Chapter 31

The days following the weekend at the lake felt strange, as if my life had suddenly stepped onto unstable ground. Everything looked the same—the classrooms, the homework, even dinners with my dad—but inside, nothing was where it belonged. Jacob had vanished into routine with a disconcerting ease. He still came over some nights to have dinner with us, just like always, but there were no stolen glances, no half-finished sentences. He had returned to his most formal version: short phrases, a proper tone, the same polite smile as ever. As if that kiss in the woods—added to the one when we got home—had been nothing more than a mirage I had imagined on my own. I forced myself to act normal, to laugh at my dad’s jokes during dinner or talk with Kate about anything at all to distract myself. But every time I heard Jacob’s voice, every time I felt him nearby, something in me tensed, waiting for a gesture, a word—anything that would tell me he remembered too. I

최신 업데이트 : 2026-06-13

Chapter 32

That night, my dad and I decided to cook together. An old jazz record played through the kitchen speaker, its soft notes wrapping around us like a blanket. My dad chopped tomatoes while I mixed a sauce, and between laughter, bad jokes, and spoons clinking against pans, the house felt like it used to. Warm. Like home. But the warmth shattered in a single second. My dad’s body went rigid, and the music’s glow dimmed instantly. The air shifted, as if an invisible cold had filled the room. “Camila, go up to your room,” he said in a grave voice, without taking his eyes off the window. “Dad, is something wrong?” I asked, feeling the blood drain from my face, my heart pounding harder at the sudden change. I didn’t know what was happening, but it was clear it wasn’t good—and that terrified me. “Go up, please. Don’t come out until I come get you, okay?” His eyes, heavy with anguish

최신 업데이트 : 2026-06-16

Chapter 33

“How much?” Those words came out before I could stop them. Clear. Sharp. “What?” Jacob frowned. “Camila…?” my dad whispered, stunned. But I wasn’t looking at either of them. I was looking at Paul. “How much do you want?” Paul raised his eyebrows slowly, deliberately. “I don’t understand what you mean, sweetheart.” That word. «Sweetheart.» Spoken like a dirty hand laid on something that didn’t belong to him. “You know exactly what I mean. And don’t call me sweetheart.” I took a deep breath. “How much money do you want to leave me alone?” Paul opened his hands theatrically, like a mediocre actor. “Cams—” Jacob murmured, but I ignored him. He doesn’t call me like that, and I know he’s trying to soften things. “My mom didn’t talk much about you,” I co

최신 업데이트 : 2026-06-18

Chapter 34

Minutes turned into hours, then into days, and the days into weeks that drifted by like a thick fog—unhurried and shapeless. I returned to routines that no longer felt like mine. The only way I can describe that lethargic state is by saying I had become a zombie moving on inertia, copying everyone else’s gestures without judgment or intention. Kate was always nearby, with her laughter and spontaneous remarks, trying to pull me out of my thoughts. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. Jacob began appearing again from time to time, always under the pretense of visiting my dad. He never stayed long; he didn’t seek to be alone with me. His gestures were more restrained, his words more measured, and yet one brief exchange of glances was enough to remind me of everything that had happened at the lake, at my house, in those silences we never knew how to name. He avoided mentioning it. So did I. Bu

최신 업데이트 : 2026-06-20

Mesmerize Me의 모든 챕터: 챕터 31 - 챕터 34

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34