Chapter 4; Unexpected

Brielle POV.

Years later…

Heza asked again, the worry a tight knot in her voice, "Brielle, are you sure you don’t wanna come with us?" Her suitcase stood by the door, ready to go, but her eyes stayed glued to me, like she couldn’t quite believe my answer. 

My heart felt like it was tugging in a different direction—I didn’t want to leave her behind.

I managed a small, shaky smile. "Someone’s gonna pick me up," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. 

I stood up, gently taking the suitcase from Heza’s hand and nudging it out of the room. I knew why she was worried. It wasn't that long ago, during the last break, that I'd said the exact same thing. But Heza had found out I hadn't gone home at all—I'd just stayed cooped up in this apartment the whole time.

"Alright, fine," Heza relented, frowning. "But if this 'someone' doesn't show, you better call me, okay? Promise? You can crash at my place anytime." Her voice was laced with a sincerity that tugged at me before she finally turned and left, the door clicking shut, leaving me in the sudden quiet.

Alone. The word settled over me like a damp, heavy cloak. I sighed and sank back into the stillness of the room. The truth was, even I wasn't entirely convinced my ride would show up. 

Elion Zaphiel—the guy who’d taken me in—was the alpha of the biggest, toughest, most feared pack around. He was always slammed with stuff to do; time was something he didn’t have much of. And I hadn't exactly reminded him that school was ending today, or given him my exact pick-up details.

"Do I have to go back?" I whispered, staring out the window at the darkening sky. My hand instinctively went to my chest as a weird feeling washed over me—something I couldn't quite put into words but knew, with a jolt, had to do with Elion. I felt adrift, lost at sea.

A shiver traced its way down my spine as I thought about the consequences of not returning. "If I don’t show up," I mumbled, a ghost of a wry smile touching my lips, "Elion would probably just barge in here and drag me back himself..." 

I shook my head, a shiver running through me. I hadn't been ready to face him then, not really. That was the truth. But to Heza, I’d spun a tale of Elion being too swamped to bother with a simple pickup.

Another reason I should be heading home is that my eighteenth birthday is fast approaching. Last time, Elion hadn't argued or even asked why I wasn't going home. I'd been so relieved then, because honestly, I wasn't sure what excuse I would have even come up with. ‘What would I even say? 'Oh, hey, I'm avoiding you because you make my stomach do flip-flops?' Yeah, right.’

The truth? I would never tell Elion that the reason I didn't want to go home was simply because seeing him made my heart beat faster. It was ridiculous. He was my guardian, for crying out loud. He was supposed to be this stoic, powerful figure, and instead, he made me feel all fluttery and weird. ‘Get it together, Brielle.’

I took a deep breath, then opened the window, sticking my hand out. A fat raindrop landed squarely on my palm, cool and startling. It made me smile. Rain in the middle of summer. Weird... just like this feeling inside me. ‘It’s not just gratitude, is it? That flutter when he’s near, the way I notice the little things – the way his eyes crinkle when he’s amused, the low rumble of his voice when he’s serious… that’s not gratitude.’

"Ugh, I need to deal with this," I whispered to the falling drops, the words barely audible. "I need to figure out if this is, like, love or just gratitude." 

Then, my fist clenched. What would I do if I found out it was love? The thought sent a fresh wave of panic through me. ‘Love? With Elion? That’s insane. It’s impossible. But… what if?’

Then, the sound of a car pulling into the apartment complex broke through my thoughts. A blue one. And then, a black one. The doors opened at the exact same moment. 

My breath caught in my throat. The driver of the black car… it was him. The man who’d been living in my thoughts and my heart for years—Elion Zaphiel.

It had been so long since I’d last seen him, and honestly? I’d missed him like crazy. Because of that, I froze for a second, then bolted away from the window.

Still dazed, the only thing crystal clear in my mind was Elion’s handsome face, and the deafening thud of my own heart. 

Then it hit me, hard and undeniable. No more questions. No more doubts. I was certain. I was in love with my guardian.

Just as that realization settled, a sharp knock-knock-knock echoed from the apartment door, making me jump. My heart, which had just started to calm down, immediately went into overdrive. Elion? Was he already here? My mind raced, a jumble of panic and nervous anticipation. I took a shaky breath, trying to smooth down my clothes and my frazzled nerves. ‘Okay, Brielle, just open it. Be cool.’

I walked to the door, my hand trembling slightly as I reached for the knob. I pulled it open, ready to face the man who had turned my world upside down.

But it wasn't Elion.

"Jaxon?" I blurted out, the word laced with disappointment so sharp it stole my breath. My heart had leaped for a second, a foolish, hopeful flutter, only to crash when I saw Jaxon standing there. 

"W-What are you doing here? How did you know I was still here?"

Jaxon, my childhood friend, who’d reappeared in my life at university. He was always there, ready to talk, but right now, his presence felt like a consolation prize.

He looked a little awkward, shifting his weight. “Heza texted me,” he explained, his brow furrowed with that familiar concern I knew so well. “She’s been kinda worried about you, said you’ve been pretty down lately.” He offered a small, hopeful smile, the kind that always made my chest ache a little. “I thought maybe I could give you a ride or something—”

Before he could finish, a sharp, cold voice sliced through the air like ice, freezing me in place.

“Brielle.”