"I warned you once not to look back... But here you are, tempting me again to ruin your happily ever after with her."
My words hung heavy between us, but his smirk only deepened as he leaned in, so close our lips nearly touched.
"Maybe I like the r...
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I woke with a gasp, my heart slamming in my chest. My room was dark, too dark, and the silence pressed against my ears like a suffocating weight. I looked around in a panic, sweat clinging to my face, neck, and skin. The sheets beneath me were damp, tangled around my legs.
Where is it?
Frantically, I searched the bed until my fingers brushed against the smooth plastic of my earbuds. I jammed them into my ears with trembling hands, and the wild music blasted into my hearing, flooding the silence, grounding me. Slowly, my breathing steadied, though my heart still felt as if it might break through my ribs.
I reached for the bedside lamp and flicked it on. Light flooded the room, pushing the darkness into the corners. I could finally breathe.
I must've removed the earbuds in my sleep. But I don't remember turning off the lamps.
A shudder passed through me as I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my forearms on top of them, my hands covering my face.
It was just a dream. It's just a dream. Just a dream.
But the heaviness in my chest lingered, a dark, shadowy thing that clung to me even now.
I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep again. Not tonight. Without hesitation, I slid out of bed and padded quietly to the adjoining study nook. The desk stood neatly organized, everything in its place, textbooks stacked in perfect alignment, color-coded highlighters in their tray, my personal computer gleaming silently, waiting. At my touch, it hummed to life, casting a soft glow across the room.
I sat down, flipping open my study notes, and let the familiar rhythm of review pull me back into order. I revised everything I had memorized the night before, calculus formulas, annotated passages from literature, historical timelines. I was relentless, pouring over the material, letting it consume me.
Hours passed, the dark of night giving way to the pale blue light of dawn. My alarm chimed softly, signaling breakfast. I didn't move. I had one more chapter to finish, one more problem to solve before I could allow myself that luxury. I wouldn't waste a single minute.
It was almost six by the time I descended the grand staircase. The morning light slipped through the silk curtains, spilling soft golden rays across the hall. The dining room was set, just as it always was, though empty.
Mother wasn't home. Not that I expected her to be.
As I took my usual seat at the head of the table, a woman—new, by the looks of her—entered the room, dressed in a stiff uniform. She smiled as she placed a tray with my tea in front of me, just as I liked it. I didn't smile back.
"Did you enter my room?" I asked, my tone sharp.
The woman looked taken aback, but she recovered quickly, still smiling. "Yes, miss. I was putting your washed school uniform in the bathroom."
