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pulled him back to the Jeep. 
    “You can’t be with him, Em! It’ll never work,” Gabriel called out the further we went. “ You’ll kill him! ”
    I paused and glanced back, the wind whipping my hair across my face as I locked eyes with a desperate man. 
    “Don’t listen to him,” Thomas whispered in my ear. His hand went to my back, urging me along.
    I kept my eyes down as we got in and drove off. When we were safely on the highway, I turned to Thomas. “How’d you know I needed you?”
    “You pocket-dialed me.”
    “Oh… How much of it did you hear?”
    His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Enough.”
    I sighed and rubbed my head. “You were right not to trust him, and I should’ve listened to you. I’m sorry.”
    He took his eyes off the road to face me. “You have nothing to be sorry for, you hear me? They’re liars and manipulators. All of ’em.”
    His words stung, and I nodded absently. Did he even realize he’d just insulted me? 
    Probably not.  
    My pocket vibrated, and I pulled out my phone, freezing when I saw it was a text from Gabriel.
    “What is it?” Thomas asked, surreptitiously eyeing my phone.
    I tried to play it cool as I opened the message and read it. However, I had to fight to keep my breathing and pulse even as his words sank in. My stiff shoulders relaxed as I gave Thomas a small smile. “It’s a text from Beth. Josh is being an ass, as usual.”
    My eyes glanced down to the screen as I re-read Gabriel’s message:
    You’re wrong. It was real for me, too.

Chapter Five
    Tuesday, December 22nd
    Dallas, TX
     
    EMILY
    We pulled into my parents’ driveway, behind my mom’s black SUV. Thomas cut the ignition, but made no move to get out of our rental car.
    I frowned and unbuckled my seat belt. “Are you nervous?”
    He nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous in my life. All three-hundred years of it,” he muttered as he climbed out.
    I rolled my eyes and got out. “You’ll do fine,” I said as he pulled our suitcases out of the trunk.
    He shut the back of the car and picked up our bags, flashing me a lopsided grin. “It can’t be any worse than when you met my family.”
    I smiled and nodded. “That’s true.” Very  true. That had been a disaster of epic proportions.
    Thomas followed me up the front steps, and I peered in the glass detailing of our front door before pushing it open. The house was relatively quiet as we stepped into the foyer. I heard the TV in the living room, but that was it.
    “Mom? Dad? We’re here,” I called out.
    My mom came into the foyer from the living room, and when I saw her smiling face, I lost it. I ran up and hugged her, burying my face in her light brown hair. She smelled exactly the same. Like Dove soap and roses. My eyes watered, but I refused to cry. Our time was limited. I wouldn’t waste it by blubbering like a little kid. 
    When my throat started to ache with the force of my unshed tears, I pulled away. My mom looked pretty much the same, with maybe a few more crow’s feet around her blue eyes.
    “Let me look at you,” she said, placing her hands on both sides of my face. Her eyes were a little red and watery as she smiled. “You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you.” She kissed my forehead and released me, gesturing for Thomas to come over. 
    “You must be Thomas,” she said, giving him a hug.
    His surprised eyes met mine, and I smiled. I should’ve warned him that my mother was a hugger. 
    “It’s nice to meet you,” she said as she let him go.
    “You, too, Mrs. Hayes.”
    My mom made a “ pffft ” sound and swatted in his direction. “Please, call me Sophie.”
    I leaned into Thomas’s side and he wrapped his arm around me. “Where’s Dad?” I asked.
    “He’ll be back in a bit, he just ran to the store.” She wiped her eyes and pointed to the staircase behind us. “Em, why don’t you show Thomas where your bedroom is? I’m sure you guys would like