Fight With Me

Chapter 24

New Orleans – Hope's POV

"What do you mean, Hope?" Freya asked gently, taking a step closer to comfort her.

But I couldn't stand it. Not now. Not when everything felt like it was crumbling beneath me. "Don't touch me!" I snapped, taking a step back and pressing myself into Josie for support.

I locked eyes with Marcel, and the anger that had been simmering inside me exploded. "My whole life, I thought it was my fault. I thought I did something wrong. That Dad didn't want to be around me for all those years because of me. But now—now I find out it was because of you." My voice cracked with rage. "You imprisoned him for years. YEARS! You took him away when I needed him most. You took away my childhood, my father, and I hate you for it."

Marcel's face contorted with guilt, but before he could respond, I turned on Davina, the hurt transforming into pure fury.

"And you," I spat, my voice trembling with the weight of betrayal. "You're the worst of them all. I confided in you. I told you how scared I was of losing my dad. I trusted you, and you acted like you cared. But all along, you were the one trying to kill him."

"Hope, please—" Davina began, her voice shaking.

"Don't!" I cut her off, my voice rising to a near scream. "Don't say a word. None of you say a goddamn word." My vision blurred with unshed tears, but I held them back, gripping Josie's hand like a lifeline. "We're leaving."

Without another glance, I turned on my heel, dragging Josie with me. The air was thick with tension, the weight of my words lingering in the silence as we stormed out of the house.

Back in Mystic Falls – Caroline's POV

Caroline's voice echoed through the intercom, her tone commanding. "Everyone, drop what you're doing and head straight to your dorms. This is not a drill."

Alaric was in the supply room, preparing a sedative just in case. "You ready?" he asked, his expression grim as he held the syringe.

Caroline inhaled sharply, steadying herself. "Ready as I'll ever be," she replied, though her heart was pounding in her chest. She wasn't sure how to face this—how to face her daughter like this.

They raced down the hallway toward Lizzie's room, and the sight that met them froze them both in their tracks. Lizzie wasn't herself. Her demon form had taken over, her eyes wild with fury, her body rigid with power. She looked like a creature from nightmares—dark energy crackling around her.

"Lizzie," Caroline pleaded, holding her hands up cautiously as she stepped forward. "Sweetheart, it's Mom. You need to calm down, okay? We can figure this out together."

But Lizzie's response was nothing but a snarl, her aggression intensifying. She lashed out, sending a blast of energy toward the wall, causing it to crack.

Alaric's voice was tight. "Caroline, I don't have a choice."

"I know." She nodded, her voice breaking with the weight of helplessness.

Alaric moved swiftly, jabbing the sedative into Lizzie's arm. Within moments, her body went limp, her form returning to normal as the demon retreated. Caroline rushed forward, catching her daughter as she collapsed.

New Orleans – Hope's POV

I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white, the silence in the car thick with unspoken tension. I didn't know where I was driving. I just knew I had to get away—away from them, away from the lies.

After what felt like an eternity, I pulled off into the woods, bringing the car to an abrupt stop. My chest heaved with barely controlled rage, and my mind spun with too many emotions to process.

"Baby, stay here for a second," I said to Josie, my voice softer but still strained.

She nodded, her eyes wide with concern, but she didn't question me.

I jumped out of the car and moved quickly, muttering an incantation under my breath. The familiar pull of magic surged through me, raw and powerful, as I channeled my anger into something tangible. Within minutes, the treehouse—our treehouse , the one that had been a sanctuary for us—appeared before me, a perfect replica.

When I was done, I exhaled deeply, the weight of my fury still heavy in my chest. "Josie," I called, my voice steady now.

She got out of the car, looking at the treehouse with awe and confusion. "Hope, how did you—"

Before she could finish, I grabbed her hand, pulling her close. "Do you wanna have angry sex for the first time?" I asked, my voice low and teasing.

Josie's eyes darkened with desire, her lips parting slightly. "Hell yeah," she whispered, her body already reacting to the heat between us.

I smirked, feeling a spark of excitement surge through me. "After you, milady," I said, holding the door open for her like a proper gentlewoman, though the playful smirk on my face betrayed my intentions.

She laughed, her eyes glinting with anticipation as she stepped inside. The moment the door closed behind us, I felt the tension between us snap like a taut wire, and in that moment, it was just us—no lies, no betrayals—just me and Josie, and the raw, burning need to lose ourselves in each other.