Bound by the Waves

Chapter 18: Trust?

A week passed in a blur of routine and minor chaos. The storm's aftermath had left its mark, but with every passing day, the hospital regained its rhythm. Patients came and went, the medical team settling into the demanding but rewarding pace of life in Aramora.

The apartment had started to feel less like a temporary stop and more like a strange, mismatched home. Kate and I found a rhythm in sharing our space—her lighthearted chatter a welcome balance to my quieter nature. She even started referring to our late-night conversations as “roommate therapy sessions,” though I suspected they were more for her amusement than anything else.

Outside of the apartment, though, things were... complicated.

Xaviel and I managed to avoid outright conflict, but our interactions were far from simple. Whether it was coordinating patient care or navigating the unspoken weight of our shared secret, every moment felt charged with tension. The others, thankfully, hadn’t picked up on it yet—or if they had, they kept their suspicions to themselves.

On the surface, everything appeared normal. But beneath it, the fragile balance we’d established was starting to fray.

---

It was late afternoon when Bella’s text arrived, pulling me out of a rare moment of calm in the apartment. Kate had gone out with Sophie and Anna for a quick walk to the beach, leaving me alone with the faint hum of the fan and the soft rustle of leaves outside the window.

Bella: We’re calling in 5. Be ready.

I sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. A week of dodging their questions hadn’t worked—they were relentless.

When the video call connected, Bella, Cali, Mia, and Leya all appeared on the screen, their faces glowing with curiosity and mischief.

“Finally!” Bella exclaimed. “We thought you were avoiding us again.”

“I was,” I said bluntly, setting my phone on the desk and crossing my arms. “What’s this about now?”

“Don’t play innocent,” Mia said, her sharp tone softened by the smile tugging at her lips. “We want updates. Real ones.”

“I told you everything last time,” I said, exasperated. “There’s nothing new to add.”

“Liar,” Cali chimed in, smirking. “We know you’ve been working with Xaviel all week. How’s that going?”

I groaned. “It’s fine. We’re professionals.”

“Sure,” Bella said, dragging the word out. “Totally professional. That’s why you’ve been dodging us for days, right?”

I opened my mouth to retort, but Leya interrupted. “Cut her some slack. She’s clearly still figuring things out.”

“Thank you,” I said, shooting Leya a grateful look.

“But,” she added, “you are going to figure it out, right? Because you can’t just keep pretending nothing’s wrong.”

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Start with this,” Bella said, her expression softening. “Do you trust him?”

The question caught me off guard. “What?”

“Xaviel,” Bella clarified. “Do you trust him? Because if you’re going to survive six more months in the same place, you need to figure that out.”

I hesitated, the weight of her words pressing down on me. “I... don’t know.”

“Fair,” Leya said with a small nod. “But you need to figure it out sooner rather than later.”