Romane von Jane Alex

CHAPTER 7: I couldn't stop looking at the phone. The message was stuck in my head like it was carved there."You can run from me, Amara…. You will always come back."My hands were shaking as I put the phone back on the bedside table. I was scared it might explode if I held it longer."Amara?"Ethan's voice sounded away. It was muffled, like I was underwater. I took breaths trying to calm down."In. Out. In""Amara, " Ethan said, again softer this time. I turned my head to look at him. His eyes were on me. He looked worried."What happened?" he asked.My lips opened. No sound came out. I didn't know how to explain something I didn't understand myself."I…" My voice cracked. "There's a message."He frowned. "From who?""I don't know." That was the part. The number was unknown. There was no name.. Somehow it didn't feel like a stranger. It felt like someone who knew me well.Ethan picked up the phone. Read the message. His face got darker. For a second I saw something in his eyes. It wa

CHAPTER 6: The moment Kieran stepped into the room the air changed.It wasn’t just that I felt nervous.It was like the walls were closing in on me.My fingers curled into the hospital sheet.I didn’t know why I was scared.I didn’t know him.My body did.That scared me more than anything.“Amara " Kieran said.His voice was low and calm.There was something underneath it. Something sharp that made my chest feel tight.I stared at him. I didn’t recognize him.I felt blank.“ I think you have the person " I said quietly.The words felt strange in my mouth.Ethan moved slightly beside my bed.He was trying to protect me.Kieran looked at him for a second.Then he looked back at me.Something dark passed through his eyes.“ I don’t " he said. "I’m looking for Amara.”My heart started beatingEthan stood up.He was trying to stay calm.I could see that he was ready to defend me.“ I think you should wait outside " Ethan said calmly.Kieran laughed.It wasn’t a happy laugh.It was an insu

CHAPTER 5: Beeping was the thing I heard. It was soft and steady like a reminder that I was still here still alive. The second thing I felt was pain. It was not sharp like before. It was dull and heavy. It was everywhere. My body felt like it did not belong to me like I had borrowed it from someone and did not quite know how to use it.I tried to move my fingers. They responded slowly weakly but they moved. That meant I was still in control at least a little. My eyelids fluttered open and light flooded in immediately making me wince. Everything was white the ceiling, the walls, the sheets. The faint smell of antiseptic filled the air. I realized I was in a hospital.The accident, the road, the car all these things came back to me slowly. My chest tightened slightly as fragments of memory tried to piece themselves. I remembered running, fear and a name Kieran. My breath. The name felt wrong not unfamiliar, just heavy like it carried something I was not ready to face yet.I swallowed h

CHAPTER 4: Darkness didn’t come all once. It slowly swallowed me. Piece by piece.The sound of tires still echoed in my ears. My body felt weightless. I felt like I was floating away from the pain and fear.For a moment there was nothing. No Kieran. No house. No running. Just silence.Then I heard voices. They were distant and muffled. Someone said, "Is she breathing?" Another voice said, "Call an ambulance!”My consciousness flickered like a dying light. Pain came next. It was sharp and sudden. It was everywhere. My chest tightened as air rushed into my lungs. A broken gasp escaped me. I dragged myself back into my body.“She’s alive!" someone shouted. The voice was now. It was clear. It was a man. He sounded urgent.I tried to open my eyes. They wouldn’t cooperate. My lashes fluttered weakly. The world was still dark.“Hey… hey can you hear me?" That voice again. He was closer. He was above me. He sounded warm. Not angry. Not cold. Not dangerous.My fingers twitched slightly agains

CHAPTER 3: The door handle moved. It moved slowly. It moved deliberately. My heart was beating hard; it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.For a moment I could not move. I could not breathe. I could not think. Then my body took over. I let go of the door. Stumbled backward. My eyes were fixed on the handle as it turned from the outside.No. This could not be happening. He was not supposed to come. Not this fast. Not now. The door creaked open. Just a little. Enough for the cold night air to slip in. Enough for me to feel that shift in the atmosphere. Danger.I felt danger. "Amara?" His voice was low. It was calm. It was too calm. My stomach dropped. He sounded controlled.. That was worse. Much worse. Because Kieran was not loud when he was truly angry. He was quiet. Deadly quiet.My body reacted before my mind could catch up. I. Ran. Not toward the door.. Deeper into the house. My bare feet slapped softly against the floor as I rushed past the staircase. My breath was c

CHAPTER 2: The door swung open suddenly.The sound was loud. It echoed inside me.For a moment everything seemed to slow down.The lock on the door was hanging from the doorframe. There were splinters of wood over the floor. The cold air from the hallway came in. It felt like a warning against my skin.Kieran was standing there.He was breathing hard.His eyes looked dark and dangerous.He was staring at me like I had done somethingMy heart was beating fast against my ribs.I wanted to run.The thought was screaming in my head.Run.I could not move my feet.I was scared. My body was frozen in fear.Kieran said "you locked me out" in a voice.His voice was too quiet. It sounded scary.I swallowed hard. My throat felt dry. I said "I just needed some space".He walked into the room slowly. Closed the broken door behind him.He said "space" again like he was not sure what it meant.I took a step back.Then I took another step back.It felt like I was walking on ice.Kieran asked me if