Valentina Anderson tried to end her life on the same day as Hannah Baker, but survived to face a world unraveling with secrets. She never imagined her life would be defined by loss. First, it was Jeff Atkins, the love of her life, tragically taken i...
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The cold water engulfed me in an instant, pulling me under. I could hear Bryce screaming my name, but it faded quickly as the water swallowed me. I didn’t fight it. I didn’t try to swim to the surface. This was what I wanted—to be free, to finally be with Jeff again.
As I sank deeper into the lake, I closed my eyes, feeling peace wash over me for the first time in months. I could almost smell Jeff—his scent, his warmth. I opened my eyes, and suddenly, I wasn’t in the water anymore. My heart skipped a beat when I recognized where I was—Jeff’s room. My breath caught in my throat as I took in every familiar detail. The scent of him lingered in the air, pulling me into the past.
Then I saw him.
Jeff was standing there, alive, looking at me like he always did, with warmth and a little bit of that teasing smile he saved just for me.
"Val," he said softly, his voice steady, but there was a sadness in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
I couldn’t speak. My heart was pounding so loudly I thought it might burst from my chest. Without thinking, I ran to him, wrapping my arms around him as tightly as I could. I buried my face in his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin, the familiar rhythm of his heartbeat. It felt so real, so impossibly real.
But it wasn’t.
Jeff gently stroked my hair, and I felt the weight of his hands, the way he always used to comfort me. “Val… you can’t be here.”
My breath hitched. I looked up at him, my eyes brimming with tears. “Jeff… my love... why did you leave me?”
His face softened, guilt flashing across his eyes. “I’m sorry, Val. I didn’t mean to. I never wanted to leave you.”
"I know," I whispered, the lump in my throat growing thicker. "I know… but it still hurts."
I tightened my grip around him, pressing my face into his chest, trying to hold onto the moment, afraid that if I let go, he would disappear forever.
"I’m sorry, Jeff." My voice cracked, my body trembling. "I wasn’t strong enough. I couldn’t save the baby…"
Tears spilled over as I finally broke down in his arms, the weight of everything I had been holding in crashing over me. My sobs were heavy, my body shaking with the overwhelming grief that I had pushed down for so long.
Jeff held me, his hands gentle, comforting. “It’s okay, Val. You don’t have to carry that burden anymore.”
I couldn’t stop crying. “I lost everything, Jeff… I lost you, I lost the baby. I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to be without you.”
He pulled back slightly, cupping my face in his hands. His eyes searched mine, full of love but tinged with sadness. “You have to remember the promise you made to Julian,” he said quietly. “He needs you, Val. You can’t stay here with me.”
