I wake up early the next morning- as usual. It's still dark outside, so I decide to go out and watch the sunset on the dock. I've been sleeping in lately due to the heavy weight of the stress and anxiety I've been feeling these past couple of weeks, but since I'm up early enough this morning, I jump at the opportunity to brush my teeth, get comfortable clothes on and head outside.

To say I'm surprised to see Levi sitting on the dock is an understatement. Levi has stayed true to his word about not getting up past noon ever since I met him. Not once have I've seen him once out for sunrise- in fact, the more troubling his behaviour got, the longer he slept. in. Feeling unsure how to approach Levi- I'm just not sure how he is, especially after last night's runaway fiasco- I do so slowly. Luckily, he turns around once he hears me coming and actually gives me a small attempt at a ghost of a smile.

"Hey there," I say as I sit down beside him, trying to keep my tone light. "What're you doing up? I thought you didn't wake up until after noon."

Levi laughs quietly, though it's obviously strained. "I promised I'd watch the sunrise one day, didn't I?"

"You did," I agree. My eyes scan the horizon- the sun has just begun to rise, but it hasn't appeared from behind the cliffs on the other side of the lake yet. "Impressed yet?"

Levi hums, his eyes scanning the sky and then dropping to the water. I'm guessing he's thinking about the sky that's beginning to color with what seems like the gentlest and smoothest paint strokes and the way the water is glistening from the upcoming light. "Somewhat," he says, though his tone is also light and teasing.

I let my body slump in relief. This is the Levi I know. This is the Levi that teases his cousin, always wants to play some sort of sport and actually looks somewhat relaxed. I don't know what exactly happened in the woods last nights, but hopefully his 'walk' and 'needing to get away' gave him time to think and clear his head, because his mood has made a complete turnaround since last night.

Something else that surprised me last night was that he didn't go shoot. I was awoken by no sound of gunshots all night- and the gunshots always wake me up. When I first woke up and realized that, I waved it off as Katherine and Jeffery being extra protective after what happened so they kept him inside, but looking at him now, maybe Levi had an epiphany about the gun range and decided it never actually helped? After all, the first night in a while that Levi didn't go shoot and he's completely relaxed.

"So how's the cottage helping you?" Levi asks out of the blue.

I furrow my eyebrows, surprised both by the fact that he's taking the initiative to speak and at his blunt question. "What do you mean?"

"You told me that you came here to get away from your friends and hopefully figure things out." He purses his pale lips. "Did it help?"

I genuinely smile because Levi is just such a good listener. Finn has always been a good talker ever since I met him- he's a natural at story telling and drawing you in- but Levi will listen to you for hours without complaint and actually pay attention to what you're saying. My smile falls a bit, though, because the truth is that the cottage hasn't helped me much- if anything, my anxiety has been over the roof with everything that's been happening. I don't want to tell Levi that, though. It'll just make him guilty. "It's been okay. I actually FaceTimed my friend Hannah a couple of days back. I know I said I wanted to get away from them but I guess I still missed her. I just think I have to know when I want to get involved with certain things my friends do and when I don't. Just because Hannah gets drunk a lot doesn't make her a bad person, as long as she doesn't pressure me to do the same then she's not hurting me. I guess time away has helped me figure that out, though..."

Levi nods, giving me a short yet sincere reply. "I'm glad."

I smile. "Me too."

We fall into a comfortable silence, watching the sunrise in a quiet fascination. There's something amazing about not taking your eyes off the sky and witnessing the changes that get made over the hours of a new day. It's why I love doing this- it's so peaceful.

"I'm going to head inside and eat last night's sausages for breakfast," I say once the most beautiful part of the sunrise is over- the colors have dispersed and the sun is above the cliffs. "You want some?"

Levi shakes his head, "I'm just going to head inside and maybe go to bed. Thank you, though."

I smile, "Of course, Levi."

He gets up at that, but I stay seated for a bit more, watching him go.

x

Finn finds me at lunch, a sandwich in his hand and an extra one for me. Katherine makes the best sandwiches so I smile at him gratefully, following him when he gestures for me to come with him to the swing set. We sit down, sandwiches in hand.

"Levi is in a really good mood today," he says, sounding a bit surprised himself. I actually laugh at that for some weird reason, to which Finn just smile sheepishly at me.

"I know!" I say, feeling happy about it too. "Hopefully he won't go rogue on us and run out into the forest again."

Finn shakes his head. "I'll kill him again if he does, he gave me a heart attack." Finn takes another bite of his sandwich, swallowing while kicking his legs, making the swing go back and forth slightly. He stares at the grass, "I think we should be able to get a good bonfire tonight."

I nod in agreement, "It's been pretty dry for days."

"I love big bonfires," Finn grins, his blue eyes sparkling as if he doesn't have a care in the world. "I used to go to this camp every single summer. It was the only thing I looked forward to all year. We had this giant bonfire at the end of every single night, and we'd even hopelessly try to make one after the rain. One year I went and there hadn't been rain for two weeks, so the counsellors were afraid to light one because it was too dry and- obviously- that could mean the bonfire might not stay in the pit. I was devastated, and between long dry periods and rain storms for days, we didn't get to do a bonfire until the very last day." Finn grins crookedly. "Good things come to those who wait."

I snort, "I'm guessing it was a good bonfire?"

"It was awesome," Finn agrees. "We stayed up until three- which was impressive in the eighth grade- played truth or dare and roasted marshmallows. I know it sounds lame but I don't know... I just loved it."

"I know what you mean," I say. "This one time in the seventh grade my friends and I had a sleepover, a really stupid and cliché one where we all did each other's nails and hair and talked about boys. It sounds pathetic but I can still remember how much damn fun I had. I wouldn't take back the memory for anything."

Finn gives me a soft smile, like I'm the first person to understand. "Exactly."

x

I don't see Levi again for the rest of the day, but I do hear him at exactly seven o'clock.

He's back at the shooting range. I'm guessing he's making up for lost time from last night, because while I'm cooking pasta for dinner, exactly one gunshot pierces through the air. It makes me jump a little in surprise, but that's not what makes me put my things down in confusion.

I wait a minute, two minutes and eventually five, but the rhythmic sound of gunshots don't continue. I'm used to hearing another gunshot only about fifteen seconds after the first one, but there's nothing. I frown, peering out the window, but Levi isn't walking back yet. Why would he go to the shooting range to fire one shot?

Thinking I'm over worrying myself, I go back to cooking the pasta, but can't help myself from peering out the window every couple of seconds. Did he shoot an animal? Honestly, after everything that's happened with him, I wouldn't put it past him. Did he run back into the forest like last night? Just imagining a repeat of last night sends me into a panic, and I end up finding myself going out through the back door, heading up to the edge of the forest where the shooting range is.

Creeping my way over, I narrow my eyes, trying to see Levi's tall and lean figure at the range, stiff posture and straightened hands with a gun in front of him as usual. Panic begins to overtake me as I don't see the shadow of that figure. I speed up my pace.

I do actually end up finding Levi at the shooting range.

With a bullet in his head.

xxx

Oh yeah, I've been waiting for this since the beginning of the book >:) I'm so sorry if I broke your itty-bitty hearts. Comment and vote! Love you all so much! (: xoxo