Chapter 21: Jayden’s pov: Let’s leave

As I walked into the house, the weight on my chest felt unbearable. My mom’s voice greeted me, warm and soft, like it always was.

“Welcome back from school, Jayden. How was school?” she asked, smiling at me from the kitchen door.

I ignored her and headed straight to my room. The tears I’d been holding back felt closer to the surface, but I wouldn’t let them fall. Not yet.

How could Liam do this to me, after saying we were friends? Does this mean he didn't mean it? What the heck  is this! I growled, throwing my bag on the bed.

While sitting on the floor.I immediately removed the bedsheet he sat on that day, I've kept it since, didn't remove it, but now, I had to, why should I keep it when he doesn't care at all.

“Jayden!” my mom called again, her voice sharper now. “What is going on? You’ve been acting strange since yesterday. Talk to me. What is it?”

I paused at the door to my room, my hand gripping the handle so tightly it hurt. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to explain. But her footsteps came closer, and soon she was standing behind me.

“Jayden, I’m your mother. Don’t shut me out like this. Tell me what’s wrong.”

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The words spilled out of me like water from a broken dam.

“It’s nothing, Mom!” I shouted, my voice cracking. I turned to face her, my chest heaving. “I don’t care about this house. I don’t care about this city. I don’t want to stay here anymore. It’s disgusting. Everything about it is disgusting.”

My mom’s face fell. She looked at me like she didn’t recognize me. “What are you saying, Jayden? You loved this city. You begged me not to leave when things got hard. Why are you suddenly saying this?”

“I don’t love it anymore!” I yelled, my voice rising with every word. “I hate it! I hate everything about it. Let’s leave. You said the werewolves were tracking us anyway. So let’s leave now. I don’t have friends. I don’t have anyone. There’s nothing left for me here.”

My legs gave out, and I dropped to the floor, my hands covering my face as the tears finally came.

“Jayden…” My mom knelt beside me, her voice trembling with worry. “What’s going on? What happened? You said you had a friend. Liam, right? Isn’t he your friend?”

I looked up at her, my eyes burning. “He’s not my friend. He never was. I thought he was, but… people change, Mom. He changed. Yesterday, he acted like I didn’t even exist. He called me his thing. He said I was just… just something to pass the time. How could he do that to me?”

My mom’s hand rested on my shoulder, squeezing gently. Her eyes were filled with sadness, but also something else—determination.

“Are you sure he meant it, Jayden? Sometimes people act out when they’re hurting. Maybe he’s going through something, and he didn’t know how to tell you. Maybe he needs you to be there for him, even if it hurts.”

Her words made me pause. Could that be true? Could Liam be hurting, and I just didn’t see it? But then I remembered the girl—the way she held him, kissed him, and how he smiled back like it meant the world to him.

“No, Mom,” I said, shaking my head. “I saw him with her. He doesn’t need me. He’s fine without me. I was stupid to think he cared about me.”

My mom sighed, sitting back on her heels. “Jayden, life isn’t always as simple as it looks. If you really care about Liam, you should talk to him. Find out the truth before you give up on him.”

I didn’t want to believe her. I didn’t want to hope. But her words planted a seed of doubt in my mind. What if Liam wasn’t as happy as he seemed? What if there was more to his behavior than I realized?

That night, I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept replaying the moments from school—the way Liam looked at me, the coldness in his voice, the girl’s laughter. It all felt like a puzzle I couldn’t solve.

By morning, I’d made up my mind. I would talk to him. I would find out the truth, no matter how much it hurt.

After breakfast, I searched for Liam’s contact online, finally finding his address. My heart pounded as I walked to his house, my palms sweaty and my thoughts racing.

When I reached his street, I spotted him immediately. He was standing outside, leaning against the gate. But he wasn’t alone.

She was there again. The same girl from yesterday. Her hair glinted in the sunlight as she stood close to him, her hand resting on his arm.

I ducked behind a nearby tree, my breath catching in my throat.

“I told you, Clara,” Liam said, his voice low but clear. “I’ll never marry you, no matter what my father says. I don’t care about the family name,I’ll never be with you.”

His words stunned me. Who was this girl? And why was Liam so adamant about not being with her? I thought he liked being with her yesterday. What has changed now?

Her laughter broke through my thoughts, sharp and mocking. “Oh, Liam, you don’t get to decide that. Your father has already made the arrangements. You’ll be mine whether you like it or not.”

I watched as Liam’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists. “I don’t love you,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll never love you.”

The tension between them was so thick it felt like it might snap at any moment.

Suddenly, I shifted my weight, and a branch snapped beneath my foot.

Liam’s head whipped around, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. “Who’s there?” he called out, his voice sharp and commanding.

My heart stopped.

He started walking toward me, his footsteps growing louder with each step.

And then he saw me.