Forgive And Forget

Chapter 14

I woke days later to a low pulsing in my head. For a heartbeat, I couldn't remember where I was or what had happened. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks: going to the graveyard and seeing Mom's gravestone, fighting Zach....

I groaned as the headache strengthened, going from a low pulsing to a full-on pounding, as if someone was hammering on the side of my head. The door opened a second later as Dad walked in, a concerned expression on his face. The light from the hallway shone into the room, making me wince.

He quickly shut the door, then walked over to me. "Oh, Bella, I was so worried." As the words left his mouth, I gave him a once-over, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the paleness of his skin.

A vision surfaced in my head, filling me with confusion and dread. When I'd tried to get Mom by using the necklace, it didn't work.

Tears welled in my eyes, quickly spilling down my cheeks. Dad stroked my hair as I cried, though I wasn't sure exactly why I was crying. Anger and helplessness swirled around inside me, mingling with the confusion and dread.

Then I heard it. A voice. Though it was barely more than a whisper, it sent chills down my spine nonetheless. "This is all your fault. She died because of you."

"No," I said suddenly. Dad pulled away, concern on his face. "No," I repeated, louder this time. The concern on his face quickly morphed into worry.

The voice was cruel, but also familiar. "You couldn't save her. No wonder she thought you were a disappointment." Ross? The thought was quickly pushed aside by disbelief. That wasn't possible. He was dead.

My hands started to shake as I pressed them to my face. I was panting, unable to catch my breath. All I could hear was his voice, repeating those same words over and over again: "It's all your fault. She died because of you."

That's when I realised why I hadn't been able to reach Mom with the pendant. He'd been inside my head all this time, filling my mind with these lies.

A voice suddenly broke through the dense fog that had settled over me. "Bella? Can you hear me?"

I opened my eyes, not even realising I had shut them, and looked at Dad. I saw him reach for me and shied away, lightning crackling on my fingertips. All I wanted was for this to stop.

"Stop!" I yelled. The crackling noise grew louder, followed by a large thump. I opened my eyes and looked at Dad, horror in my gaze. A tree that had always stood outside our house was broken in two on the ground.

Dad's eyes were wide as he looked from the tree back to me. My hands shook as I turned them over in front of me, the heat of... whatever that was running through my veins. What just happened?

Adrian had an awestruck look on his face. I couldn't even begin to process what just happened. Keeping my eyes open had become a monumental effort. He noticed, wrapping my arm around his shoulder as he helped me walk to my bedroom.

The heat in my body had been quickly replaced by a heaviness. My head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds; my legs felt like rubber.

"He's inside my head," I whispered, my voice small. Adrian didn't respond, though I felt him stiffen. I had a feeling he knew who I was referring to. He kept stroking my hair until I finally fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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