Secrets

Chapter 13 - Understanding

The silence following Matt's words was suffocating, hanging heavy between them like a storm cloud waiting to burst.

Mia stared at him, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the edge of the hospital bed. Her thoughts were a chaotic swirl, filled with questions that she couldn't yet bring herself to voice.

Eliza cleared her throat softly, breaking the tension.

"We can't stay here," she said, glancing toward the door as though expecting an attack at any moment. "This place isn't safe, not anymore."

Mia snapped her gaze to Eliza, her voice sharp despite the tremor in it. "What do you mean? Safe from what?"

"They know where you are," Alex interjected, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "Gabriel and his team—they'll track you if we don't move. Hospitals don't exactly have the best protection against the kind of things we're dealing with."

Mia's stomach churned at the mention of Gabriel, his piercing blue eyes and chilling words flashing in her mind.

"So what's the plan?" she asked, her voice quieter now, laced with fatigue.

Matt stepped forward, his posture commanding but not unkind. "You'll come with us. To our apartment. It's warded—protected against them. You'll be safer there."

Mia's first instinct was to protest, to refuse to put herself under their watch any longer. But the memory of Gabriel's smirk, his hand brushing her cheek, froze the words in her throat. A part of her knew she had no choice.

"I don't trust you," she muttered, her voice shaking slightly. "But I trust them even less."

Alex gave her a faint, humorless smile. "That's fair. And probably wise."

⟡

The car ride was tense and silent, the only sound the low hum of the engine as the city lights blurred past the windows.

Mia sat in the back seat, sandwiched between Alex and Eliza, while Matt drove with a grim focus. The streets outside felt unnaturally empty, as though the world itself had retreated in the face of the night's events.

"We're almost there," Eliza said softly, her tone soothing, but Mia didn't respond. She was too busy staring out the window, her fingers twisting the fabric of her jacket in a nervous rhythm.

Finally, the car pulled into an underground parking garage beneath an unassuming brick building.

Matt led the way, his pace brisk but not rushed, as though he were trying to project an air of calm. Alex and Eliza flanked Mia on either side, their presence strangely reassuring despite the storm of emotions raging inside her.

The apartment was nothing like she expected. It was spacious and modern, with high ceilings and large windows that overlooked the city skyline.

The furniture was sleek but not impersonal, and the space felt lived-in, though there were no signs of clutter or disarray.

"Make yourself at home," Alex said, his tone light but tired. "It's not much, but it's secure."

Mia wandered to the window, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The view was stunning, the city lights stretching out like a sea of stars. But it didn't bring her any comfort.

"Why do you even care what happens to me?" she asked abruptly, turning to face them. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed the vulnerability she was trying to hide.

Eliza stepped forward, her expression softening. "Because you're one of us, Mia. Even if you don't see it yet."

Mia's jaw tightened, her gaze flickering between them. "I don't even know what that means."