第3章

Willow and Theodore came through the door laughing just as I finished arranging my transfer at work.

My parents followed behind them, arguing over who had taken the best pictures of Willow during the trip.

When Theodore saw me, he came over, concern flashing across his face.

"Is your fever any better?"

"Much better."

Willow immediately noticed the new phone in my hand.

"Eleanor, why did you get a new phone? Wasn't your old one only two years old?"

Mom turned to me with a frown.

"Eleanor, your phone was perfectly fine. Why would you buy a new one? You really need to stop wasting money like this."

I gave a self-mocking smile.

Willow was the one who demanded the newest phone every year. Meanwhile, I'd always used the phones she no longer wanted.

I'd spent years saving every penny I could. I hardly even bought myself new clothes.

Yet the moment I replaced a two-year-old phone, Mom was angry with me for wasting money. Simply because I wasn't Willow.

"I lost the old one, so I bought a new one."

Theodore looked at me in surprise.

"Lost it? When? How can you be so careless?"

"A couple of days ago."

Without my phone, I'd had no way to contact anyone for an entire day.

But none of them had noticed. Not one of them had tried to call or message me, even though I'd been sick when they left.

Willow had posted on social media. Theodore had ranked up in his game. My parents had uploaded pictures from their trip.

They weren't too busy. They had simply never thought of me.

Mom suddenly looked worried.

"Where did you lose it? Can you get it back?"

"It was stolen. It's gone."

Theodore blinked.

"Stolen? Someone robbed you? Are you okay?"

Before I could answer, Willow cut in.

"What are the odds of that? She probably just lost it and doesn't want to admit it."

I rolled up my pant legs and showed them the cuts covering my knees and shins.

"Did I give myself these falling down, too?"

Mom gasped.

"What happened to you? Have you treated those wounds?"

Theodore crouched in front of me, pain in his eyes, and gently touched my shin.

"Does it hurt?"

My eyes burned as I nodded.

"A lot."

It wasn't just the pain.

I still hadn't recovered from what happened that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I found myself back on that dark road, unable to see where I was going.

"I haven't been sleeping well. Theodore, could you stay with me tonight?"

Theodore agreed without hesitation.

"Okay. I'll stay with you. Don't be afraid."

That night, Theodore lay beside me, holding my hand.

His warmth slowly calmed me, and for the first time since that night, I felt safe enough to close my eyes.

Just before I fell asleep, one last thought crossed my mind. If Theodore still cared about me in the morning, I would give him one last chance. I would even tell him that I was transferring away.

But when a nightmare jerked me awake in the middle of the night, the space beside me was empty.

The nightmare of being alone in the dark closed over me again. I called out Theodore's name in a panic, but no one answered.

With shaking hands, I grabbed my phone and turned on the screen. Its faint glow was enough to steady my racing heart.

Then I opened Willow's social media and found out exactly where Theodore was.

She'd just posted a photo. Theodore sat beside her, smiling as they raised their glasses together.

The caption read: "Nothing beats having someone who'll drink with you in the middle of the night!"

I bit my lip and sent Theodore a message.

"Come back right now, or we're done. I won't be your mate anymore."

An hour and thirty-four minutes passed before Theodore finally answered.

"Stop throwing a tantrum. I don't like it when you threaten me with this stuff."

He still thought I was throwing a tantrum.

But I truly didn't want him anymore.