CHAPTER 6
1070 Words
ZOE ROSSI
The sun begins to hide on the horizon, painting the sky with shades of gold and orange, as Pietro’s car speeds along the road toward the cabin.
The journey feels endless.
I stare out the window, watching the trees slowly pass by, my heart still racing from what happened earlier.
Pietro drives in silence, his eyes fixed on the road, not saying a word.
It’s as if he’s avoiding any conversation about what happened between us.
The silence hangs heavy in the air, and I don’t know what to think or what to say.
I’m still processing everything.
What does it mean? What did I do?
But at the same time, my thoughts return to Josh.
The sound of Josh’s phone pulls me from my thoughts.
Josh stayed asleep in the cabin, and I grabbed his phone because mine had no battery, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.
When I look at the screen, a new message appears.
I click on it hesitantly, but something inside me compels me to read.
It’s a message from a woman named Chloe.
"Hey, when are we meeting again? I can’t wait to repeat what we did. Are you sure your human girlfriend doesn’t know anything? Is she okay?"
The world seems to stop.
I’m paralyzed, the phone trembling in my hands.
Human girlfriend? What does that mean?
This woman is talking about me.
What is going on?
I force myself to keep reading, but the weight of pain and betrayal builds in my chest, making every word harder to process.
"I know she won’t suspect. She’s so predictable. Let me know when you’re free, okay?"
I feel a lump in my throat.
The phone feels like it weighs a ton.
Josh is cheating on me.
How could he do this to me? I trusted him.
The man I thought I’d build a future with.
I don’t know what to do.
Tears begin to stream down my face as I scroll further, trying to make sense of what’s happening.
"I loved last time; you were amazing. I can’t wait to see you again."
I can’t take it anymore.
My body is trembling, my heart pounding uncontrollably.
I need to talk to Josh to confront him, but at the same time, something inside me says I won’t be able to handle the truth.
The pain is overwhelming, as if the ground has opened beneath me.
I take a deep breath and, without thinking, press to call the woman.
She answers within seconds.
"Josh! I’ve been waiting for your call; everything is ready. I’ll see you tonight. Don’t let your human girlfriend find out anything."
Human girlfriend?
The words escape my lips almost in a whisper.
I’m in shock, my whole body trembling.
How could he do this?
He’s cheating on me with her, with that woman.
Unable to control myself, I end the call and look at Pietro, who’s driving beside me, still unaware of what’s happening.
The tears keep falling, and I can’t focus on anything else.
I look at him and say, my voice breaking:
"Pietro, stop the car!"
He looks at me, clearly confused.
He doesn’t know what’s going on but obeys, stepping on the brakes.
The car slows down to the shoulder, and before he can ask anything, I’m already getting out of the car, running away, feeling my chest tighten and my heart shatter.
"Zoe! What’s going on?", Pietro shouts, but I don’t want to hear.
I can’t bear anything anymore.
The tears keep streaming down, and my feet seem to move on their own.
I walk aimlessly, clutching the phone in my hand.
Josh, with Chloe. They’re together.
He betrayed me.
I barely feel what I’m doing, but I keep walking toward the cliff, the images of Josh and Chloe still burning in my mind.
When the phone vibrates again, almost accidentally, I look at the screen.
It’s a video.
I watch, my hands trembling.
The pain is like a knife driven into my chest, and I can’t bear it.
The phone slips from my hands, and Pietro appears, running after me.
He picks up the phone from the ground and sees what’s happening.
When he looks at me, I’m frozen, trembling.
"Zoe!", he exclaims, his eyes full of anger and frustration.
"He... he cheated on me, Pietro...", I can barely speak.
The pain is too much, and the words come out jumbled and incoherent.
"Yeah... it seems like he did...", Pietro says, his voice softer now, but filled with something I can’t identify.
He moves closer to me, his expression a mix of sadness and anger.
"Zoe... you need to talk to him. You can’t just leave it like this."
But I can’t.
I can’t even think about how I’d do that.
"I... I can’t anymore, Pietro. I can’t take it. I’m leaving."
The words come out with difficulty, as if I’ve lost something inside me.
"I’m leaving. Let me go, Pietro!"
He holds me tighter.
"No, Zoe. You can’t leave now. It’s dark; it’s dangerous..."
"Let me go! I can’t take it anymore. I can’t!", I scream, trying to break free.
Pietro looks into my eyes, his gaze intense and shadowed.
"Zoe, look at me.", he commands, forcing me to meet his eyes, which shine intensely in the darkness.
"You can’t run. Not now."
"Let me go!", I try to push him, but he doesn’t let me go.
He holds me tightly, stronger than anything I’ve ever felt.
"Pietro, let me go!"
"You’re not going anywhere now. It’s not safe for you."
Fear grips me, but I’m so exhausted, so broken, that I can’t resist anymore.
I try to run, but he grabs me even tighter.
"Zoe... don’t do this."
I scream, panic consuming me, as I realize he’s pulling me back, away from the edge of the cliff.
I collapse onto him, my body still trembling, the tears falling endlessly.
Pietro’s eyes are different.
I’ve never seen them like this before.
"What are you?", I whisper, my voice broken, filled with fear and confusion.
I remember him doing something to me, but I can’t recall what happened that first night at the cabin.
What did he do to me?
He looks at me, and for the first time, his pupils shine in an unusual way.
The pain in my chest is nothing compared to what I’m feeling now.
I know something is very wrong.
- Writer
