- Ch. 1 | Ophelia

    (unedited)

    *Age 22*

    "I don't think he's going to go for it..." Willow, of course, picked up before I even pressed my phone to my ear, "not only is he the jealous type, but he literally cannot function without you. Hundred bucks says he won't go for it."

    "I don't have betting money like that and you know it. "

    "I don't want to cause any problems, Phe." I'm not a liar, especially to Willow, but I've been skirting the line lately. We've always danced around the subject, but I know the moment I get too defensive I'll give too much away.

    "What is it that you think is going to happen?" I force a laugh.

    She lets out a defeated sigh, "I don't know, Phe." At the same moment, I hear a deep voice ask, "Is that Ophelia?" and it makes my heart stop. I haven't heard his voice in three years, so long, I nearly forgot what it sounded like. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of Willow slapping his chest as she says, "Do you remember the last time you tried to leave the state?"

    "I wasn't trying to leave the state, I was trying to leave *him*."

    Did he call in a bomb threat to the airport? Unconfirmed.

    Was I escorted off the plane in zip ties and put on a no fly list? Unfortunately, yes.

    "That doesn't make me feel any better." She's nearly out of breath, batting her brother away when she asks, "Does he-Trissy I swear to god," I hear his deep laugh as she pushes him away again, "-you're safe, right Phe?"

    The silence echoes when his laughter cuts off.

    "I'm good, Will." I smile through the words even though she can't see me, hoping she can hear it in my voice, and nothing else, "You know how my parents are. Theirs no way I'll be able to bail on this."

    I haven't seen Willow since she was offered her dream job six months ago and moved across the state. After living right next door for most of our lives, it's been an adjustment.

    "I'm not worried about your parents, I'm worried about how your fiancé will react."

    Suddenly, I'm wondering why I called her. Willow treads lightly around the subject but it's clear she suspects something. More and more lately I'm having a hard time maintaining the facade.

    "You know what? You're right. I'm not really sure what I'm so stressed out about." I laugh, though it's strained.

    "Wait Phe-"

    "Will, it's late, I gotta get inside, I'll call you in the morning okay?"

    After a brief pause, Willow lets out another sigh, "I love you Phe. Call me if you need me."

    "Love you too. I will."

    "But actually do it."

    "I will."

    - --

    "Absolutely, not." Jon is standing in the kitchen, still in his gym clothes. My eyes track a drop of sauce that falls from the pizza slice in his hand to the white tile beneath him.

    "You know I don't really have a choice. My parents want me at this fundraiser. I'll leave tomorrow morning and be back within 24 hours."

    Before I've finished my sentence he's already shaking his head. "No, no way, I have a game!" he all but stomps his foot, "You need to be there!"

    "And I will be." I say as calmly as I can without seeming like I'm placating him, "I just have to leave right after."

    He folds his arms across his chest beneath his sleeveless t shirt. *What's the point in wearing a t shirt if you've ripped it so much it shows both your nipples?* I already know what he's about to ask when he leans on the counter behind him, "Are you meeting someone there?"

    The truth is the only option here, I mentally cringe but do my best to keep a neutral face and say, "The Blume Family is hosting the event, so it's safe to assume they'll be there."

    "So Tristian will be there."

    "Tristian Blume, Willows brother will be there, yes."

    "If he's going, you're not."

    This is what I don't understand, he's always had an issue with Tristian. He'd give us rides and let us tag along on most of his tamer adventures in high scool. He's never been anything but brotherly to me.

    "Do we really have to have this conversation again? I'm not cheating on you." Something changed in his expression but at this point, I was beyond evaluating it. A new rage burning in me, I say, "I really wasn't asking you, I was letting you-"

    He pushes himself off the counter and stalks a few steps toward me, "You wanna try that again?"

    It takes everything in me to keep my composure and not fall in on myself. Luckily I have a lot of experience in deescalating. "You could come with me." My voice comes out small and I'm hoping he thinks the idea is ridiculous, "I just figured you'd be too tired to travel after your game and I know you don't even like Kansas City and I didn't want-"

    "You, you, you that's all you think about, huh?" he takes another step toward me, backing me into the sink and invading my space.

    Forcing my eyes to watch him instead of rolling like they so desperately want to, "What's this really about?" he and I both know that every game I've been to he's lost.

    "I guess I can't stop you, can I?" he tosses his crust into the garbage beside me. As if that was the plan all along. *How did I end up with someone that doesn't like pizza crust??*  I don't miss the threat laced between his words. "How do I even know you'll come back? How do I know this isn't some elaborate ruse to leave me again?"

    I turn my back to him, causing him to take a half step back, and start unloading the dishwasher that I filled this morning, hoping it will diffuse some tension, "It's not like I even want to go. I'm only going because my parents need to show a unified front, you know how it is."

    I can feel the burn of his eyes fueling the tears brimming in my eyes. He rips the freezer open, grabs a handle of whiskey and slams it closed turning his back and mumbles, "We'll talk in the morning."

    I know he thinks he won.

    Maybe, in a way, he did.

    - --

- Ch. 2 | Ophelia

    (unedited)

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    I go to the gym like I do every morning, only this time, I drop the AirTag that Jon thinks I don't know about into my locker. It won't take him long to notice I'm gone but I'm hoping by the time he figures it out, I'll either be at the airport or, even better, in the air.

    The hot sting of the gyms shower a trip to the sauna seem to breathe a new life into me.  I feel like I can breathe for the first time in a while. Theirs going to be a lot of damage to be dealt with when I get back, but I deserve this and it feels *good*. Like I'm finally taking charge of my life. It's a small step but maybe, when Jon realizes I didn't come back to him in a body bag, he'll loosen the reigns.

    Maybe he'll let me get a job? Or maybe, I can utilize the scholarship to Darkwood Institute I received when I turned 21. I tried going right out of high school but freshman are required to spend their first year in dorms on campus. Jon didn't love the idea of me walking to class alone, so we opted for online college. That of course, didn't end up happening because my laptop corrupted, along with my application essay.

    As I'm applying the last of my makeup in the mirror, it hits me, how the hell am I going to get a ticket? I could ask my parents but I'm not sure I want them asking why Jon can't pay for it.

    The only other option is to call Willow. Im hyping myself up, trying to create a cover story as to why I need her help with this when my phone rings. I take a deep breath before checking it. If it's Jon, I'll wait for the call to end, then claim I left it in my locker to unplug.

    Luckily, it's Willow.

    "Opheeeliaaa." I can't help the smile that takes over my face at the ring in her voice, "Trissy bought me a plane."

    In the back, I hear an annoyed, "I did not buy *you* a plane."

    "Okay, he bought *us* a plane."

    "What do you need a plane for?"

    "So I can come see you silly! Carbon footprint be damned."

    "Oh? So when are you coming to see me?"

    I hear her huff, "Well, I'm not, but you're coming to see me!"

    A pit settles at the base of my sternum, "What do you mean?"

    "Tristians in town now, he said he'd pick you up at your place and I realized I *still* don't have your address."

    "I'm not home."

    "I'll send him your number."

    "Um..."

    "He's going to grab you, pick me up, and we'll all fly to the fundraiser together."

    It makes sense that Tristian would want to keep his little sister, heir to their mother's multimillion dollar fashion designer empire, close as they travel, but it dosen't make sense for him to fly the extra 300 miles to me. "Why is he in-"

    My question gets cut off by the sound of my phone vibrating.

    *Where are you?*

    My heart stops. It takes me a moment to realize that it's an unknown number and that it's not Jon trying to trick me.

    "I gotta go finish up this fitting but I cannot wait for you to see the dress we have going for you. Fingers crossed it's ready in time. Love you!"

    She's hung up before I can say anything else. I'm silently thankful that decisions have been made for me.

    I take a deep breath and reply, cautious, just in case.

    *I'm at the gym.*

    His reply is immediate.

    *I know that, Oppy, drop a pin.*

    His nickname for me has always sent a flutter through my entire body. I swear I could purr. I send him my location before I can think better of it. Before I can decide this is all too much and go back home to admit defeat.

    - --

    Ten minutes later, I walk out of the gyms locker room, ready to read while I wait, but I'm surprised to see Tristian already there. The site of him warming my entire body.

    I didn't realize it was him until we made eye contact. A lot can change in three years, especially when you're the head of one of the highest rated cyber security companies in the world. You have to put on a good first impression, make people really believe not only are you smart, but you can protect them.

    "You checking me out?"

    My eye roll is involuntary, but I catch it and school my face. He seems to have noticed though, his eyes narrowing.

    "Sorry, I-" The burn in my chest is immediately doused by the rapid buzzing of my phone and the simultaneous bell of the gyms main door opening. His smirk is immediately morphed into a  scowl. "Oppy?" He reaches down grabbing my bag from me, god I forgot how tall he is, shooting a glance at the door then back to me.

    I take a deep breath before answering my phone and turning away from Tristian, "Hi, Jon."

    "Where are you?" He doesn't sounds angry just yet.

    Grateful I don't have to lie to him, I reply, "I'm at the gym."

    "I'm hungry, bring me home a burrito. I'll put some money on your card."

    I bounce on my toes frantically trying to figure out what the right thing to say is when Tristian steps in front of be taking over my entire field of vision. We make eye contact as I say, "Okay yea, sausage or bacon?" I wince when Tristian's face turns confused. On the other end of the phone, I hear his car start. It was a trap.

    He sighs, annoyed, "You've been on that treadmill for a while, Ophelia."

    I keep playing along, "Yea, the craziest thing happened! I locked my keys in my locker today, I'm going to have to-" Tristian lifts my keys dangling off of the bag he's holding, I grab them to keep them from making sound, -"wait a few more minutes for maintenance to get it open for me - Oh! it looks like she's on her way over here now, I'll be home after I grab food!"

    I hang up, my heart galloping in my chest. Not only did I *hang up on him,* but he's on his way.

    "Tristian, we need to go."

    "What the hell was that?" he's looking at my phone like if he could melt it with laser vision he would.

    "Can we just go, please?"

    He must see something in my expression and takes pity on me because within the next few moments, we're out the door and in his car.

    ---