UNTIL DAWN

Chapter Fifteen

Lewis Capaldi - 

Before You Go

HAZEL'S POV

I jolted awake, heart racing, my chest tight as the remains of the nightmare replays in my mind. In the dream, shadows loomed over my father, their whispers echoing in my ears, urging me to let go. 

I could still feel the grasp of helplessness tightening around my throat, each breath a struggle as I fought to reach him, but he slipped further away, his figure disappearing into shadows.

As reality came flooding back, the weight of the loss crashed down on me. The silence of the room felt deafening, escalating the absence of his comforting presence.

Just days ago, he had been my pillar, the last family member I had left. Now, the emptiness was threatening to swallow me whole. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the lingering images of the nightmare.

I took a deep breath, the air thick with sorrow, and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The world outside my window was still shrouded in darkness, mirroring the heaviness in my heart.

I went to the bathroom, turned on the lights and stared at my shaking self in the mirror. It was becoming my daily routine, waking up from this same nightmare but today, it was too much. It felt real and my throat still hurt from screaming.

Hopefully I didn't wake my neighbors.

After taking a pee, I returned to my room, but my steps froze as I caught sight of a shadow moving behind my window. Someone was out there, and I couldn't tell if it was a thief or something worse. The room was in full darkness, so I carefully moved toward the dresser where my phone lay.

It was two in the morning—who could it possibly be? I unlocked my phone and went straight to my contacts, only to realize I didn't have Ace's number. A clear reminder that whatever connection we had was as fake as our engagement.

Mike's name was at the top of the list, so I dialed, but he didn't pick up. Panic rushed through me. What was I going to do? I tried again, still no answer. 

I hesitated at the thought of calling Jace, Ace's assistant. What would I even say? Would he care? To him, I was just another girl who could be easily replaced at any time. After a moment of indecision, I gave up.

The intruder outside didn't seem to pose an immediate threat, so I tried to steady my racing heart. Falling back asleep was out of the question though. 

I slipped on some warm stockings, wrapped myself in a blanket, and made my way to the small, old kitchen to heat a glass of milk. My fridge was practically empty, a stark reminder that I needed to hit the grocery store later in the evening.

*****

The noise outside jolted me awake. My crazy neighbors were at it again, their commotion cutting through the quiet morning. 

I realized I was still on the worn-out couch, my phone lying on the rug, its screen dark. Had I really dozed off? It must have been a long night thinking about my pitiful life.

I rummaged through the room for a charger and was surprised to see it was nearly eleven. I proceeded with a quick shower. Thankfully, the water was hot—a luxury I had grown accustomed to back home, where Dad always made sure hot water was available for my sake. 

A bittersweet smile flickered on my lips at the thought of him. I missed him deeply every day, and now I was being tempted to move out of the house that held our last memories.

By noon, I heated up the remaining pie from last night's dinner, handled some laundry, and did a bit of cleaning before heading out for grocery shopping. Wandering outside felt less suffocating; life bustled around me.

As I approached the register, the cashier flashed a wide, yellow-toothed smile.

"Congratulations, sweetie! That's a huge rock!" she exclaimed, pointing at the diamond on my finger.

Ugh, that.

It felt like a mockery as I was going to give it back anyway, but I forced a smile, mouthing a thank you. I didn't want to draw any more attention to myself.

On the walk home, I couldn't help but trace the contours of the diamond, each touch a reminder of how it would be off in a few days. I wondered how long it would be before Ace ended this facade, the beginning of my new misery.

I was startled by a honking car which was parked across the street. It was Mike's. As he stepped out and held the door open for me, confusion washed over me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

"Sorry, my phone was charging in the living room. I saw your missed calls this morning, and when I tried to call back, it was off. So I decided to check on you on my way home from work." He was really thoughtful.

"You didn't have to. It was nothing serious," I reassured him, but he brushed my words aside, ushering me into his car.

"You can't call that late if there wasn't something bothering you. I brought pizza, and we can watch a movie while you tell me what really happened." I sighed, realizing he wasn't going to let this go easily.

He was persistent, and despite my reluctance, I appreciated his concern.

The drive home felt quick, arriving in less than ten minutes. Mike helped me put away the groceries while I chose a movie, then went to my room to change into my pajamas. 

When I returned, I found him setting the pizza box on the table, a small smile lighting up his face as he spotted me.

"It's been a long time since we did this—movie night," I said, plopping down on the couch beside him.

"Yeah. So, what are we watching?" He grabbed the remote from under the coffee table, ready to turn on the TV.

"We've seen it a million times, but how about Guardians of the Galaxy? Is that okay?"

"Sounds good to me. We'll be chatting through most of it anyway," he replied, a teasing glint in his eyes. I rolled mine at his usual willingness to just go along with my choices.

"Alright then." The Netflix logo flickered to life, drawing us both in.

As the movie played, our conversation flowed easily, and I found myself opening up about the nightmares and the real reason for my late-night call.

"And you're telling me you're going to keep living here alone?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"It's really okay. If whoever it was wanted to do something, they would have by now."

"Seriously, you should take the money for a new apartment. You can pay me back after your first paycheck."

"Money isn't the issue. Ace already found a new apartment for me."

"Who?" he asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

"I said Ace." The name slipped out before I could catch myself. 

His silence hung in the air before he repeated the question, and my eyes widened in realization.