Chapter 3

HARLEY

I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I ran out of the room and down the stairs, rushing out the front door and back to the cab I brought. I sat there, my heart pounding, trying to make sense of what I had just seen.

What was Matt doing with my stepsister? We’re they just having sex? No way! - how could he do this to me?

Matt ran out of the house, his shirt unbuttoned and his hair disheveled. I could see the shock on his face as he took in my expression, and he began to stammer out an apology. I cut him off, the rage building up inside me.

"I thought you were different!" I yelled, tears welling up in my eyes. "I trusted you! And this is how you repay me?"

Matt's face was a mask of confusion and pain. "Harley, please," he began, but I wasn't having any of it.

As I was about to retort, Matt cut me off. "Stop acting like a child!" he shouted, his face red with anger. "You're not the only person in the world who matters! And besides, if you weren't so caught up in your own world, you would have realized that I was getting what I needed from someone else."

I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I struggled to find my voice.

"You're saying I wasn't good enough for you?" I whispered, the tears now flowing freely down my cheeks.

Matt paused, as if realizing the weight of his words.

"No, that's not what I meant," he said, his voice shaking. "You are a wonderful person, Harley, and I do care about you. But you were never there for me when I needed you. You never seemed to care about anything other than yourself."

I wanted to deny it, but I knew he was right. I had been so focused on my own problems that I had failed to notice the loneliness and pain that he was going through.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"But that doesn't give you the right to cheat on me," I said, my voice rising again. "You could have broken up with me if you were unhappy."

"I didn't want to break up with you," Matt said, his voice low. "But you were never willing to do the things I wanted you to do. I tried to tell you, but you never listened. You're too caught up in your own world to see what I needed."

I was about to argue, but then he said something that caught me completely off guard.

"And Juliet told me that you were only with me because of my money and my family's power," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "I wanted to believe her, but I couldn't. I wanted to believe that you really cared about me."

I was stunned. I had never cared about his money or his status - I had truly loved him.

But had I been so selfish that I had never even considered what he needed? Had I made him feel so unimportant that he had turned to someone else?

"Every time we were out in public, I wanted to show you how much I loved you," Matt said. "But you always pulled away, like you were ashamed to be seen with me. Like you were embarrassed to be my girlfriend. I know I'm not the most handsome guy, but I thought you loved me for who I was."

I was shocked to hear that I had made him feel that way. I had never thought about how my behavior might have affected him.

I had always been so wrapped up in my own issues that I had never considered how he might be feeling.

"I can't do this anymore," Matt said, his voice breaking. "I don't want to be with someone who can't even acknowledge my feelings. I'm done." With that, he turned and left, leaving me standing there, alone and heartbroken.

The sun was setting, and the sky was turning a deep shade of purple. I felt a tear roll down my cheek, and I started to walk aimlessly through the woods, not caring where I was going.

As the moon rose in the sky, I felt a deep sense of loneliness and despair.

I sat down on a large rock and stared up at the moon, tears streaming down my face. I wished I had a friend to talk to, someone who could understand what I was going through.

I thought about my mother, who had died when I was young. I wished she was here to comfort me, to tell me everything would be okay. In that moment, I closed my eyes and prayed to the moon goddess.

"Moon goddess, I need your help," I whispered into the night. "I'm all alone, and I don't know what to do. Please, send me someone who can help me.”

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't hear the sound of someone falling from the cliff above me.

A few moments later, I heard a loud splash and saw a large splash of water where the rocks met the lake. I ran towards the water's edge, wiping the tears from my eyes.

I scanned the water's surface, looking for any sign of what had caused the splash. Then, I saw a man's head break the surface, gasping for air. Without thinking, I dove into the water and swam towards him.

The man sank below the water, and I dove in after him. I reached for him, grasping his arm and pulling him towards me.

I could feel his body go limp in my arms, and I was afraid he was already gone.

He’s piercing black and red eyes opened at me, begging to be saved, however I dive towards him and lock my lips with him, giving him air to his lungs.

Desperate, I pushed him up against the rocks and pressed my lips to his. His chest rose and fell, and I felt a surge of relief wash over me.

He’s alive again!