Chapter 4

Two AM, and I was tossing and turning in bed again.

After last night's dream—the one where Gabriel faded away with that gentle smile—a strange calm had settled over me. But as darkness fell again, I found myself restless. Was he truly gone? Or was this just the quiet before another storm?

The text I'd sent Jasper hours ago—"we need to talk"—remained unanswered. I wasn't surprised. My message probably didn't fit into his agenda with Aria. So I waited, not for his reply, but for the nightmare that might or might not come.

And then it did.

But this time was different.

The dream was clearer than ever before, Gabriel standing right in front of me, but his form was transparent like watercolor. His face was still perfect, those deep eyes still capable of making me breathless, but I could see the wall behind him through his body.

"Long time no see, Celeste." His voice was light as a feather. "Are you starting to forget me?"

I wanted to speak, but my throat felt blocked.

Gabriel smiled—that gentle smile I'd seen countless times. "If forgetting me makes you happier, I'm okay with that."

'No, I don't want to forget you.' I screamed internally, but the words stuck in my throat.

His figure began dissolving, starting with his fingers, then his arms. Most disturbing was how the wound on his neck—the one I'd carved with my own hands—was fading too, going from bright red to pink to barely visible.

"I'm sorry." I finally found my voice, tears streaming down my face. "I have to forget you to survive."

Gabriel nodded, no pain on his face, only understanding. "Then forget."

And he was gone.

I bolted upright, heart pounding like it might explode. The sheets were soaked with sweat, but I felt something I hadn't experienced in three years—relief. That weight pressing on my chest was finally lifting.

'The withdrawal is almost complete,' I thought, trembling. 'Just a few more days and I'll be free.'

Just as I was about to lie back down, my phone rang in the darkness.

"Celeste?" Jasper's voice, unusually anxious and helpless. "My car broke down on the interstate. Can you come pick me up?"

I checked the time—3 AM. "Send me the address. I'll be right there."

"Thanks." He sounded genuinely desperate. "I owe you one."

Forty minutes later, I was driving the Honda, searching the dark interstate for Jasper's Mercedes. I found it on the shoulder, hood up, white smoke billowing from the engine.

What shocked me was that Jasper wasn't alone—Aria was there too.

She was pale as paper, arms wrapped tightly around herself. When my headlights hit them, Jasper jogged over.

"She got sick suddenly," he explained, though the concern in his eyes betrayed him. "I was just taking her home. Don't read into it."

"It's fine." I forced myself to stay calm, though the irony was almost overwhelming. "Get in."

To avoid suspicion, Jasper took the passenger seat, leaving an obviously unwell Aria alone in the back. Through the rearview mirror, I watched her curl up in the corner, hands pressed to her stomach.

"Should we go to the hospital first?" I asked.

"No need." Aria shook her head weakly. "Just food poisoning. I'll be fine once I get back to the dorm."

I started the car and pulled onto the empty highway. The night was deep, our car the only one on the road, moonlight dim, only our headlights carving a path ahead.

"Thanks for coming to get us," Jasper said, turning to look at me. "I know this was sudden."

"No problem." I kept my eyes on the road. "Friends help each other out, right?"

Friends. What an ironic word.

That's when blinding headlights appeared ahead. A massive truck was weaving erratically across the center line, heading straight for us.

"Shit!" Jasper yelled.

Time seemed to freeze. I thought about Gabriel's goodbye in the dream, about the withdrawal therapy almost succeeding, about three years of pain and struggle. Panicking, I yanked the steering wheel hard to avoid collision.

The tires screamed against asphalt. The car started spinning out of control, violently swaying before rolling completely over.

The world was spinning. Shattering glass, twisting metal, and Aria's screams mixed together. I felt something heavy slam into my head, then warm liquid flowing down my face.

When everything stopped, I was trapped in the crushed driver's seat, vision blurry. I could hear Jasper's voice, but he wasn't calling my name.

"Aria! Aria! Wake up!"

His voice was heartbreaking, full of terror. I struggled to turn my head and saw he'd already crawled out, kneeling by the back seat, hands shaking as he reached for an unconscious Aria.

"Please wake up!" His voice cracked. "Don't be hurt, please!"

I opened my mouth to speak, but only blood foam came out. I wanted to tell him I needed help too, that I was bleeding, that I was in pain. But he didn't even glance my way.

In that moment, I understood.

No matter what happened, no matter what I did for him, in his heart, I would always be disposable. Even in this life-or-death situation, his first instinct, his complete attention, went to Aria.

I closed my eyes, feeling consciousness slowly fading. The last thing I heard was him calling her name.

---

The sharp smell of disinfectant pulled me back to reality.

I opened my eyes to find myself in a hospital bed, head wrapped in thick bandages. Sunlight streamed through the window, making my eyes sting.

Jasper sat beside the bed, eyes red and swollen, stubble covering his jaw. When he saw me wake up, his expression was too complex to read.

"You're awake." His voice was hoarse. "The doctor said you might have a mild concussion, but you're not in danger."

I weakly reached out, wanting to comfort him. After such a terrible accident, he must be shaken too.

But when Jasper saw my gesture, he recoiled like he'd been electrocuted.

"Celeste." He took a deep breath, hands trembling. "We need to break up."

For a moment, I thought the concussion was causing auditory hallucinations.

"What?"

"It was just for fun anyway." He looked at the bandages on my head, guilt in his eyes, but more fear. "How did you take it seriously?"

"Breaking up is fine," my voice shook, tears starting to fall. "But can we wait a little?"

I needed time. I needed to make sure the withdrawal therapy had actually worked, that Gabriel wouldn't return to my nightmares because of sudden emotional trauma. I was so close to freedom—I couldn't fail at the last moment.

But Jasper obviously misunderstood.

"You want to keep clinging?" He stood up, fists clenched. "Celeste, I've made myself clear. We have no future. Never did. You saved my life and I'm grateful, but that doesn't mean I'm responsible for you forever."

"I'm not asking you to be responsible!" I cried out. "I just—"

But I couldn't explain the real reason. I couldn't tell him about Gabriel's existence, couldn't tell him I'd been using him for withdrawal therapy all along.

"I'm sorry." With that, Jasper turned and walked away.

I watched his figure disappear through the door, feeling my entire world collapse.

Not because I'd lost him—I'd known from the beginning there was no real love between us. What devastated me was the timing. Just when I was about to finally escape Gabriel, just when I could see the light of freedom, everything was ruined.

I touched the bandages on my head with shaking hands, imagining Gabriel's mocking smile.

'He's coming back,' I thought desperately. 'I'm going back to that hell.'