CHAPTER 6
1086 Words
ZOE ROSSI
The sun begins to hide on the horizon, painting the sky in golden and orange hues as Pietro's car cuts through the road toward the cabin.
The journey seems endless. I look out the window, watching the trees pass slowly, 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 weighs heavily in the air, and I don't know what to think or what to say.
I'm still processing everything. What does that mean? What did I do? But at the same time, my thoughts turn to Josh.
The sound of Josh's phone pulls me from my thoughts.
Josh was sleeping in the cabin, and I took his phone because mine was dead, and I'm sure he won't mind.
When I look at the screen, a new message appears.
I click on it hesitantly, but something inside me urges me to read.
It's a message from a woman named Chloe.
"Hey, when are we going to see each other again? I can't wait to repeat what we did. Are you sure your human girlfriend doesn't know anything? Is everything okay with her?"
The world seems to stop. I'm frozen, the phone trembling in my hands. Human girlfriend? What does that mean?
This woman is talking about me.
What's happening? I force myself to keep reading, but the weight of the 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's weighing tons.
Josh is cheating on me.
How could he do this to me? I trusted him. The man I thought I was going to build a future with.
I don't know what to do.
Tears start to fall down my face as I scroll down, trying to understand what's happening.
"I loved the last time; you were amazing. Can't wait to see you again."
I can't take it anymore.
My body is shaking, my heart pounding uncontrollably.
I need to talk to Josh and confront him, but at the same time, something inside me tells me I won't be able to handle the truth.
The pain is overwhelming, as if the ground has opened up beneath me.
I take a deep breath and, without thinking, tap to call the woman.
She answers a few seconds later.
"Josh! I was waiting for your call; everything's ready; I'll see you tonight. Don't let your human girlfriend know anything."
"Human girlfriend?"
These words escape my mouth 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.
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 he obeys, hitting the brakes.
The car slowly stops on the shoulder, and before he can ask anything, I'm already out of the car, running away, feeling my chest tight and my heart shattered.
"Zoe! What's going on?", Pietro shouts, but I don't want to hear.
I can't take it anymore. Tears are flowing endlessly, and my feet seem to disobey me.
I walk aimlessly, the phone still clenched in my hand.
Josh, with Chloe. They're together. He cheated on me.
I barely feel what I'm doing, but I walk toward the edge, the images of Josh and Chloe still burning in my eyes.
When the phone vibrates again, almost without thinking, I look at the screen.
It's a video.
I watch, my hands shaking.
In the video, Chloe is wearing a lingerie set, teasing Josh.
The pain is like a knife stabbing into my chest, and I can't bear it.
The phone drops 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.
"Sh*t!", he exclaims, his eyes filled with anger and frustration.
"He... he cheated on me, Pietro...", I can barely speak.
The pain is too much, and the words come out confused and disconnected.
"Yeah... looks like it...", Pietro says, his voice softer now, but filled with something I can't identify.
He approaches me, and the expression on his face is a mixture of sadness and anger.
"Zoe... you need to talk to him. You can't let this go like this."
But I can't.
I can't even think about how I would 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 of 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 dark.
"Zoe, look at me.", he forces me to look at him, his eyes shining brightly in the dark.
"You can't run away. Not now."
"Let me go!", I try to push him, but he doesn't let go.
He holds me firmly, stronger than anything I've ever felt.
"Pietro, let me go!"
"You're not going anywhere now. It's not safe for you."
Fear takes hold of me, but I'm so tired, so broken, that I can't resist anymore.
I try to run, but he grabs me tighter.
"Zoe... don't do this."
I scream, panic overtaking me, when I realize he's pulling me back, away from the edge of the cliff.
I fall into him, my body still trembling, tears falling nonstop.
Pietro's eyes are different.
I've never seen them like this before.
"What are you?", I whisper, my voice broken, full of fear and confusion.
I remember him doing something to me; I can't remember what happened on the first night in 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 very wrong is happening.
- Writer
