Secrets

Chapter 10 - Confrontation

The next time Mia woke, it was to the sound of hushed voices. They were low, deliberate, and tense, as though their speakers were trying not to disturb her—or perhaps trying to avoid something else entirely.

"How is she?" a familiar voice asked. It only took a moment for Mia to recognize Alex, his tone firm but laced with worry.

"She's stable," Matt replied, though his words carried none of their usual warmth. His voice was clipped, each syllable sharp.

"Given what happened, she's holding up better than expected. I had to put her under again before she started asking questions—or worse, reopened her wounds. She needs more time to heal."

"We shouldn't be handling her like this," Alex shot back, disappointment tinging his voice.

Matt let out a low, exasperated groan. "And what would you have me do? Tell her everything? Lay out an impossible truth and expect her to simply accept it? She's mortal, Alex. She wouldn't understand—she can't understand."

"She will," Alex said firmly, his conviction cutting through the tension. "She's already seen enough to know the world isn't what she thought it was. The least we can do is stop treating her like a child and give her the respect she deserves."

Footsteps approached, soft and deliberate, and Mia felt her pulse quicken. A gentle finger brushed against her cheek, lingering for the briefest moment.

Her heart leapt, her breath catching, but before she could react, the touch was abruptly withdrawn.

"Hey, no fighting," a third voice interjected, sharp and commanding. Mia's stomach twisted as she recognized Eliza.

Matt scoffed, the sound low and bitter.

"You're finally healed, and now you've got a lot of explaining to do, Eliza," he said, his tone biting.

"And while we're at it, have you lost your touch? Wounds like that shouldn't have taken this long to recover from."

Eliza's voice turned icy, her composure cracking. "Stop acting like a petulant child, Matt. Don't use your anger as an excuse to lash out at me."

The tension in the room thickened, suffocating. Mia struggled to keep her breathing steady, willing her body to remain still. If they noticed she was awake, there would be no going back.

"It's impossible for him to stop acting like a child," Alex muttered, his voice dripping with exasperation. "Haven't you noticed by now?"

A loud crash echoed through the room, and a gust of wind whipped past Mia, rustling the edges of her blanket. Her brow furrowed. Where had that come from? They were indoors.

"Would you two stop tearing each other apart?" Eliza snapped, her voice sharp and drained. "What if Mia wakes up and sees you both acting like this?"

"You're one to talk," Matt shot back, his frustration now directed squarely at Eliza. "What the hell were you thinking, exposing our secret to her like that?"

Eliza let out a scoff, her usual composure completely gone.

"What the hell did you expect me to do?" she hissed, her voice brimming with fury. "Stand there and let Brianna kill her because of your petty feud? Like hell I would! I wasn't about to watch her die to protect your precious secret."

Mia's heart skipped a beat, her breath hitching. She couldn't remember ever hearing Eliza curse like this—let alone with such venom.

"You were supposed to call me!" Matt's voice rose, his anger finally breaking through his usually calm exterior. "I could've handled it without blowing our cover."