LOGINThe knock on the door startled me awake. Who would be at the door at this time of the night? No one knocked on our door at this time of the night. Well, no one really knocked on our door at all; we didnโt really have many visitors. I jumped out of bed and tiptoed my way toward my door. I took a peek out to see the hallway empty. Taking my chance, I crept my way down the stairs to my hiding spot. My dad keeps telling me that curiosity killed the cat, but the need to know who was here so late was too much. Besides, I am not a cat, so that shouldnโt affect me, right? I crept downstairs, careful not to make a single sound. I hid in my usual spot anytime I wanted to listen to what my parents were talking about, which wasnโt the best hiding spot since it was sadly at the corner of the staircase. but in my defense it was all this house had to offer . It was a terrible hiding spot, but the staircase light had burnt out ages ago, and neither my mum nor dad had made the effort to fix it. So
โWhat do you mean that youโre doneโฆ and that youโre leaving? When did you decide this?โโHow long have you been thinking about this? Have you been planning to leave me this entire time?โ Mia asks accusingly, and I stay silent.To be honest, the thought came only just nowโฆ well, after my talk with Ryan.โHi Ryanโฆ um, before the whole mess at the club, Mia gave me your number, just in case I wanted to have sex with youโฆ well, not like I want to have sex with you.โโBut Iโm not saying I donโt want to have sex with you either. I meanโsince you were pretending to be interested in me, Iโm sure you donโt actually want to have sex with me.โโBut Iโm not assuming! I hate when people do that. So if you did want to have sex with me, thatโs totally fineโฆ but I donโt mean fine like we shouldโI just mean it would be fine if you wanted to. But if you donโt, thatโs totally fine as well.โโI feel like Iโve used the word sex too much, and Iโm pretty sure Iโve been rambling, soโฆ do me a favor and ignore
โOh my God, girl, I hate you. Like, I *seriously* hate you. You're dead to meโdo you get that, biatch?โ Mia continued her dramatic rant as she drove me and Denise back to her apartment after my discharge. Luckily for us, Deniseโs shift had ended about an hour later, so we all agreed to kick off our sleepover early.โDeni girl, donโt you hate this biatch too?โ Mia asked, full-on theater mode.They both burst into hysterical laughter as they continue their exaggerated conversion โYeah,โ Denise chimed in, grinning. โShe owes me for not introducing us sooner!โI rolled my eyes and playfully shoved her. โTraitors, both of you.โโYou said it *Deni girl*,โ Mia exclaimed, throwing a dramatic look my way. โLike, seriously, Lexiโhow could you keep such a gem away from me? Weโre both gems, and we deserve to shine together!โ She winked at Denise, who responded by blowing her a kiss.I looked between the two of them, smiling at how quickly they were bonding. โReally? If both of you are gems, th
I took a few deep breaths, the sharp sting of pain anchoring me to reality, before cautiously pushing myself up from the hospital bed. My body protested with every movementโburning ribs, a lingering headache from the mild concussion, and the dull ache of scraped skin. Each time I tried to stand, my ribs reminded me with a harsh stab of pain. Theyโd been weakened long before the crash; the impact had simply taken advantage of their fragility. Before surgery, under anesthesia, I had felt invincible, but now every inch of my body reminded me that I was anything but.With painstaking effort, I made my way to the center of the room. Denise had gone to fetch my discharge papers and the few belongings I needed for the ride home. I knew I had only a momentโa small, precious window to enact my plan before she returned.Steadying myself on trembling legs, I inch-walked across the linoleum floor. The cool tiles pressed against my socks, offering a weird kind of comfort. In a daze of pain and adr
The world around me is a hazeโsoft, shifting, almost dreamlike. Everything blurs together: the ceiling, the lights, the muffled sound of tires speeding over uneven asphalt. My eyelids flutter, barely lifting. I feel weightless and heavy all at once. The whole world feels like it's tilting sideways. Everything fades to blackโฆ then lurches back again. A wave of nausea rolls through me. โHarold, hurry the fuck up!โ The voice is sharp, raw, commandingโcutting through the fog in my head like lightning through mist. โHeyโlook at me. Hey. Come on, stay with me, love. Just keep those eyes open for me, yeah?โ Thereโs a shift. Warmth. A presence. Someoneโs voiceโfamiliar, grounding. It curls around me like a lifeline. โOpen those pretty eyes for me, Monellaโฆ please.โ His hand finds my face, cupping my jaw with a softness that feels too gentle for all the chaos surrounding us. His thumb brushes over my cheek, anchoring me. My head leans into his touch on instinct. โEverythingโฆ everythin
My head is spinning ,I feel super dizzy , I canโt believe that the voice that has been ringing in my head for days and nights on end ,the same voice I have been trying to remember for so long was finally being played like a symphony for me . He was here , I don't know how or why but all I know was that the man I couldn't stop thinking about ,the man that plagued my dreams but anytime I opened my eyes, I couldn't remember his face or voice , the only thing that cling to my memory was his intimidating aura and now he was here ,right in front me again . โdonโt you remember begging for death? โ he says coldly with a sneer .Leaving me shivering on the spot . Just as I remembered ,cold and detached ,his voice laced with a hint of danger and mystery that makes you crave the next words he utters more than air , His voice is so hypnotic you fall into a trance ,knowing fully well that if he demands you to jump, you would ask how high without hesitation ,ready to do anything to hear him say m
"We are going to be together, forever, Little doll face," A mans voice whispered, his cold breath brushing against my ear as he dragged me deeper into the cabin. The wooden beams creaked and groaned, and the fire crackled in the hearth, casting eerie shadows on the walls. I attempted to struggle,
"I told you so," is the first thing she says when I finish telling her the whole story, which only dampens my already sour mood. "Wow, no, I am so sorry for you, girl." "Or I will always be there for you, Bestie." "Or I will kill those bastards. I always knew men were scum," I say with raised eye
"I am glad you have come to the right choice," Mr. Gregory says, his creepy smile widening every second I stare into his evil eyes. "I am too," I say, standing up. He relaxes in his chair, spreading his legs, waiting for something that I know will never happen instead of doing anything he thinks I
I stared at Mia in disbelief. "So, you're telling me that you didn't actually know anything? You just assumed something was wrong and decided to freak me out?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light. Mia nodded sheepishly, inching away from me as if she were anticipating my reaction. "I guess so. I







