Chapter 2

Once Hallie calmed down, Ragnar pulled out his phone and texted me.

"Nerys, which hospital are you at? Text me when you see this. I'm worried about you."

I stood right beside him. Watching the message go through, my heart clenched. Ragnar, stop waiting for a reply. It's never coming."

Hallie noticed what he was doing and asked softly, "Ragnar, are you texting Nerys?"

He gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.

Hallie bit her lip and twisted the edge of the blanket between her fingers, looking hesitant.

"There's something..." She lowered her eyes, her voice trembling slightly. "There's something I need to tell you. But I'm afraid you won't believe me."

Ragnar set his phone down. "What is it?"

"Today... Nerys and I didn't fall into the river by accident," she stammered.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Ragnar was stunned too, his brows drawing together. "What do you mean?"

Hallie pushed herself upright, her eyes turning red again. "She jumped in on purpose. I panicked and only thought about saving her. I forgot I couldn't swim and dove right in after her."

"No! That's not what happened!" I shouted inside. Pain tightened in my chest.

Hallie lowered her head and sobbed.

"Nerys has changed. Ever since I moved in with you, she's been hostile toward me. She thought I had feelings for you and tried to kick me out several times.

"She even called me a jinx, saying I'd ruin everyone around me. She told me not to cling to you just because we grew up together."

"I never said that! Ragnar, you know I'd never say things like that!" I screamed, but my voice vanished into the air without anyone hearing it.

Hallie continued, "I thought she was just moody because of the pregnancy, so I tried to put up with it."

She was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.

"I never imagined she'd put her own pup in danger just to get rid of me. She actually threw herself into the river. What did I even do wrong?"

Ragnar's face hardened.

He slumped back against the chair, his eyes filled with disappointment and exhaustion.

"She really has been off lately," he remarked. "Remember that dish soap incident? She insisted you did it on purpose then, too. I kept telling her that pregnancy can make her paranoid, but she refused to listen."

My heart turned cold.

Hallie trembled as she cried. "Maybe I should never have moved in. Am I really a jinx? Maybe everyone would be better off if I just died."

As she spoke, she suddenly threw herself toward the bedpost.

"Hallie!" Ragnar gasped, lunging forward and catching her in his arms. "Are you out of your mind? Stop talking like that!"

"Let go of me. Just let me die..."

"You haven't done anything wrong!" Ragnar held her tightly.

"We've known each other since we were kids. You're welcome to stay in my house for as long as you want." He paused, his voice dropping. "I apologize to you on Nerys's behalf."

I stood frozen.

Ragnar was apologizing for me? In his mind, he actually believed I'd done all those things.

"Pregnancy's been rough on her, and it made her say some harsh things. Don't take it to heart. Once she gives birth and recovers, she'll realize how foolish she's been."

After finally calming Hallie down, Ragnar picked up his phone and sent me another message asking if I was okay.

Ten minutes passed, but there was still no response.

Hallie leaned against the headboard and sighed softly. "Nerys has become so petty since she got pregnant. It's one thing for her to be angry with me, but you're her mate. She can't even be bothered to let you know she's okay."

Ragnar's expression darkened. He flipped the phone face down and stopped texting me.

The corners of Hallie's lips curled into a smirk.

Outside, the sky had gone completely dark.

I floated in midair, a dull ache pressing against my chest.

I curled up and tried to hug myself, desperate for even a little comfort. But my arms passed straight through my shoulders.

I couldn't even hold myself anymore.