Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

The Cole I knew would never cast me aside like I was nothing. He wouldn't have let me go so easily. He wouldn't have—

I exhaled sharply, pressing my fingers against my temples. Stop it.

It didn't matter anymore.

Because whether I believed it or not, the fact remained—he was gone. And I was still here, clinging to memories that I didn't know what to do.

I had barely survived losing him the first time.

The second nearly destroyed me.

A third?

I wasn't sure I'd make it through.

I refused to let myself be that foolish again. I refused to let the same man break me thrice.

One time was supposed to be enough. The second time, it was my fault. But there would never be a third time.

It was time to let go.

It was time to move on.

=== 🤍 ===

[IRAYA]

Two months.

Just two months left.

Two months until school ended, until graduation, until I was finally out of this country and far, far away from all of this.

I muttered the words like a prayer as I hurried down the hallway, weaving through the late afternoon crowd. My steps were quick. I wasn't taking any chances—not with Lyander lurking somewhere nearby. The last thing I needed was to get caught up in one of his shenanigans again.

No, I had a mission today, and that was to get home without drama.

Pulling my hoodie over my head, I slouched forward and kept my face low, blending in with the chaos of students rushing home. Inconspicuous. Unremarkable. Practically invisible.

Or so I thought.

Just as I was about to turn the corner into the parking garage, I heard Jason's unmistakable, high-pitched screech echo through the hall.

"What do you mean your period is late?!"

I froze mid-step.

There was a sharp hush, followed by Kylie's panicked whisper.

"Will you lower your voice?! Someone might hear you!"

Too late for that.

I knew I should've just kept walking. This wasn't my business. It had absolutely nothing to do with me. But, against my better judgment, I found myself pressing up against a nearby locker, tilting my head just enough to eavesdrop.

Jason let out a strangled noise, smacking his forehead. "I can't believe this is happening. We were careful!"

Kylie scoffed. "Oh, really? Because if I remember correctly, on your birthday, when we got completely wasted and ended up at that hostel, we didn't use any protection."

Jason's face paled. "That was one time!"

Kylie's glare could've burned through steel. "One time? Jason, we did it like five times that night."

His jaw dropped. "What?! No way—"

"Yes way."

Jason's soul visibly left his body for a moment. "Oh my God."

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Jason, the ever-so-smooth ladies' man, caught in his own web of irresponsibility. Classic.

Kylie crossed her arms, pouting. "What's the big deal? So what if I'm pregnant? We're graduating soon anyway. We'll just get married. Problem solved."

Jason went utterly still.

I could practically hear his brain short-circuiting.

Then, just as I thought he was about to bolt for the nearest emergency exit, his expression did a complete 180. He blinked at her. Smiled. And then—

"Well, if you put it that way . . . then I guess it's great that you got pregnant!"

And just like that, he hugged her, all previous panic wiped from existence.

I nearly choked on my own spit.

Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.

Jason went from we-are-screwed to fatherhood-is-awesome in under five seconds. Was this emotional whiplash? Gaslighting? Sheer stupidity? A mix of all three? I had no idea. But whatever it was, it worked in my favor.

I smirked to myself. Step one: Complete.

Now, all I had to do was ensure nothing ever came between them. This was the final push, the last button to press, the pièce de résistance. Once I solidified their bond, they'd be stuck together forever.

And that thought put me in a great mood.

Until—

A white van screeched to a stop right in front of me.

Before I could react, the doors burst open, and out jumped three men in black suits and masks.

Oh. Oh no.

I barely had time to register what was happening before they grabbed me, hauling me into the van in a flash.

For a second, my mind refused to process it.

Then it hit me.

This was a kidnapping.

A real kidnapping.

Like the ones I used to hear about when I was younger—those terrifying urban legends of white vans snatching kids off the street. I had spent years avoiding shady vehicles. Years being cautious. And now? Now, of all times, I got got?!

In broad daylight?!

On private school property?!

Security! What were they doing?! Where was campus surveillance?! Where were the guards I actively complained about for being too nosy?!

I thrashed wildly, kicking and clawing at my captors. One of them grunted when my knee made solid contact with something sensitive, but another quickly pressed a cloth over my nose.

Oh, hell no.

Not the chloroform trick!

I held my breath, but my body betrayed me—lungs burning, chest tightening, instincts overriding logic. I gasped.

The sickly-sweet scent filled my nose.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

I woke up to the sound of waves crashing in the distance.

The air smelled of salt and rust, and the ground beneath my feet felt uneven, like cracked concrete. Blinking the haze from my eyes, I took in my surroundings.

An abandoned building. Probably a shipyard, judging by the echo of water sloshing against metal. Rusted beams stretched above me, some of them sagging as if they had long since given up on life.

And me?

I was tied to a chair.

Great. Just great.

At least I wasn't blindfolded. Small victories.

Unfortunately, that meant I had the full pleasure of seeing the dozen men standing around me in black suits and masks, looking like they had walked straight out of a low-budget action movie.