Die For Me (The Consumed Series Book 2)

Emily

Now that I had learned where Hana lived, I planned on camping out in front of her apartment building. There were plenty of benches nearby, and I could go incognito if I needed to. And I had a plan: If I saw Jack leave, I would go inside and nicely ask the lobby staff if they could possibly help me surprise my dear cousin because it was her birthday! If that didn’t work, I’d knock on every single fucking door in that thirty-eight story building.

I tried every way possible to avoid Jack before that day. I never went to band practices and I kept my distance at the few shows they had. I only later learned that Hana was at each show, staying far away from the band but keeping close to Jessica. Jessica, that evil fucking bitch that helped her evil fucking brother capture Hana. How could Hana even stand to be near her when she did all of that to her?

The band had gotten signed to a major label, changed their band name to Chaos Catalyst, and Jack and Adam were planning on touring once their album was released in the summer. I hadn’t planned on going with them, only because I didn’t think Hana would be allowed to see me. But I was starting to have second thoughts. Maybe I would be able to get to her somehow. But it would be even better if I got to speak to her alone before then.

My alarm I had set when I lay down in bed at 4 a.m. woke me up at 7. I would happily skip sleep to free my cousin of the hell hole she was living in.

I quickly got ready, told Adam I needed to go to an appointment, and then I was on my way to Williamsburg. I wasn’t very far away—I was living with Adam in Cobble Hill, only about a 15 minute train ride from where Hana lived. By 8:15, I was propped on a bench near the waterfront, pretending to read but actually surveying every face that walked out of Hana’s apartment building. Hopefully there was only one exit to that building. Maybe I should have planned better.

By 9:30, the lack of sleep had caught up with me, and the sunny fifty-degree weather had me cozy and warm as I bundled up in my jacket. But then I spotted them. Jack had walked out first, in his usual stupid all black ensemble and black boots, trying to look like a badass but in reality he was just bad. A bad asshole. I snorted to myself. He held the door open for Hana; she smiled at him, but she looked tired. She had no makeup on and wore black leggings with black Nikes, her body covered in a long, black puff jacket. She quickly put on her sunglasses, and they headed north as they walked hand in hand.

I rolled my eyes as I got up and started following; I knew I needed to keep my distance, so I stayed about 20 feet behind them in between dozens of other people walking the streets of Williamsburg. I realized they were headed into the subway and panicked a little—would I lose them on the train ride? I scanned my Metro pass and followed them to wait for the L train. Hana and Jack didn’t speak at all—Jack only looked down at his phone while Hana stared at the ground, seemingly in deep thought. Once the train arrived, I eyed them as they got on first and went to the corner of the train. I got on the other side, keeping my back to them. They only stayed on for one stop before exiting the train toward south Williamsburg. They headed west, past the police station and fire department, past random businesses and brownstones, and then they finally stopped and went inside an unmarked business. I stopped and googled what the hell it was, and bile started to rise in my throat when I realized they were in a fucking OB-GYN office. This could mean anything, but I immediately thought the worst.

Hana is fucking pregnant.