Semua Bab Chasing Midnight Promises : Bab 111 - Bab 116

"What do you think people will say happened?”That was the last thing Noah said.And we were still trying. Still piecing together what he already seemed to know. The silence between us wasn’t just silence anymore—it was weight. A pressure. Like sitting underwater and realizing you’re running out of breath.Raven, Noah, and I sat frozen in the living room. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Our thoughts spiraled in all directions, tangling up in anxiety, fear, and every ugly emotion that refused to be named.It was about 2:45 p.m.The sky outside was overcast, but it wasn’t raining. The kind of weather that matched the stillness of death—clouds pressed down like a blanket of cement, and even the birds seemed to have lost their voices. Inside, the air was stale. Thick with silence. It felt like the entire house was holding its breath, waiting for something to snap.This was not how I envisioned my Saturday.I had plans. Normal ones. Grocery runs. Maybe laundry. Some reading. A moment to breath

“No, it’s not!” I spun toward her. “I know he’s your brother, Raven. Your blood. Your family. You’re used to fixing his messes. But I’m not. I have a sibling too. Bella and I—we protect each other. We’ve never been burdens to one another. So why am I stuck being one for a complete stranger?”Raven’s voice cracked. “Enough, Mia. This isn’t helping anyone. And for the record—Noah isn’t a stranger. You know him.”I laughed. But there was no humor in it.I turned to Noah, fire dancing in my chest.“No, I don’t,” I whispered. “Not really. Not where it counts.”I stepped forward until we were almost face to face.“He’s a stranger to me. And he always will be.”The silence that followed wasn’t peaceful.It was loaded.Heavy with things unsaid.And a storm that hadn’t even begun yet...Began.The silence between us cracked—split wide open by Raven’s voice. It wasn’t loud, but every word struck like a slap.“Maybe you’re right, Mia.”I blinked. My anger had been volcanic, but her tone? It was

I stepped away from the mirror and headed for the door, my hand gripping the knob like it held every choice I’d ever made. For a second, I paused, my chest rising in a slow breath. Then I gave a quiet nod—almost like I was telling the door this was the very last time. The final lap. The closing chapter.I opened it and stepped out.There she was.Raven stood across the hallway, just outside her door, as if she’d been waiting for me. She wasn’t crying anymore. Her posture was stronger, straighter. Her eyes, still red, held no weakness now. Only resolve.She wore a black windbreaker jacket zipped halfway up over a fitted grey tank top. Her jeans were dark, cuffed at the ankles, and she’d laced her boots tight—like someone preparing for a long, uncertain walk. A slim black backpack hugged her shoulders—small enough not to get in the way, big enough to carry whatever hope looked like.She was staring into the hallway, almost as if she could see something I couldn’t. But the moment my door