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Chapter 36
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2026-06-24 01:11:05“Did you know hot air balloons work based on Archimedes’ principle?” I commented, resting my hands on the edge.
Jacob laughed, as he always did whenever I surprised him with some random fact—or not-so-random fact, according to him.
“No, but I love that you do.”
The genius probably did know, but he was pretending he didn’t.
“The idea is simple: the hot air inside
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Mesmerize Me Chapter 36
“Did you know hot air balloons work based on Archimedes’ principle?” I commented, resting my hands on the edge.Jacob laughed, as he always did whenever I surprised him with some random fact—or not-so-random fact, according to him.“No, but I love that you do.”The genius probably did know, but he was pretending he didn’t.“The idea is simple: the hot air inside the envelope weighs less than the cold air outside, and that difference makes it rise. Like a ship floating in the sky,” I explained, my gaze fixed on the horizon.I took a deep breath, savoring the moment.“Now I understand why they woke me up so early. Balloons have to take off at dawn because the sky hasn’t decided to become hostile yet. Before the sun heats the ground and the air turns unpredictable, everything stays still, tame. It
Mesmerize Me Chapter 35
Jacob held a bouquet of flowers and a panda-shaped balloon that read ‘Happy Birthday’.My dad, with that conspiratorial grin, looked as excited as I felt.“What are you two plotting?” I asked, eyeing them suspiciously.“You’ll find out soon enough,” Dad replied, and I just shook my head.I walked toward them, my heart jumping in my chest.“Happy birthday, Camila,” Jacob said, wrapping an arm around me. He pulled me into a tight hu
Mesmerize Me Chapter 34
Minutes turned into hours, then into days, and the days into weeks that drifted by like a thick fog—unhurried and shapeless. I returned to routines that no longer felt like mine. The only way I can describe that lethargic state is by saying I had become a zombie moving on inertia, copying everyone else’s gestures without judgment or intention. Kate was always nearby, with her laughter and spontaneous remarks, trying to pull me out of my thoughts. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. Jacob began appearing again from time to time, always under the pretense of visiting my dad. He never stayed long; he didn’t seek to be alone with me. His gestures were more restrained, his words more measured, and yet one brief exchange of glances was enough to remind me of everything that had happened at the lake, at my house, in those silences we never knew how to name. He avoided mentioning it. So did I. Bu
Mesmerize Me Chapter 33
“How much?” Those words came out before I could stop them. Clear. Sharp. “What?” Jacob frowned. “Camila…?” my dad whispered, stunned. But I wasn’t looking at either of them. I was looking at Paul. “How much do you want?” Paul raised his eyebrows slowly, deliberately. “I don’t understand what you mean, sweetheart.” That word. «Sweetheart.» Spoken like a dirty hand laid on something that didn’t belong to him. “You know exactly what I mean. And don’t call me sweetheart.” I took a deep breath. “How much money do you want to leave me alone?” Paul opened his hands theatrically, like a mediocre actor. “Cams—” Jacob murmured, but I ignored him. He doesn’t call me like that, and I know he’s trying to soften things. “My mom didn’t talk much about you,” I co
Mesmerize Me Chapter 32
That night, my dad and I decided to cook together. An old jazz record played through the kitchen speaker, its soft notes wrapping around us like a blanket. My dad chopped tomatoes while I mixed a sauce, and between laughter, bad jokes, and spoons clinking against pans, the house felt like it used to. Warm. Like home. But the warmth shattered in a single second. My dad’s body went rigid, and the music’s glow dimmed instantly. The air shifted, as if an invisible cold had filled the room. “Camila, go up to your room,” he said in a grave voice, without taking his eyes off the window. “Dad, is something wrong?” I asked, feeling the blood drain from my face, my heart pounding harder at the sudden change. I didn’t know what was happening, but it was clear it wasn’t good—and that terrified me. “Go up, please. Don’t come out until I come get you, okay?” His eyes, heavy with anguish
Mesmerize Me Chapter 31
The days following the weekend at the lake felt strange, as if my life had suddenly stepped onto unstable ground. Everything looked the same—the classrooms, the homework, even dinners with my dad—but inside, nothing was where it belonged. Jacob had vanished into routine with a disconcerting ease. He still came over some nights to have dinner with us, just like always, but there were no stolen glances, no half-finished sentences. He had returned to his most formal version: short phrases, a proper tone, the same polite smile as ever. As if that kiss in the woods—added to the one when we got home—had been nothing more than a mirage I had imagined on my own. I forced myself to act normal, to laugh at my dad’s jokes during dinner or talk with Kate about anything at all to distract myself. But every time I heard Jacob’s voice, every time I felt him nearby, something in me tensed, waiting for a gesture, a word—anything that would tell me he remembered too. I
Mesmerize Me Chapter 26
The forecast said the sun would rise at seven, so I set my alarm for five. I wasn’t going to miss the sunrise for anything. I’d throw my hair up into a quick, high bun—the shower could wait until I got back. I carried my usual backpack with me: my DSLR camera with its 50 mm lens,
Mesmerize Me Chapter 24
The lake house had that strange quality of places that know how to keep stories. It didn’t impose silence, but it didn’t break it either; it simply invited you to lower your voice and stay. The day was beginning to give in, tinting the windows with a soft golden hue, and for the f
Mesmerize Me Chapter 23
Two hours later, slightly delirious from Kate’s music, we arrived at the lake house. She was clearly having the time of her life in a parallel universe where she sang on stage while the guitarist smiled at her every ten seconds. I knew this because she narrated it out loud, choreo
Mesmerize Me Chapter 21
The week passed with a routine that felt only half rebuilt. Between school, homework, and afternoons at home, I tried to bring everything back to a recognizable rhythm—even though nothing truly was. At breakfast, Dad kept making pancakes as if it were a sacred ritual meant to keep
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