16

Elena’s POV

The rain had come down hard that afternoon, thick sheets pounding against the roof of the mall like angry fists. I held the umbrella as tight as I could while Elizabeth helped carry the bags, both of us soaked at the edges regardless.

We were already halfway across the parking lot when it happened.

A loud blare of a car horn cut through the downpour. I didn’t hear it at first—not clearly. The storm was too loud, the wind howling, my mind distracted.

It wasn’t until Elizabeth yanked my arm that I stumbled back.

A silver Lamborghini screeched just inches in front of me, splashing muddy water across my shoes. The car came to a violent stop, steam curling from the tires.

“What the hell?” I gasped, my heart hammering against my ribs.

The driver’s window rolled down.

“Watch where you’re going!” a man shouted, clearly irritated.

I couldn’t see his face properly, just the outline of his jaw, sharp and tense, the rain blurring everything else. But his voice—deep, firm, commanding—cut through the storm.

“Excuse you?” I snapped back, anger flaring in my chest. “You almost hit me!”

He didn’t answer. The window slid shut again, and the car pulled off into the street like nothing had happened.

I turned to Elizabeth, still gripping my wrist.

“Can you believe the guts of that guy?” I huffed, shaking from both the cold and the adrenaline. “Almost kills me and has the nerve to yell?”

Elizabeth, ever the calm one, gave me a look. “You were the one walking in the middle of the road, Lena.”

“I didn’t even realize it,” I muttered. “I couldn’t hear anything.”

She laughed softly. “You’ve got to be careful. It’s not just about you anymore.”

I rested a hand on my rounded belly. I knew she was right.

Eight months.

Eight months since that horrible night… eight months of hiding and surviving and dealing with emotions I hadn’t even known existed. My body was heavier, my back always aching, and the stress of staying out of school weighed on me daily.

Still, I looked back at the road, where the Lamborghini had vanished.

“I know it sounds crazy,” I said slowly, “but… I felt something.”

“Something?”

“Like… a pull. I don’t know. When that car stopped… I just… felt connected to it. To whoever was in it.”

Elizabeth gave me a face like I’d just grown an extra head. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m serious.”

“You don’t even know the man, Lena.”

“I know.”

She tilted her head. “Then how do you feel connected to him?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “But it felt… familiar.”

She burst out laughing. “Girl, you need to stop watching all those cheesy romance movies. Not every guy in a Lamborghini is your mate.”

I laughed along with her, trying to brush it off. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Of course, I’m right. That’s probably the baby making you extra sensitive.”

We got home shortly after, both of us drenched and grumpy. Elizabeth made warm soup while I changed into something dry and soft. My belly felt like a bowling ball strapped to my front, and I could feel the baby stretching inside me.

I leaned back on the couch, pressing my hands against my sides.

“You okay?” Elizabeth asked as she brought two bowls over.

I nodded, forcing a small smile. “Just tired.”

We ate in silence for a while. The rain kept falling, slower now, like the sky had worn itself out.

“This plan,” I said after a while. “You still think it’s going to work?”

Elizabeth looked up from her spoon. “Absolutely.”

“I just don’t want to disappoint my parents,” I murmured. “If they ever find out I got suspended—”

“They won’t,” she said firmly. “And even if they do, you’ll have your baby soon, and we’ll figure out a way to get you back into school. One way or another, Lena, we’ll finish together.”

I stared at her for a moment. I didn’t deserve her. She’d stuck by me through all of it—through the rejection, the pregnancy, the bullying, the shame. She was more than a best friend.

She was the sister fate forgot to give me.

Later that evening, after we cleaned up and Elizabeth retired to bed, I stepped outside for some fresh air.

Our little apartment wasn’t perfect, but it sat just a few streets from the coast. The sea breeze was always cool, always kind to me. I wrapped my cardigan tight around me and walked slowly to the porch.

The night was quiet now. The rain had stopped. Only the sound of gentle waves rolling in and out remained, like nature trying to calm my stormy heart.

I sank into the wooden bench and exhaled.

The air smelled of salt and earth, and for a moment, I could almost forget all of it. The rejection. The cruelty. The betrayal. Amelia’s threats. The fear of being exposed.

Almost.

My hands drifted to my stomach again, rubbing circles like I always did when I felt anxious. The baby moved—a small kick beneath my palm. I smiled to myself.

“You’re strong,” I whispered. “Just like your mama.”

The wind tugged at my hair.

I thought about that car again. That stupid, arrogant driver.

Why did I feel so drawn to him?

Maybe Elizabeth was right. Maybe I was just imagining things. Hormones, they said. Pregnancy brain. Emotional confusion.

But deep in my chest… in a place that no longer felt whole since that awful night… something throbbed quietly. A sense of nearness.

Almost like the past was trying to find its way back to me.

I leaned my head back against the wooden wall, eyes fluttering shut.

A minute passed. Then two.

And just when I thought I was alone with my thoughts—

A hand tapped gently on my shoulder.