Chapter 2

Grandpa stood his ground this time. Even after Christian knelt outside in the freezing cold for two hours, he wasn't allowed inside.

Grandpa forbade me from seeing him, too.

It was bitterly cold. Looking out from the window, I watched Christian shivering violently in the dark.

My heart broke for him. I sneaked out into the chilly night, clutching a warm fleece blanket in my arms.

"Chris, take this."

It was a pastel-pink blanket embroidered with tiny flowers, smelling faintly of lavender.

It was my favorite blanket in the world.

Christian looked up, startled. But the moment he saw it was me, his face hardened into ice.

A mocking sneer touched his lips.

"Isn't this exactly what you wanted? Coming out here to play the saint now?"

I looked down, feeling stung.

"I didn't... It's freezing out here. I'm scared you'll catch a cold..."

Before I could finish, he snapped angrily, "Get lost! I don't need your damn pity!"

He yelled so loudly my eyes welled with tears.

Still, I gently set the blanket down beside him before turning around, heartbroken, to walk back inside.

Christian hated me.

It took me far too long to truly understand that.

"Elena."

A deep, cool voice sounded in the shadows.

I looked up and instinctively pulled back my shoulders.

It was Julian Vance.

Christian’s older brother.

His dark eyes swept over me, pausing for a beat on my bandaged, swollen hand.

"You're hurt?"

I kept my head down and nodded awkwardly.

In my memories, Julian had always been cold, distant, and unapproachable. I had always been terrified of him.

"Did Christian do that?"

I didn't dare answer.

Seeing me cower, Julian frowned. He stood in silence for a second, then turned and walked away.

Just as I let out a breath of relief, he returned holding a first-aid kit.

"Give me your hand."

His expression was stern, but the way he lifted my wrist was incredibly gentle.

I stood completely stiff as he cleaned and dressed the cuts.

When he finally packed away the supplies, I thought I heard a soft, barely audible sigh.

And then:

"Take care of yourself, Elena."

...

The following afternoon, someone knocked on my bedroom door.

"Elena, come on out. I want to show you somewhere cool."

I opened the door and blinked at him in confusion.

Wasn't Christian still furious with me?

"Chris... are you still mad?" I asked softly.

For the first time ever, he didn't snap at me.

Instead, he smiled with unprecedented warmth. "No. Why would I ever be mad at you?"

It was the first time since we grew up that he had spoken to me with such gentle patience.

My eyes sparkled.

Did this mean we were finally getting along?

I nodded enthusiastically and happily followed him outside.

The Vance estate sat on the outskirts of town, surrounded by private, dense woods.

Christian led me deeper and deeper along an overgrown path into the trees.

"Chris, we're getting pretty far from the house."

Frightened by the silence of the woods, I grabbed onto his sleeve.

Christian paused for a second, then patted my head dismissively.

"I'm right here with you. There's nothing to be scared of."

Those words instantly calmed my racing heart.

A long time ago, Christian had said the exact same thing to me.

And he had saved me back then.

Eventually, Christian stopped in front of an old, abandoned shed. It was pitch black inside.

"Let's go in, Elena."

His soothing voice coaxed me. I hesitated for a brief second.

In the end, I chose to trust him and stepped through the threshold.

The next second, the heavy door slammed shut behind me with a loud thud.

Darkness swallowed me whole.