An old library near the campus. They said they’d be waiting.” Briar’s expression hardened. “We have to go. If they know something about our past life, we can’t ignore it.” “
Are you sure about this?” I asked, concern lacing my voice. “What if it’s a trap?” “It’s a risk we have to take,” she said, determination shining through her fear. “We can’t let them control our lives anymore.”
I felt the air leave my lungs as if someone had punched me in the gut. “What?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
Celeste’s Breaking Point
Meanwhile, Celeste is spiraling. She’s been watching from the sidelines, feeling increasingly excluded and hurt by the connection between Briar and Angelo. Her jealousy bubbles over as she overhears their plans.
“He betrayed you,” the voice continued, the words like venom. “And now, you’re both doomed to repeat it.”
Celeste’s POV: I had been sitting in the library, pretending to study, but really, I was just waiting for a glimpse of them. Briar and Angelo had become so close lately, and I felt like a ghost, haunting the edges of their friendship.
But when I overheard them talking about meeting the caller, something inside me snapped. How could they keep this from me? I thought we were in this together. I stormed over to them, my heart racing with anger and hurt. “What are you two doing?” I demanded, crossing my arms. Briar turned, surprise washing over her face. “Celeste! We were just—” “Don’t!” I interrupted, my voice rising. “You’re both hiding things from me.
Why do I have to find out everything through whispers and glances?” Angelo looked caught off guard. “
Celeste, it’s not what you think—” “It is exactly what I think!” I shot back, my emotions pouring out. “You think I don’t see how close you’ve become? You’ve been sharing secrets and dreams without me. I thought we were friends!” “We are friends,” Briar said, her voice softening.
“But this is bigger than any of us. We’re trying to understand our past.” “Your past!” I snapped. “What about my past? You think I’m not affected by this? I’m standing right here, feeling like I’m losing both of you to this… this mess!” “Celeste, please,”
Angelo said, stepping closer. “We’re not trying to push you away. It’s just… complicated.” “Complicated?” I echoed; my voice thick with emotion. “You’re both so caught up in your past that you’re forgetting about your present. I need you to be here with me, not lost in some fairy tale about a life that ended!” “Celeste, we’re trying to figure out how to avoid repeating our mistakes,”
Briar said, her eyes pleading. “But we need to do this together.” “But you’re not letting me in!” I shouted, frustration pouring out. “You’re choosing to keep me out of the loop. If you think I’m just going to stand by and watch you two chase ghosts, you’re wrong!”
I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “That’s not true. Angelo—he wouldn’t—”
“Ask him,” the voice interrupted, sharp and commanding. “Ask him about the night you died. Ask him why he couldn’t save you.”
I tried to gather my thoughts, but they felt like shards of broken glass. “Who are you?”
There was no answer. Just a click, and the line went dead.
Angelo’s POV:
I felt her eyes on me the moment she stepped into the room. Briar didn’t say anything at first, just stood there, staring at me like she was trying to figure out a puzzle with missing pieces.
I knew why. I knew she had questions. But the weight of the dreams, the memories, was already too much to bear. I wasn’t ready to tell her the truth.
“What did they say?” I asked, breaking the silence.
Briar’s expression was unreadable. She crossed her arms, her voice quiet but laced with something I hadn’t heard before—doubt. “They said you know why I died.”
I flinched, the words hitting me like a punch to the gut. “What?”
She stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. “They said you’re the reason I died. That you betrayed me.”
I froze. I wanted to deny it, to say it wasn’t true. But I couldn’t. I could barely remember what happened in our past life, but the guilt that gnawed at me every time I closed my eyes told me there was something dark, something I was afraid to remember.
“Briar…” I took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words. “I don’t know everything yet. But—”
“But what?” she snapped, her voice rising. “You’ve been hiding something, Angelo. I can feel it. You’ve been keeping things from me.”
“I’m not trying to hide anything,” I said, though I wasn’t sure I believed it. “I just—there are gaps. Pieces that don’t make sense yet.”
Briar shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “You have to tell me the truth. If we don’t figure this out, we’re never going to be free of this—of them.”
I reached out, taking her hands in mine. “I swear to you, Briar, I would never hurt you. Not in this life, not in any life.”
She pulled away from me, her voice breaking. “Then why does it feel like you already have?”
Celeste’s POV: I watched them from across the room. Angelo and Briar, locked in some intense conversation, their faces filled with emotion I couldn’t quite decipher. But I didn’t need to. I already knew what was happening. They were hiding something from me. Both of them. And whatever it was, it wasn’t just about the past. It was bleeding into the present, tearing us apart. I wasn’t blind.
I could see the connection between them and could feel the distance growing between Angelo and me. It was like he was slipping away, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop it. And now, with these mysterious calls and messages,
it was only getting worse. Angelo was pulling away from me, and Briar—well, she was just caught in the middle. Or maybe she wasn’t. Maybe she was the reason this was happening. I clenched my fists, the jealousy bubbling up inside me. I didn’t want to be that girl,
the one who was paranoid and insecure. But how could I not be? Everything about this situation felt wrong. And I was starting to wonder if I was the only one who saw it.
Setting: Tensions are high as Briar and Angelo sit in the small café where they often meet. The atmosphere is heavy, filled with unspoken words and lingering glances. It’s time to confront their past and what the caller has hinted at.
Briar’s POV:
The café was quiet, save for the soft clinking of cups and the faint hum of conversation. But all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears as I faced Angelo across the table.
“Angelo,” I started, my voice steady but tinged with urgency. “I need you to tell me everything. About our past life. About what happened.”