Chapter 48
“Mom?” 1 tried again, louder this time. Still nothing.
Oh. My. God!
“MUM!” I yelled out terrified as 1 rushed towards the direction of her bedroom but paused when I heard it- a soft shuffling sound coming from the other side of the hall. My heart leapt into my throat, and I spun around, my eyes darting toward the source of the noise. For a moment, I thought it might be Ethan, but then I saw her.
My mother stood there, framed by the doorway, looking worried and relieved all at once. Without a word, she rushed toward me, wrapping me in another tight hug.
“Where did you go?” she demanded, her voice trembling. “We were so worried!”
I stayed stiff in her embrace, my eyes scanning the place until they locked onto something- or rather, someone. Ethan. He was standing near the base of the stairs, leaning casually against the bannister, his expression unreadable. Except for his eyes. They weren’t glowing like before, but there was something unsettling in them, something that made my stomach twist.
My mother pulled back slightly, cupping my face and forcing me to look at her. “Camila, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier. I know I was harsh, but you just ran out, and I didn’t know where you went or if you were okay. I
had to send Greg to look for you.”
Her voice was sincere, but it didn’t matter. Nothing about this house felt safe anymore, not with Ethan lurking around like some predator playing human. Still, I was relieved she was okay.
I gently removed her hands from my face and took a step back. “I’m fine,” I assured her flatly, avoiding her concerned gaze. “But I’ve been thinking… I’ll be staying at Aunt Liana’s for a while. It’s closer to school anyway.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, she just stared at me like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Aunt Liana? Since when do you want to stay with her? I thought you hated her lifestyle.”
She wasn’t wrong. Aunt Anya was… eccentric, to put it nicely. She lived alone in a cramped apartment filled with crystals, incense, and tarot cards. She always talked about energy fields and spirits, and she had this habit of staring a little too long, like she could see right through you. I used to avoid her like the plague. But right now, even her weirdness seemed preferable to the nightmare I was living in this house.
“Yeah, well, people change,” I muttered, glancing toward Ethan again. He was still watching us.
“Camila, is this about earlier? About what happened with Greg and Ethan?” my mother asked softly, her tone laced with guilt.
“No,” I lied, forcing my voice to stay steady. “It’s just… I need some space. That’s all.”
Her brows knitted together in worry, and she opened her mouth like she was about to argue, but then she stopped herself, letting out a tired sigh. “Okay, she let out quietly. “If that’s what you want.”
I nodded, already turning toward the stairs. “I’ll pack my things tonight and leave tomorrow morning.”
“Wait,” my mother called after me, stepping forward. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
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Chapter 48
I didn’t answer. Instead, I forced a tight–lipped smile, one that didn’t reach my eyes. “Goodnight, Mom. And with that, I walked up the stairs, passing Ethan but not without shooting him a glare, despite my heart pounding in my chest.
The moment I reached my room, I locked my magically–now–fixed door behind me and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. My hands were trembling, my mind racing with everything that had happened tonight. Ethan’s glowing eyes, his terrifying transformation, my mother’s refusal to believe me… it was all too much.
I didn’t bother changing out of my clothes. Instead, I grabbed my school bag and started stuffing it with anything I could think of- clothes, toiletries, my phone charger.
Once my bag was packed, I collapsed onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling as a million thoughts swirled in my head. I didn’t know what was going on, but one thing was clear: something was seriously wrong with Ethan. And until I figured out what it was, I needed to get as far away from him as possible..
Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.
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