Piper said. She looked down at her watch and then back up at me. “I have to be home for dinner.” She walked over and pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. Well, not better… but not sick anymore.”

“Thanks, Pi,” I said sincerely.

“Call me later.” She released me and started walking back to the house. “Oh, and I left your books and homework on the porch.”

I groaned. “Ok, thanks.”

She walked off and Tristan and I were left alone. We hadn’t been alone since he got in that fight with Seth last week. And we’d barely talked, not even on the phone. Things had been… tense between us. But I didn’t know how they would be now with Seth out of the picture.

After Piper disappeared I looked over at him and caught his gaze immediately. He was staring at me with concern etched all over his beautiful face. He ran a hand over his closely shaved head and then let out a long breath.

And then he was there- in between my legs with his arms wrapped around my waist.

I fell into him, clutching him like the lifeline that he was. I was beyond tears by now, but his closeness did so much to soothe my aching, gutted soul. He was what I needed right now. He would be the strength that got me through this.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered against my hair. “I’ve hated keeping my distance.”

“Is that what you were doing?” I half laughed, half sighed into his chest.

“Trying to,” he admitted. “I’ve never pressured anyone to go out with me before, Stella. And I really haven’t hated someone as much as I hate Seth. You might find this hard to believe, but for the most part, people like me.” He was teasing in that dry way of his and I smiled because it was true. Most people did like him.