A Eternal Love

chapter 12

I lie on my bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in the silence of my room. It’s been weeks since that dream—the one where my best friend tried to kill me. Ever since that night, everything has changed. The world feels heavier, sharper, darker. That day, I woke up in the hospital. I told Kevin and Rebecca everything—how Kia attacked me, that he was a werewolf—but I kept one truth hidden: someone saved me.

They didn’t know Kia was dead. They only knew he disappeared after hurting me. Only I—and the person who saved me—know what truly happened. Kevin promised me Kia would never hurt me again, and deep down, I know he’s aware of the truth. Still, I trust him. He’s like a brother to me, someone who will protect me. For a second, I let myself feel what it might be like to have a family again—someone to lean on, someone who would never betray me.

But when my parents came to visit me that day in the hospital, Kevin spun a story: I had fallen down the stairs. My sister went along with it. They all acted like nothing happened. I was furious. I wanted to tell my mom everything—to sob into her arms, to let her know how terrified I had been—but Kevin wouldn’t let me. Being me, I tried anyway. He called it hallucination: my grief over my great-grandma’s death, my mind inventing wolves to torment me. Everyone believed him, even my sister. That day, the fragile trust I had in them shattered. Since then, I only speak to Kevin when necessary, and even then, my words are cautious, measured.

A knock on my door interrupts my thoughts.

Mom: Can I come in?
Mia: Since when do you need permission?

She sits beside me. I rest my head on her lap as her fingers softly rub through my hair.

Mom: How are you feeling now?
Mia: Drained.
Mom: What’s bothering you most?
Mia: I don’t think they’ll take me… after yesterday.
Mom: Why not?
Mia: Because I’m mentally unstable.
Mom: Bella, you’re not broken. You’re wounded. When your wounds heal, you’ll be unstoppable. Just give yourself time.

Rebecca enters, resting her head on Mom’s lap.

Rebecca: You will be fine. We all carry scars—they’re just healed wounds. Time does its work.

Mom: You’ll be okay. When I was twelve, your grandma was rarely home because of her duties as a cop. I felt lonely and hurt. I cried holding my teddy. Then your great-grandma held me, hugged me until I let it all out, and said: “Don’t cry over the time you don’t have. Make memories with the time you do. Someday, those memories will make you smile.”

Mia: I just want to say goodbye… to tell her I love her and that I’m sorry.

Mom: I think she already knows, honey.
Rebecca: You were her favorite.
Mia: Will she forgive me?
Mom: Give her time.

Later, I’m upstairs, scrolling my phone to distract myself. The doorbell rings. I know who it is. My plan: pretend to be asleep, avoid interaction. I plug in my earbuds, drown out the world in music.

Then I hear it. His voice. My heart lurches. I try to peek around the door—but Dad spots me.

Dad: Mia, come on. They’re here.

I descend the stairs, heart racing.

Mia: Hi.
Kevin: Hey.
Kevin’s Mom: Hi, honey. We were worried. Come sit beside me.
Mia: I’m fine, thank you.

They start chatting, asking about my fainting incident. Dad mentions how someone caught me, and I remember. A small smile escapes me.

Miss Connor touches my face softly.

Miss Connor: It’s good to see a genuine smile.

Rebecca calls, “Dinner’s ready,” and I head upstairs for my charger. Suddenly, I collide with someone. I close my eyes, bracing for impact—but nothing comes.

When I open my eyes… he’s there. Mr. Mikelson.

My body freezes. For a moment, I question reality. To test it, I touch his face. Sparks shoot through me, tingling from my fingertips to my chest, and I can’t breathe.

Mia: What the…
Mr. Mikelson: Excuse me.

He opens his eyes. Real. Here. Alive.

Up close, his eyes aren’t entirely black—they have flecks of red, dark and mesmerizing. My gaze is drawn in, helpless, as though they’re pulling me toward him. I can’t look away.

Mr. Mikelson: I don’t mind if you stare, but your parents might not like it.
Mia: Hmm…

Reality hits me. My face burns red.

Kevin: What’s going on here?
Rebecca: Everything okay?
Mia: I… just bumped into him. He… held me.

He nods, calm, controlled, every movement deliberate.

I take my place on the couch, still mesmerized. It’s like a magnet—the pull, the sting of desire, the curiosity. A moth drawn to fire. I wonder: does he feel it too? Or is it just me, a fleeting, hopeless crush?

He looks at me. My heartbeat races, almost deafening. And somehow, I feel it—the answer. A connection. Real, undeniable, and frightening in its intensity.

I close my eyes for a moment, letting the tingling wash over me. I can feel him, alive, present, tangible. And I know, with terrifying certainty, that nothing will ever feel the same again.