Evelyn Bottling up my emotions, desires, and the twisted dreams my heart dared to whisper despite what it went through—dreams I deemed too bizarre, too dangerous for the future I craved—I stepped out of the room and agreed to go out with Cameron. No trauma, no doubts, no pain. That was the life I envisioned for myself, so here I was, sitting beside him, my safe choice, our feet sinking into the cool lake water. The bench, which Cameron described or I would say guessed as specially designed for this—soaking feet and relaxing—did little to calm the chaos in my mind.In my memory, this bench used to sit a foot away from the water. I vaguely remember coming here as a child, back when the lake seemed smaller, more innocent. But time and rising water had expanded it, so now, the bench sat at the perfect level for someone to sit and let the water gently touch their feet. I suppose, in different circumstances, it might have been calming.But my mind was a battlefield. Instead of peace, I was
EvelynChase dropped me off with a quick goodbye hug, and I stepped into the house, instantly engulfed by its familiar darkness. As expected, all the lights were off. That was Dad and Clara's nightly ritual, plunging the house into shadow as if setting the stage for a horror movie. When I'd teased them about it, they only laughed, claiming it was perfectly normal to have a vampiric darkness in your house at night.But it never felt normal to me. Lately, though, I hadn't bothered to complain. The darkness had become my refuge, a place where I could vanish, and disappear from the weight of the world. It was easier to exist in shadows when you didn't want to be seen.I kicked off my shoes and started toward the stairs, already feeling the exhaustion seeping into my bones. But then, out of nowhere, the thought popped into my mind: wine.It had always helped. Especially on nights like this, when my mind was spinning with questions, doubts, and that gnawing anxiety that had been haunting me
EvelynI couldn’t hold back any longer as the silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. Jacob wrestled with the words hovering on the edge of his lips, but my patience had worn thin. The storm of emotions swelling in my chest was unbearable—I needed him to speak. I needed answers. At least to end this storm in my heart, the pain that threatened to break me, and hurt me more with each second passing."Because?" The word slipped out, barely louder than a whisper.Jacob turned toward me, closing the space between us with agonizing slowness. His face hovered just an inch from mine, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull away. I didn’t know why. Maybe I didn’t want to.“Because I don’t want to force my feelings on you,” he murmured, his voice gentle as his hand reached for mine, our fingers intertwining. His other hand rose to my cheek, the warmth of his touch sending shivers through me. “I’ve overstepped every boundary you’ve tried to set. I didn’t give you space to breathe. I was
EvelynI stumbled into my room, a complete wreck, eyes swollen from the tears I couldn't hold back. What I didn't expect was Clara. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the lamp—so unlike the usual darkness I hid in. She sat on the edge of my bed, waiting, her presence startling me.“Clara?” I wiped at my face, trying to clear the tears with shaky hands. But to my surprise, she didn’t react—no shock, no questions. It was as if she’d known.Of course, she did. Jacob must’ve told them he was leaving, and they all knew he wouldn’t go without saying goodbye to me.“So, he told you?” Clara’s voice was soft, her lips curving into a melancholic smile. Her gaze flickered down to the wine bottle clutched in my hand, and she let out a resigned sigh. “Drinking won’t fix this, Evelyn. Come here.”She stood and opened her arms to me, her gesture so familiar, so full of understanding.For a moment, I hesitated, afraid that if I let myself fall apart, I’d never be able to stop. But this was Clar
Evelyn Morning arrived quicker than expected, rousing me before the sun had fully risen. Clara had taken the wine bottle from my hand and lulled me to sleep, her presence soothing but only temporarily. I’d cried myself to sleep into her arms, the tears relentless. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment I drifted off, only that I’d slept earlier than usual. My body, weighed down by stress, had forced itself into rest, but it was also the reason I was awake now—my mind refusing to grant me even a second beyond my usual routine.Clara’s comfort might have dulled the ache last night, but the moment my eyes opened, the familiar sting of pain returned. It was as sharp as ever as if it had never left.I sat up, exhaling a weary sigh. Despite the hours of sleep, I didn’t feel the usual grogginess, nor the need to rub the sleep from my eyes. Surely, rest had come, but peace hadn’t followed. I didn’t expect it to. The fact that I’d slept at all with the storm raging inside me was a miracle in it
EvelynThe party felt nothing like a party. At least, not to me. I used to love parties, always in the thick of it, laughing and dancing—but tonight, I was just a shadow. A fucking sad shadow. Sitting in a corner, scrolling through my phone, pretending to be present. Pretending to listen to conversations when my mind was elsewhere. And it was no secret where it had wandered.Forget about me. I was stressed, sad, emotionally wrecked—so many things I couldn’t even find the right word for it. Everyone around me could sense it, too. Not a single person was unaware. Even Cameron, on his own birthday, didn’t seem to be having much fun. Sure, he was laughing, dancing, making jokes like he always did, but something about him seemed off. Distant. Uncharacteristic.He'd asked me a few times before the party if something was wrong, and I shrugged it off. But then he spoke to Mason for a second, and I had a hunch. That piece of garbage must have spilled the beans—told him about Jacob leaving ton
EvelynFor a few seconds, even though I understood Cameron’s words perfectly, my body and mind refused to accept them. My soul though? I wouldn’t say anything from her side because it had been long since I’d been nice to her. I was stunned—stunned by his sudden shift in demeanor, his unexpected decision, and the pained look in his eyes that seemed to cut right through me.“Cameron… what are you—”“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Evelyn,” he said, his voice steady as he took a step closer, his gaze locking with mine. “You know what you truly want. Every part of you knows. But you’re stopping yourself. I’ve watched you wrestle with this for days, and I’ve chosen to turn a blind eye, but I can’t do that anymore. You need to give yourself what you want. You can’t let fear imprison you like this. Life isn’t meant to be lived in chains. This is not how it fucking works! If you love him then go and fucking give it a chance!”“Cameron, it’s not what I want. You’re misunderstanding e
EvelynMy heart skipped a beat the moment our lips met, and suddenly, the…world stopped. It stopped totally, completely and utterly.His lips, his scent, his warmth—I was here, in this moment, with him again. This time, there was no need to restrain myself. No need to hold back, no lingering ache in my chest as I walked away, haunted by the weight of unsaid words and unfulfilled desires. I wouldn’t have to endure the days, weeks, or months spent craving his touch, consumed by the thought of him, wondering what it would be like to feel his arms around me once more.There was no stopping now.No pullback. No restraint. No obstacles. No judgment. No fear. No pain.It was just love. Love, all over again.Jacob’s body froze the second our lips touched, as if time itself had stilled for him. But as I kissed him, I could feel him slowly awakening to the moment, his hands sliding around me, pulling me flush against his chest. The heat of his body enveloped mine, and I let out a breath I hadn’
JacobAs the elevator doors slid shut, a jolt of panic shot through me.Fuck.I wasn't thinking—I never was when it came to Evelyn.Before I could process it, my legs were moving, rushing toward the stairwell. The cold air burned my lungs as I sprinted down the steps, two at a time, the echoes of my own footsteps pounding in my ears.God! What the hell was I thinking? Why didn’t I stop her?Fuck. I knew the answer—I was too busy self loathing in my own mind.By the time I reached the ground floor, my breathing was ragged, sharp exhales cutting through the silence. I bolted toward the parking lot, scanning frantically.Nothing.She was gone.God, how the fuck did she disappear so fast?It was nearly night. The streets were emptying, the sky turning a shade too dark, too ominous. And Evelyn? She wasn't even wearing anything warm enough.This wasn't safe. Not for her.Not for the—fuck—not for the baby.I raked a hand through my hair, frustration clawing at my skin. "Why am I even thinkin
Evelyn"W-what?" My voice trembled, barely a whisper. Somewhere deep inside me—somewhere I refused to acknowledge—there was hope. A desperate, foolish hope that he’d say something different. That he wouldn’t break me with a brutal truth like this."Yes, Evelyn." His voice was steady, his eyes cold, though maybe—just maybe—there was a flicker of guilt in them. But at that moment, guilt didn’t matter. His words did. His actions did. The emotions he chose to display, and the ones he kept buried, were the only things that mattered."I am not fucking ready to be a father." His tone was unyielding, each word a blade slicing through me. "I don’t want to be a father. I don’t have it in me, and I’d rather die than carry a burden like that. Raising a kid, all of it—it’s pointless. Stupid. Meaningless shit. And I thought you felt the same, but I was wrong. And that fucking scares me. I hoped I could convince you, but you’re proving me wrong at every turn. Evelyn, no matter how much you think you
Samuel"You're too young for a baby, Evelyn!""Jacob's right—you should abort it!""No, you can't have a kid when you're still a kid yourself!""I'm going to kill that bastard!""Evelyn, think it through!"A hundred pleas, a hundred desperate arguments—none of them mattered. She was hell-bent on having this baby. And truth be told, I couldn't force her. Danica and I had her when we were young too. Questioning her now would mean admitting we thought she was less capable than we had been.And I refused to do that. My daughter could handle this. I knew she could.As shocking as the news was, my bigger concern was Jacob. That piece of shit's reaction. I knew what this meant for him—how the word father terrified him, how much he hated himself for the blood that ran through his veins.He didn't think he was capable of being a father because he was convinced he'd fail. I'd seen it in him for years—his greatest fear."Do you think Jacob's going to agree to this?" Clara asked, worry lacing her
EvelynThe soft sound of someone shifting and moving around the room pulled me from the depths of sleep. My eyes blinked open, heavy with lingering grogginess, and I saw Jacob getting ready—probably for the office, judging by his sharp suit.Dragging myself up despite the weight of sleep threatening to drag me back into the sea of the mattress, I yawned. Maybe it was just another side effect of pregnancy—this constant, consuming need to rest.“What are you doing?” I mumbled, voice thick with sleep.Jacob froze mid-motion, his hand hesitating as he fastened his watch. He turned toward me, his gaze softening as he abandoned the task and approached the bed. “Sorry, baby, did I wake you up?” he murmured, leaning down to caress my cheek.“Not really.” I let out another yawn. “But why are you leaving so early? You usually head out much later than this.”A small chuckle escaped him as he caught my hands, preventing me from rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Don’t do that,” he teased. “If you w
EvelynIt was noon when I couldn’t stand the silence any longer. It was suffocating, eating away at me, and I had no idea how to face it. So, I did the only thing I could—opened the damn door and walked out.Jacob was sitting on the couch, his head lowered, eyes fixed on his hands, clenching them together like they could somehow hold him together. The sound of my footsteps must have pulled him from his haze because his gaze shifted to me, and I saw the tension in his shoulders ease. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.He didn’t say a word, just stood as I walked toward him, stopping just a breath away. My chest tightened. Tears were threatening to spill, and worse—he could see it. That made it worse, because now I couldn’t hide it. The lump in my throat grew with each passing second.Before I could say anything, he raised his hands, cupping my face gently. His touch shattered whatever restraint I had left, and my chin trembled, fighting to hold back the flood of tears.He seemed to feel it
EvelynSunlight filtered through the small gap between the curtains, landing softly on my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, determined not to wake up, but it only lasted a moment before I gave in. Panic shot through every one of my veins as I opened my eyes and saw the empty space beside me.Sitting up hurriedly, I scanned the room.Did he not come home last night?I slipped on my slippers, ready to search for him, when a realization stopped me in my tracks. I'd fallen asleep on the sofa, waiting for him. Yet here I was, waking up in bed. The memory hit me then—his strong arms carrying me to bed, his warmth enveloping me as he held me close.I stepped out of the bedroom, my ears catching the soft clatter of utensils. Following the sounds to the kitchen, I found him there, cooking breakfast.A sigh of relief escaped me at the sight. He stood at the stove, relaxed and focused, as if the weight of our troubles didn't exist. As if we didn't have a situation to handle. As if we both weren't w
JacobI sat in my office, drenched in sweat, my breath shallow and quick. Dread crawled under my skin, seeping into my bones, invading every inch of me until I was cold. The air around me felt thick, suffocating, and each breath I managed to draw seemed to take all my strength. It was suddenly a chore to keep breathing and stay alive.I paced back and forth, running a hand through my hair, the dim light above the ceiling the only thing cutting through the darkness. I couldn’t bear to be in complete darkness right now. I needed to see something, anything, just to remind myself I was still here."Calm down," I muttered, trying to steady my shaking hands, clenching them into fists at my sides. "Fucking calm down."It had been years—years since I’d felt like this.The last time was when I was fifteen.I thought I'd outgrown it, that I had put all of it behind me. The fear. The pain. The panic. Why now? Why was it coming back?"He's dead," I breathed out, burying my face in my hands. The w
EvelynI stepped out of the doctor's office, my heart heavy and light all at once. It thudded violently against my ribs, my breath coming in shallow bursts. My skin felt cold, and tears prickled at the corners of my eyes. The feelings surged, intensifying with every second, creeping into every cell of my body.I felt lost. Hopeless. Overwhelmed.Was I ready to be a mother?I didn't know.Was it too soon? Maybe.But not once, in the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in my mind, did the idea of harming the tiny soul growing inside me cross my mind. My decision had already been made before I even realized there was one to make. I knew what I was going to do.I just didn't know how.Two and a half months. Probably from our time in America. And yet, until two days ago, the thought hadn't even occurred to me.Lost in thought, I pushed open the door to our apartment. The evening light filtered through the large windows, casting a warm glow. I froze when I spotted Jacob. He stood facing the mirr
EvelynIt took time to calm my racing thoughts, but even now, I had no answers. Still nothing but a plain sheet of blank covering my whole mind. Every corner.I needed to hear it from Jacob—his opinion, his view. This wasn’t just my decision or a race alone. It was ours.We had to face this situation together…For….Our baby.“I’ve looked into a few venues,” Jacob murmured, brushing his thumb over my ring. The moonlight caught it, making it gleam. “I liked some, but a few need a closer look. You should come with me,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of my head, “Well, you are coming with me.”His warmth lulled me for a moment, my eyes fluttering shut.“So, no more secrets like everything else?” I teased, a soft chuckle escaping as I leaned back against him. His chest met my back, his warmth hugging me and his nose grazed my neck as he inhaled deeply. “If I could keep it a secret, I would,” he deadpanned, making me laugh again. “But I want the venue to be your choice. Besides