Chapter 117

Olivia

The night was dark, interrupted only by the glint of my car's headlights.

I could feel the rage bubbling inside me, overshadowing my usual caution on the road. The argument with Nathan replayed in my mind, a twisted movie that seemed to deepen my anger with every recall.

“Why can’t he just trust me?” I muttered, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles were beginning to turn white.

The image of Nathan’s eyes, once soft but now cold and distant, haunted me.

The hurt was visceral. Tears blurred my vision as I tried to navigate the winding roads leading to the witch’s hut.

I didn’t love Alvin. Not like that. And while I was still grappling with the true weight of my feelings for Nathan, I knew that I felt strongly for him, more strongly than I had ever felt for anybody. I just wished that I could convey that to Nathan, and that he would believe me.

Just then, as if summoned by my distracted state, a deer darted out in front of the car.

Heart pounding, I slammed my foot on the brakes, swerving to avoid it.

But the sudden movement caused the car to skid and sent me hurtling towards the ditch. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact. The car jolted as it hit the ditch, the momentum throwing me forward. I barely had time to register what happened.

Groaning, I undid my seatbelt, pushing the car door open. My hands were shaking as I climbed out. Looking around, I found myself knee-deep in mud and cursed.

“Of course,” I mumbled, gazing at my now stranded but otherwise intact vehicle. “Just what I needed.”

No sooner had I voiced my frustration than the roar of an approaching engine caught my attention. I turned, squinting through the darkness as the glow of headlights grew brighter.

The car slowed and came to a stop in front of me. The headlights blinded me, and I raised my arm to shield my eyes. For several long moments, the truck just sat there in the middle of the road, in some sort of silent standoff with me, before the door slowly swung open.

My breath hitched and my heart caught in my throat when I saw who stepped out.

“What are you doing out here, Olivia?” he asked, his voice dripping with suspicion.

Colin.

I quickly hid the box, which was still clutched in my hand, behind my back. I was acutely aware of the dirt under my nails. The lies rolled off my tongue effortlessly.

“Just a late-night drive to clear my head. Needed some alone time.” I left it vague, hoping he wouldn’t pry.

Colin's gaze narrowed as it landed on the box. “And what's that you're hiding there?”

“An old keepsake that belonged to my aunt,” I lied, slowly pulling it out from behind my back. “Family stuff, you know?”

His stare was piercing, as if he could see right through me. But after what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.

“The monster was out and about earlier,” he said, nodding his head toward the treeline. “Get in my car. I’ll take you home. It’s not safe out here.”

I hesitated for a moment, contemplating the risks. But there was little choice in my situation. And if I refused Colin’s ride here in the middle of the night, on a night when the so-called ‘monster’—also known as ‘Angela’—was supposedly out, there would certainly be alarm bells ringing in Colin’s mind.

“Um… Sure,” I replied, albeit reluctantly. “Thanks.”

Colin said nothing. He just shot me a cold glance before jerking his head toward the car to indicate for me to follow.

The inside of Colin’s car was cold, and the air was thick with tension.

We rode in silence for a few minutes before I couldn’t stand it anymore.

“So, Colin,” I began, my voice surprisingly steady, “What brings you out so late at night?”

Colin’s eyes didn’t waver from the road. “Nothing of your concern,” he said quietly and tersely.

But I knew why he was out; he was looking for the ‘monster’. Angela’s tricks had worked, but I didn’t expect him to still be driving around out here. However, that wasn’t the only thing on my mind; I was nothing if not a curious girl, and I couldn’t contain myself.

My dad always said that my curious nature would be my downfall someday.

“So… Jenifer,” I said, looking out the window at the dark shadows of the trees as they raced past. “You took her in when she was younger?”

A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed Coline’s eyes staring back at me, stern and unforgiving. “Why do you ask?”

I shrugged. “Just curious. She’s a nice girl. I’d like to make it up to her somehow, since she gave me her dress and made me some soup that really helped with my morning sickness.”

However, despite the sweetness of the words that came out of my mouth, they tasted bitter on my tongue.

I hadn’t forgotten the food poisoning I had gotten in the hospital right after eating her soup. And I couldn’t deny the strangeness about her, nor could I brush off the oddity of the fact that she was on a weekend retreat with Colin—alone.

“She needed a home,” he replied, keeping his response vague.

I frowned, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind his words, but he gave away nothing.

The unease settled deep in my stomach. Something about his demeanor, his avoidance, it all felt wrong.

The journey back to my house felt longer than it should have. Each minute dragged, suffocated by the thick silence. When Colin’s car finally pulled up in front of my house, I saw Nathan’s figure emerging from the front door.

“Here you are,” Colin said, his icy eyes meeting mine once more in the rearview mirror as he pulled up in front of the driveway. “Home sweet home.”

There was something sinister about his tone of voice then. I chose to ignore it, at least for now, and shot him a stiff smile.

“Thank you, Colin,” I murmured.

No response.

I swiftly exited the car, clutching the box tightly to my chest. Colin said nothing as he drove away, leaving just the low hum of his engine in the distance. He didn’t even talk to Nathan, who was jogging to meet him at the end of the driveway. As we watched Colin’s truck speed away, neither of us said anything.

Nathan and I locked eyes for a moment, a thousand unspoken words passing between us.

I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t. It seemed, too, that Nathan couldn’t bring himself to say a word either.

The heavy weight of the night's events hung over me, and I couldn't bear to talk about it, not then and there.

Brushing past Nathan without a word, I stormed inside, locking my bedroom door behind me, hoping to shut out the world and its complications.

For the remainder of my restless night, I kept the box containing Alvin’s hand in my line of sight as though it would suddenly sprout legs and run off. Something in me wanted to open it, to smash the little lock keeping it shut, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t do that. Not until it was absolutely necessary.

Eventually, I heard Nathan slowly climb the stairs to his room after a long time. I strained my ears to listen, and for a moment, I swore that I could hear his bare feet quietly padding up to my door.

I imagined him there, his hand poised to knock, and I almost called out to tell him to enter. To tell him to get in bed with me, and I’d prove to him how I didn’t have feelings like that for Alvin.

But I didn’t.

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To be continued