Chapter 17

EVANGELINE

For the first few minutes after he left, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

I stood there, staring at the door he disappeared through, and a distressed Margaret crouched on the ground. She hadn’t moved since he left either. I think we were both too shocked to process that happened.

Hurried footsteps filled my ears and before I knew what was happening, someone rushed into the room in a blur, their hands resting on my shoulders.

“Are you alright? I came as fast as I could once I heard what happened. What happened?”

Bella was like a breath of fresh air in my smoky world. Her hands on my shoulders felt like anchors, keeping me from floating away in the sea of sadness and regret that had bubbled up in my chest.

“Say something, Eva,” she hissed, her voice laced with worry. “Do you need me to call someone? Doctor!”

“I’m fine,” I managed out, tearing my eyes away from Margaret to look at her. “I’m okay.”

“Thank the goddess. I heard you were in the hospital and-”

She stopped mid-sent