"What?" Gabriel asked, his voice low and dangerous. "What did you just say?"
"I don't like repeating myself. Maybe you should get your ear checked to hear me properly."
I kept my face indifferent as I stared at him.
The room went silent, the weight of my words sinking in.
Jessica's eyes widened in shock, and she took a step forward, her hand reaching out as if to stop this train wreck. "Kiara, calm down. You don't mean that. What's gotten into you?"
I turned my glare on her, cold and unwavering. "Get out, Jessica. Get out now."
Her face twisted in confusion and hurt. "What is wrong with you? After everything we've been through as kids, elementary school, high school, you're speaking to me like this?"
Gabriel stepped in front of her, shielding her as if I was the one on the attack.
His eyes blazed with anger. "Just because Jason Cole showed you some attention, you think you're untouchable now? Let me tell you something, Kiara. He'll forget you soon enough. People like him always do. He will fuck you and forget you."
I didn't reply. It's funny how he thinks that was relevant. I was tired and pissed.
I really don't need him and it would be so much easier if him and Jessica ended up together.
Two scums.
Jessica hesitated, glancing between Gabriel and me before Gabriel shot her a look. "Leave us."
With one last, conflicted glance, Jessica turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the faint beeping of the heart monitor.
Gabriel's face darkened, and before I could react, he lunged toward me.
Panic flooded my veins as he grabbed my wrists, pinning them down on the bed. He placed his legs around my hips, pushing himself on me.
"How dare you?" he seethed, his breath hot against my neck. "You think you can just throw me away? Who do you think you are?"
"Let me go!" I screamed, twisting against his grip, but the pain in my ankle flared, leaving me powerless.
I couldn't move, couldn't fight him off. Desperation made my thoughts wild. I blurted out, "There's going to be COVID in 2020, Gabriel. A pandemic that shuts down the world."
He froze for a moment, confusion flickering in his eyes before it turned into mocking laughter. "What the hell are you talking about? Speaking gibberish now, are we? You've really lost it, Kiara."
Oh no. Time didn't stop?!
He tightened his hold on my wrists, pressing his weight down so I could barely breathe.
I struggled, my heart hammering as I felt the sickening deja vu of the past life where he'd done this over and over.
Forced himself on me. Hurt me. Slapped me. Hit me.
No. No.
"Let me go!!" I whispered, the words lost under the pressure of his grip.
I had not expected he would act like this so soon.
No.
He ignored me, his face inches from mine, eyes wild with rage. "You think you're better than me now? You think you can just leave?"
Gathering what little strength I had left, I slammed my head forward, connecting with his nose. He recoiled, a snarl ripping from his throat, and then he slapped me across the face so hard my vision blurred.
The sting brought tears to my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. "Let me go!" I screamed again, my voice breaking.
Gabriel's expression shifted, the anger replaced by a sudden, desperate guilt. "Wait, wait, I'm sorry. Kiara, I didn't mean it. Please, don't do this. Don't break up with me." His voice cracked, his hands still on my arms, trembling.
But it loosened enough for me to set one hand free.
I reached out blindly and hit the call button for the nurse, my breathing jagged. "Get out," I said through clenched teeth. "Get out, Gabriel."
He stared at me, eyes narrowing to slits. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "You'll regret this."
Then he backed away, turning on his heel and slamming the door as he left. The sound echoed in the sterile room, leaving me alone, my chest heaving as the trauma came crashing down. Memories of every slap, every cruel word from my past life assaulted me, making my body shake uncontrollably.
The door swung open again, and the nurse rushed in, eyes wide and worried. "Miss Williams, what happened? Are you alright?"
I didn't answer. The tears came then, hot and relentless, as I lay there, unable to stop the sobs that wracked my body.
The nurse's expression shifted from confusion to deep concern as she approached the bed, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Miss Williams, are you hurt? Should I call someone?"
I shook my head weakly, the words caught in my throat. The sting from Gabriel's slap throbbed, my cheek burning hot. I tried to steady my breathing, but every intake felt jagged, rough. The trauma from my past life and the present collided, blurring the lines between then and now.
"Miss Williams," the nurse said softly, her voice breaking through the haze. "If someone has hurt you, we need to report it."
I met her eyes, struggling to suppress the tremble in my voice. "No… no need for that." My chest tightened with a mix of fear and shame. Gabriel's threat echoed in my mind.
You'll regret this.
The nurse's brow furrowed. She glanced at my wrist, where faint red marks were visible from Gabriel's grip. "Those don't look like nothing," she said, her tone shifting to something firmer.
I swallowed hard, pulling the blanket up higher to cover the evidence. "Please, just… can I have some water? Also, don't allow anyone else in. If it's possible." It was a distraction, a way to keep her from pushing further.
The nurse hesitated, her eyes full of questions, but she nodded. "Of course. I'll be right back." She left the room, the door clicking shut behind her, leaving me in the heavy silence once more.
I exhaled shakily, pressing my head back against the pillow. My thoughts swirled, chaotic and relentless. The rush of what just happened mixed with memories I'd tried so hard to forget—Gabriel's outbursts, the violence, the way he had trapped me before.
My heart raced as I clenched my fists at my sides. Not this time, I told myself, trying to gather the shattered pieces of my resolve. I wouldn't let him take control of my life again. Not after everything I'd fought for, not after coming back from the dead with a second chance. The fear that held me down in my past life wouldn't claim me now.
But a nagging doubt whispered in the back of my mind, reminding me that Gabriel wasn't the only enemy in this twisted web. Jessica's words lingered like a poison, her insinuations still stinging. And Jason's presence—his unexpected care, his silent support—brought confusion, warmth, and something else I couldn't quite name.
The door opened again, and this time, the nurse returned with a glass of water. She handed it to me with a gentle nod, watching as I took a sip, my hands still trembling. "If you need anything," she said softly, "press the call button. And don't hesitate to speak up. We're here to help."
I nodded, not trusting my voice. She lingered a moment longer, then left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the echoes of Gabriel's threats.
I set the glass down, my fingers lingering over the rim. The room felt colder now, the sterile air pressing in around me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill again.
****
Vincent and Jason walked down the hallway of the hospital. It was quiet and lonely, like those horror movies where every creak of the floor echoed with an eerie forewarning. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the stark white walls, and the only sounds were their footsteps and the occasional distant murmur of a nurse or patient.
Jason's jaw was set, his face unreadable, though Vincent could tell he was brooding. After what they'd just witnessed in Kiara's room, Jason's silence spoke volumes.
"Sir," Vincent began, trying to fill the oppressive quiet, "about what happened back there—"
Jason cut him off with a sharp glance, eyes filled with something between frustration and resignation. "Not now, Vincent."
Vincent sighed, looking down at the clipboard he was absently holding, as if it would give him the right words. "It's just, I didn't know she had a—"
"I didn't either," Jason snapped, the bitterness in his voice undeniable. He let out a long breath, rubbing his uninjured hand over his face. "A boyfriend," he muttered again, as if trying to convince himself it was true. The word felt wrong, like a misplaced piece in a puzzle.
Vincent forced a weak laugh, attempting to lighten the mood. "Well, I'm sure he's not half the man you are, sir. Probably some basic guy who doesn't know Monet's Pâtisserie from the corner bakery."
Jason's lips twitched, a brief hint of a smile before his expression darkened again. "You're really terrible at this, Vincent."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Vincent admitted, scratching the back of his neck.
Just then, Vincent's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and winced. "Joselle," he muttered.
Jason's eyes flicked toward the phone, his expression cooling. "Answer it. Put it on speaker."
Vincent hesitated but complied, swiping to accept the call and holding it between them. "Hello?" he said, his voice cautious.
"Vincent, is Jason there?" Joselle's voice was light, almost playful, but it carried an edge that made Jason's jaw clench.
Vincent opened his mouth to lie, but Jason gave him a slight nod. "No," Vincent said, his tone flat, not convincing in the least.
Joselle's laugh came through, sharp and knowing. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, it sure looks like he is."
Vincent's eyes went wide, and he turned just as Jason did. Standing at the end of the hallway, her figure illuminated by the dim lights, was Joselle.
She watched them, a sly smile playing on her lips.