Four Years Later Novels & Stories

“For four years.” He looked at the table. I watched him absorb this, the confirmation of what he had suspected and the specific weight of what I had just said. Neither did you. For four years. I had been saving that sentence for a long time. Saying it out loud felt less satisfying than I had imagined and more devastating. “Scarlet…”

“P-Peter, I really don’t know.” Peter immediately looked up and narrowed his eyes. “Do you not know or not remember? Or are you just unable to say anything?” Peter added, “No need to hurry. After all, I’ve got plenty of time on my hands now. It’s been a while since I last came here. Do you remember what happened four years ago?” “Peter!”

The subtle shift in his expression mirrored the narrative of the years that had passed, the gap widening between the last shared moments and the unexpected present, leaving him momentarily suspended in the revelation that someone he hadn't seen in four years now sat beside his sister, a surprising twist in the course of his familial encounter. The passage of four years had etched changes into the landscape of my existence, leaving him seemingly bewildered at the unexpected sight. His eyes met mine, registering a mix of surprise and recognition, as if the reality of my presence took a moment to fully settle in. I wanted to give him a wicked smile or sarcastic one but I am too drained for that

But they shouldn't have to. This cannot continue the way it has been continuing. That was the thought. Four days to the hearing. Then we changed the pace. Whatever it costs.

Zayn asked "No!" Four replied annoying the shit out of Zayn He strolled around for a minute before basically yelling "Do you have any idea what you are suppose to do? did you not figure out anything all these years?" "Oh do you have any idea how i kept Gigi's powers undercover while trying to find clues but failed and traveled here only to be meeting......you! The walking disaster YOU who literally washed away all my hard work in may be just a few weeks" Four yelled on top of his lungs

My eyes carried a weight that didn't belong in a place like this. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - That night, the storm worsened. Snow fell thick and relentless, tapping against the attic windows like whispered warnings. Adrian slept curled beside me, his small back pressed into my chest, his favorite sleep position. I stared at the ceiling, thinking. Four years. Four years since the night I left. Sometimes, in the dark, I wondered if Lucian still existed the way I remembered him — or if grief had reshaped him into something unrecognizable.

The smile felt convincing, well, at least convincing enough. Damien nodded and the tension left his shoulders slightly as though he had expected the conversation to be more difficult. The realization stung because for me, there was nothing easy about this. I looked down at my plate. At the dinner I no longer had any appetite for and at the life I had spent four years pretending was temporary. Four years. The number echoed through my mind. Four years ago, I had been sitting in a completely different room, listening to Damien Laurent make me an offer that changed my life forever.

Nathaniel noticed immediately. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I shouldn’t have brought them up.” But it was too late. “I know you’re still not over what happened four years ago.” I forced a faint smile, because he was right. Four years had passed, yet the memory still felt as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. The pain never truly disappeared. It only hid in quiet corners of my heart, waiting for moments like this to resurface. The worst part? They died on my fourteenth birthday.

The room was small but well arranged, if not for Lillian, who keeps checking to see whether I had stolen anything or not. Unlike Taylor and Tyler, who had all the luxury anyone could think of. They always had the latest bags and shoes, showing off their make-up and flawless skin, which I secretly admired. Stupid, but I did anyway. And of all the women on earth, it was my mother’s best friend he married. I sighed as I fell back on my bed. It’s been four years, four years since they said she was gone. I still do not believe a thing they said; it didn’t add up, and I’ve vowed to search for her because I know somewhere in my heart…

AVA’S POV Four years later. Four years. That was how long it had been since I’d breathed this city’s air, since I’d seen its skyline stretching like jagged teeth against the horizon. Three years since I had left everything behind—my pain, my marriage, my shame—and poured all of myself into the only two lives that mattered now. “Mommy?” A small hand tugged at my sleeve. I looked down and met a pair of bright, curious eyes—the kind that mirrored Adrian’s so perfectly it hurt. My son, Aiden, tilted his head, his soft curls bouncing. “Are we there yet?”