Echoes of Wonderland

Begging

Chloe's POV

As soon as the door clicks shut, the weight of the argument hits me like a tidal wave. My chest tightens, and the tears that I've been holding back spill over. Red is gone, and I'm left alone in the silence, the reality of what just happened crashing down on me. My legs give out, and I collapse onto the floor, sobs wracking my body.

Why can't I control myself? Why do I always let my emotions take over? Red was trying to protect us, and all I did was push her away. I replay the argument in my head, dissecting every word, every mistake I made. I hear the desperation in her voice when she said she was trying to protect us, and it cuts deeper than anything else. She's been carrying something so heavy, something she couldn't even share with me, and I made it about myself.

What if I'm the one who pushed her too far? What if my constant need for answers, for reassurance, is what's driving a wedge between us? The thought sends a fresh wave of guilt crashing over me. Red doesn't need someone who questions her every move, who demands to know everything. She needs someone who can trust her, who can support her even when the truth is hidden.

I bury my face in my hands, trying to stifle the sobs that keep coming. I love her so much, but I keep messing up. I keep letting my fear, my insecurities, drive me to say things that hurt her. I think about how tired she looked this morning, how much she's been holding onto, and I realize I've been so focused on my own pain that I missed hers.

She was right. I haven't been fighting for us the way she has. I've been expecting her to always be the strong one, to always be the one to hold us together. But she needs someone to lean on, too. I need to be that person for her.

I sit on the cold floor for what feels like hours, my mind racing, my heart aching. I keep thinking about everything Red said, about how she's been fighting for us alone. I can't let that continue. I can't keep being the one who takes and takes without giving back.

I have to find her. I have to make this right. I don't care if she won't tell me what's bothering her, if she won't share what she found out. I don't need to know everything. What I need is to be there for her, to show her that I'm willing to make the sacrifice this time, that I'm willing to be the person she needs me to be.

I wipe away the last of my tears, though my eyes are still red and swollen. My heart pounds with a mix of fear and determination as I stand up from the cold floor. I have to find her. I can't let this be the end. I throw on my jacket, barely noticing the chill in the air as I step outside the cabin.

The forest surrounding the cabin is quiet, almost eerily so, as I walk through the familiar paths. My breath comes out in shaky puffs of air, and I strain to hear any sign of her—footsteps, a rustle in the bushes, anything. But there's nothing. I call out her name, my voice cracking, but the only response is the echo of my own voice.

I push deeper into the forest, my eyes scanning the trees and the shadows between them. The sun is starting to set, casting long, dark shapes across the ground, making it harder to see. My thoughts are racing, thinking about all the places she could be, all the places she might go to be alone.

The enchanted lake comes to mind, and I quicken my pace, almost running as I head toward it. When I finally reach the lake, I'm breathless, my heart pounding with hope—and dread. The water is still and calm, reflecting the colors of the sunset. But Red isn't here. There's no sign of her anywhere.

A wave of panic surges through me. Where else would she go? I try to think, my mind grasping at memories of places she's been, places she's talked about. The benches outside the Auradon Museum—she likes to go there to clear her head. I turn and start running, not caring about the distance or the time it'll take to get there.

By the time I reach the museum, it's dark, the streets lit by the glow of streetlamps. The benches are empty, cold and uninviting. I sit down on one, trying to catch my breath, trying to keep the panic from overwhelming me. Where could she be? She's always been good at disappearing, at hiding when she doesn't want to be found. But she's never done it like this, not when things were this bad between us.

I can't lose her. The thought terrifies me more than anything else. I run through every conversation we've had, every place she's mentioned. But none of it helps. I'm out of places to look, and the fear that I might never find her, that I might never get the chance to make things right, grips me like a vice.

But I can't give up. I have to keep looking, even if it means searching every corner of Auradon, even if it takes all night. I just hope she's safe, that she knows how much I love her, how much I want to make things right.

With renewed determination, I stand up from the bench, my resolve hardening. I won't stop until I find her. I won't let this be the end. She needs to know that I'm willing to fight for us, that I'm willing to be the person she needs me to be, no matter what it takes.

____________________________________

Short, but important.

And as Dua once said, all my bones are begging me to beg for your love.