This Is The Part Where You Run

Chapter 3

The next day dawned bright and clear, but the atmosphere at school was tense. Hope found herself sitting alone on the bleachers, trying to make sense of the chaotic whirl of thoughts in her mind. She had barely slept, her dreams haunted by the revelation that Lizzie was her mate.

Her solitude was interrupted when she heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, she saw no other than Lizzie making her way towards her. The blonde plopped down beside her, a look of determination mixed with weariness on her face.

"What are you doing?" Hope asked a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Hiding," Lizzie replied nonchalantly, her eyes scanning the area around them.

Hope raised a brow, her curiosity piqued. "From?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "If Josie still wants to kill me, the safest place I can be is right here next to you." She patted Hope's thigh, the gesture casual.

Hope stared at her for a long while, words failing her. Lizzie continued to look around, oblivious to the storm of emotions brewing within Hope. Finally, Lizzie turned back to her, a puzzled expression on her face.

"What?" Lizzie asked, tilting her head slightly.

Hope took a deep breath, her heart pounding. The words slipped out before she could stop them. "You're my mate."

Lizzie blinked, her brows furrowing in confusion. "What?"

Hope swallowed hard, the enormity of the admission hitting her. "You heard me. You're my mate, Lizzie. That’s why I was so drawn to you last night in the woods."

Lizzie stared at her, processing the information. "Your mate?" she echoed, disbelief colouring her voice.

Hope nodded, her eyes searching Lizzie’s for any sign of rejection. "Yes. When I shifted, I caught your scent. It’s undeniable. You’re the one, Lizzie."

A myriad of emotions flashed across Lizzie's face—confusion, curiosity, and something else Hope couldn’t quite identify. "But… how is that even possible? I mean, I’m not even a werewolf."

"It doesn’t matter," Hope explained, her voice gentle but firm. "The bond is about something deeper. It’s about connection, fate, whatever you want to call it. And it’s rare, but it happens. I didn’t choose this, but now that it’s here, I can’t ignore it."

Lizzie's eyes widened slightly as she absorbed Hope's words. "This is a lot to take in," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hope nodded, understanding the weight of the revelation. "I know. And I don’t expect you to just accept it right away. But I had to tell you. You deserve to know the truth."

Lizzie looked down, her fingers tracing patterns on the bleacher seat. "It’s just… I never thought…"

"I know," Hope said softly. "Neither did I. But it’s real, and it’s something we’ll have to figure out together."

For a moment, they sat in silence, the enormity of the situation settling over them. Lizzie finally looked up, meeting Hope's gaze. "What does this mean for us?"

Hope reached out, gently taking Lizzie’s hand in hers. "It means we have a connection that’s deeper than anything we’ve ever known. It means we need to trust each other and take things one step at a time. No pressure, no rush. Just us."

Just as Lizzie was about to gather her thoughts and respond, they were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. Both girls looked up to see Josie approaching, her expression resolute.

"Hope, Lizzie," Josie greets, voice sickly sweet, cutting through the tension like a knife. "I’ve decided. The Merge will happen tonight, midnight, our birthday Liz."

Lizzie's eyes widened in shock. "What? Josie, we can’t. We’re not supposed to merge until we’re 21!"

Josie shook her head, a look in her eyes. "It’s more of a caution than a rule, Lizzie. Like driving a car. You can drive before you’re 16, but it’s only legal at 16. The same applies to the Merge. It’s advised to wait until we’re 21, but it’s not impossible to do it now."

Hope’s heart raced as she looked between the twins. "Josie, this is insane. There’s got to be another way."

Josie’s gaze hardened. "There isn’t, Hope. I’ve made up my mind. This has to happen."

Lizzie stood up. "No, Josie. We’ll find another way. We’re not doing this tonight."

Josie scoffed, eyes narrowing as she looked at her sister. "But it’s already set. Tonight, we’ll merge or I'll start killing everyone in the school."

The words hung heavily in the air as the three girls stood there.

Am rewriting from here.