hapter 34
18–year–old Emily’s POV
Nine years ago
I was jolted awake by the soft chime of a notification on my phone. My heart raced as I grabbed it from the nightstand, the glow of the screen cutting through the darkness of my room.
It was a ping from the tracking app I’d secretly installed on Keith’s phone -a part of me knew this was wrong, but my obsession with him had taken over any sense of reason I once had.
My heart pounded as I saw his location at a bar, miles away from where he should have been. My mind screamed at me to let it go, to stay in bed, but my infatuation with Keith was like a relentless storm, pushing me to do things I never thought I would.
Before I knew it, I was up, pulling on clothes, and slipping out of the window with a quietness I’d perfected over time. The cool night air hit my face as I called for an Uber, my fingers trembling with a mix of anticipation and fear.
The ride to the bar was a blur, my mind swirling with doubts and what- ifs. What if he was there with Lily and Tyler? What if he saw me and was angry? But the thought of him–of his smile, his presence–drove me forward, ignoring the warning bells in my head.
Chapter 34
When I finally arrived, I hesitated outside the bar, taking a deep breath before stepping inside. The dim lights and the thumping bass of the music. greeted me, along with the sight of Keith slumped over the bar, a drink in hand.
My heart clenched at the sight of him–he looked so lost, so broken. His. gaze lifted, and to my surprise, he recognized me instantly, offering a half–hearted smile.
“Emily,” he greeted me, his voice slurred but warm. here?”
“What are you doing
I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing a smile. “I couldn’t sleep. Thought I could go to the bar and have some drinks.”
Keith nodded, his eyes glassy as he downed another shot. “Lily… she rejected me,” he murmured, bitterness lacing his words. “Said she wants to focus on her studies, that we should take a break.”
My chest tightened as I listened to him, his heartbreak palpable. We sat together, drink after drink, and he began to open up, venting his frustrations.
He complained about Lily’s decision, slurring his words as he vented his frustrations. “I don’t get it, Emily. She just… she just pushed me away. Said she wants to focus on her stupid studies. How’s that fair? I’ve been nothing but supportive.”
I nodded, trying to hide the unease growing inside me. “You’re right,
Chapter 34
Keith. You’ve always been there for her. It’s not fair that she’s shutting you out like this.”
He looked at me, his eyes glassy with alcohol and hurt. “I thought we had a future, you know? But now… now it’s like she doesn’t care. Like I’m not important to her anymore.”
“She’s being selfish,” I agreed softly, my voice laced with false conviction. “You deserve better, Keith. You deserve someone who values you, who sees how much you’re worth.”
As the night wore on, the alcohol dulled our senses, and the world outside the bar seemed to disappear. Keith was drunk, more so than I was, and when he suggested we stay out overnight, a mix of fear and excitement coursed through me.
I knew I should go home, but Keith suggested we go somewhere else, a hotel, and in our drunken state, I went along with it. His eyes were glassy, his steps unsteady, far more intoxicated than I was.
We stumbled into a hotel, barely making it to the room. I wasn’t sure why we were there, and my mind was foggy from the alcohol. Before I could even gather my thoughts, Keith’s lips were on mine. His kiss was desperate, fueled by alcohol and heartbreak, but something was off.
He mumbled something–Lily’s name–but I thought I must have misheard in my daze. His hands roamed my body, and though I felt warmth, a mix of desire and sadness, I wasn’t fully present. I tried to understand what was happening, but everything felt blurry.
Chapter 34
When I woke up the next morning, the room was filled with a heavy silence. Keith stirred beside me, making sudden, startled noises. My heart raced as I turned to see him lying there.
Why was he in my bed? My memories of the night before were jumbled- just fragments of us drinking together and coming to the hotel–but after that, nothing was clear.
Keith sat up quickly, panic flashing in his eyes. “Emily What the fuck are you doing on my bed? Are you decuing me?” His voice was filled with disbelief, and I saw the horror rising in his expression.
I opened my mouth to explain, but the words caught in my throat.
“No, it’s notl ike that Keith-”
But I didn’t even fully remember what had happened. I hadn’t meant for things to go this far. I shook my head, still trying to process the events of the night.
Before I could say anything, Keith buried his face in his hands, the weight of his actions crashing down on him.
“You could never replace Lily.”
“Get out,” he finally said, his voice muflled and broken. “Just… go.”
The raw pain in his voice cut through me like a knife, but I had no choice.
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I gathered my clothes, my heart aching, and left the hotel room, feeling more alone than ever. I couldn’t remember how it had gotten this bad.
Two days later, the truth came out. Lily confronted me, her eyes blazing with anger as she slapped me across the face. “How could you?” she screamed, her voice trembling with betrayal. “You seduced him, didn’t you? You took advantage of him!”
“No, Lily, it wasn’t like that!” I tried to explain, but my words fell on deaf
cars.
She stormed off to tell our parents, and that was the beginning of the end. My father’s cold gaze bore into me as he listened to Lily’s version of events, and when he finally spoke, his words were like ice. “You’re no daughter of mine.”
My mother’s disappointment was even worse. She didn’t yell, didn’t
rage -she simply looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “I never thought you’d turn out like this, Emily. What happened to you?”
I cried, pleading with them to understand that I was intoxicated, that I hadn’t initiated what happened between us. But my words fell on deaf cars, their cold silence cutting deeper than any accusation. My father’s final words echoed in my mind, each syllable like a blow: “I will never forgive you. You don’t deserve to be my daughter.”
In the days that followed, I felt like I was living in a nightmare. I had lost everything–my family, my self–respect, and the one person I thought I could trust.
