Continued...
My mother had told me it was my first birthday gift. It had been too big for me back then, always tucked beneath my clothes, hidden and protected. But now, after all these years, it was back.
"How…?" I swallowed hard. "Where did you find this? I thought it was gone. I barely even remembered it until now." My voice cracked slightly as I traced the pendant with my fingers.
Jake exhaled deeply before carefully turning me around. "It was found in the rubble of the house," he murmured as he clasped it around my neck. "I kept it safe, hoping one day I'd be able to give it back to you."
His fingers lingered for a brief second before stepping back, allowing me to look down at the tiny pendant now resting at the base of my throat. It fit perfectly now.
I clenched my jaw, trying to suppress the wave of emotions crashing over me. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Jake, this means the world to me."
He smiled, though his eyes carried a weight I didn't dare acknowledge yet. "No need to thank me, Rosie. We both lost so much that night. This was just one of the few things I managed to save."
I looked up at him, reading the sincerity and pain in his features.
"Now, I need you to promise me something," he said, his voice suddenly serious.
I nodded, my hands still clutching the pendant as if it might disappear again.
"Keep it on. At all times. Don't take it off."
The intensity in his tone made my stomach churn. "I wasn't planning to," I said, puzzled. "But why do you sound like you need me to promise this?"
Jake hesitated, then sighed. "Your parents had it blessed by a priest when you were a baby. They believed it kept you safe."
He studied my face carefully, his voice quieter now. "They always felt better knowing you had it on. I think they'd still be relieved if you kept it close."
I swallowed, nodding. "Of course. I'm never taking it off again." I gripped the pendant tighter. "It's the only thing I have left of them now."
Jake nodded, wiping away a stray tear from my cheek before pulling me into a final hug. "Good," he murmured against my hair.
When we finally parted, I inhaled deeply, bracing myself before stepping out into the cold night air.
A gust of wind swept past me and though I knew I should have donned a jacket because it was cold out what I didn't anticipate was such bone chilling burr that left me startled a moment.
The next gust almost felt warm compared to the first one, as if that one came with a bad omen in and of itself.
Maybe it's the indication to what's to come next. Facing a freezing Aria.
I hoped—no, prayed—that whatever blessing was placed upon this necklace still held power.
Because I was going to need it when I got into the car with a very, very pissed-off Aria.
I barely had time to close the car door before Aria's voice exploded through the small space.
"FIFTEEN MINUTES! I HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES, WOMAN!" She threw her hands up in exasperation, dramatically shifting gears as she swerved around the corner.
I sighed, fastening my seatbelt, bracing for impact. "I'm sorry, okay? Jake decided now was the perfect time for a guardian duty check. I had to convince him we wouldn't drink just so he'd let me leave."
Aria scoffed, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel. "Why did you lie?" she asked casually, glancing at me from the corner of her eye.
"I didn't lie!" I shot back. "We are not gonna drink, Aria."
She let out an amused hum. "Speak for yourself, bitch."
I turned to give her a flat look, which she ignored as she smirked and turned the volume up on the stereo. And just like that, our frustration melted away into laughter, the kind that made our stomachs hurt.
Two maniacs speeding down the road, breaking out of reality for a night we wouldn't forget.