"You said you love me? Then beg for it. Beg for my love. Show me-prove it again and again until I say yes."
Beatrix is a girl of few words, someone who keeps her emotions locked away, unwilling to let anyone close. After experiencing deep trust issu...
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Beatrix:
My head aches relentlessly. I yawn, blinking rapidly as I try to shake the haze from my mind and body, preparing myself to stand. The dull throb is a cruel reminder of last night—too much to drink, and now the consequences. It's not a surprise. As I push myself upright, I feel the uncomfortable weight of the sofa beneath me. The sofa.I wasn't on the bed? Confused, I glance around. The realization hits me in a flood—Emma must have let me sleep here. Of course.
The confusion deepens as I sit there, the pounding in my skull growing louder. And Ethan. Every damn night, he's there. Haunting my dreams. I don't know why I still see him, why I can't escape him. After everything, I locked myself away in this apartment, hiding from the world. Hiding from everyone. The thought of facing anyone, of facing anything, is too much. I just want to stay here, in this small, suffocating space, where nothing changes.
Finally, I manage to pull my legs off the couch, sitting on the edge, trying to steady myself. But then something catches my eye. Someone else is there. I blink, hard, my mind racing.
"Fuck, these hallucinations are going to drive me insane," I mutter, the words escaping in a breathless panic. Ethan is sitting there, across from me, looking as real as the very walls around me. Have I finally lost my mind completely? I'm sure of one thing: I'm going to end up in a mental hospital. I'm certain of it.
I stare at him, my mind struggling to make sense of the scene unfolding before me. The Ethan before me is asleep, his head resting on the sofa, his breath slow and steady. I watch as he shifts, his eyes fluttering open. He gazes at me, and suddenly, his sleepy expression morphs into one of recognition.
"Beatrix," he murmurs, his voice a soft rasp. The words send a chill down my spine, and for a moment, I'm frozen, unable to move. My body feels heavy, and I find myself staring at him, unblinking.
I raise a hand to my head, my fingers pressing against my temples, as if I can shake off the dizziness that clouds my thoughts. Am I hallucinating? The question lingers, but then his voice cuts through the fog once more.
"You're not hallucinating. I'm real."
A shiver runs through me. He is real. But how? How is this possible? Is this some kind of dream?
"Bee," Emma's voice calls out from behind me.
I whip my head around instantly. "Emma, do you see him?" I ask, my finger pointing toward Ethan, my pulse hammering in my throat.
Her eyes flicker to where I'm pointing, her face wavering with uncertainty. "Ahh... actually, Bee, sorry, but I can see him. I mean, he's here," she says quickly. I stand frozen for a moment, trying to process her words. She can see him... but is he really here? My mind races, struggling to reconcile everything. I glance back at Ethan, his gaze never leaving mine, steady and calm in the midst of my growing panic.
