Curiosity Keeps You Alive

Curiosity Keeps You Alive
Lucy’s POV

Darkness.
That’s all there was at first…cold, heavy, endless. My body felt like it was sinking through nothing, the air knocked out of me. I wanted to breathe but couldn’t. I wanted to scream but nothing came out. My lungs burned, my chest ached, and somewhere in that void, I thought…so this is it.

Finally, I got something right for once in my entire existence.

But then there was pain.
A sharp, burning ache in my side, a sting across my skin, the brutal pull of something dragging me upward. The cold water that was supposed to end it all refused to let me go.

A voice cut through the noise, muffled at first, then louder…desperate.
“Lucy! Hold on!”

What the hell? Why did he jump in after me?

No. I wanted to let go. I didn’t want to fight anymore. But hands grabbed me…rough, shaking, firm. Arms wrapped around me, pulling, dragging me through the weight of the water.

And then…air.
I broke through the surface with a choking gasp. The rain hit my face like needles. I coughed and choked, clutching onto anything, and that’s when I felt him…Ethan.

He was gasping too, his arms around me, one hand under my chin, the other gripping the edge of the bridge’s lower beam. “I’ve got you,” he shouted over the storm, his voice cracking. “I’ve got you, Lucy!”

I was shivering so hard my teeth clattered. “Why…why would you…” I tried to speak, but my words were broken by sobs and water.

“Because I’m not losing you on my watch!” he yelled, his voice raw. “Not like this!”

He pulled me toward the riverbank, his movements strained, his breathing rough. Every wave crashed against us, trying to pull us back under, but he kept going. He didn’t stop. Not once.

By the time we reached the shore, my body was limp. My clothes clung to me, my hair plastered to my face, my lips numb and trembling. I felt like I’d been ripped apart and stitched back together all at once.

Ethan collapsed beside me, coughing, soaked, shaking just as hard. For a few seconds, there was nothing but the sound of rain and our uneven breathing. Then, slowly, he turned to me.

“What the hell were you thinking?” His voice wasn’t angry. It broke halfway through, filled with exhaustion and fear. “Do you really think you would get the justice you deserve by committing suicide?”

I turned my head slightly, my voice barely above a whisper. “You should’ve let me go.”

His eyes locked on mine…wild, desperate, and wet from more than just rain. “Don’t ever say that again,” he said sharply. “You don’t get to decide that you’re done. Not when there’s still breath in you.”

Tears filled my eyes again. “You don’t understand, Ethan. It’s everywhere. Everyone’s seen it. My name, my face, my body…it’s all ruined. I’m ruined.”

He reached out slowly, his hand brushing my wet hair from my face. “You’re not ruined,” he said quietly. “You’re hurting. But that doesn’t mean you’re done. What he did to you doesn't define who you are. You will clear your name and show the world the scum of a man Michael is.”

I shook my head weakly. “You can’t fix this.”

“Then I’ll stand in it with you,” he said, his voice breaking again. “Until you can breathe on your own.”

That sentence hit harder than the fall ever did. I stared at him, my chest tightening with something I didn’t understand.

The rain softened to a drizzle. The world felt smaller, quieter. For the first time, I wasn’t sure if the shaking in my body was from the cold or from the way he looked at me…like I was something worth saving.

He reached for his jacket, draping it over my shoulders, his hands trembling. “Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s get you out of here.”

As he helped me stand, my knees almost gave out again, but his arm wrapped around me instantly. I leaned on him, weak and unsteady.

The bridge was behind us now. The storm was easing. But I knew the real storm…the one waiting in the world, in people’s eyes, on their screens…was still ahead.

And yet, as Ethan guided me toward his car, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Not peace. Not hope. Just a faint, fragile pulse inside me.

A reminder that I was still alive. And it was all because of him.



The ride back was quiet. The kind of quiet that feels heavier than noise. My wet clothes clung to my skin, the seatbelt cutting across my chest, every breath shallow and uneven. Ethan didn’t say much…just kept his eyes on the road, hands gripping the steering wheel like if he let go, I’d slip away again.

When he finally pulled up in front of my apartment building, I almost told him to leave me there. But he got out first, walked around, and opened my door before I could even reach for the handle.

“Come on,” he said gently.

I didn’t argue. I didn’t have the strength to. He walked beside me all the way up, his hand hovering just close enough in case I fell. Once inside, he placed the small box of my things and handbag on the dining table…the same box I’d dropped earlier that day.

“Go run a hot bath,” he said quietly, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. “You need to warm up. And switch off your phone, Lucy. Don’t read anything. Don’t answer anyone. Just…rest.”

I stood there, numb, water dripping from my hair onto the floor. My eyes moved from the broken box to him. “Why are you doing all this? Why are you here?” I asked, my voice trembling.

He took a breath, glancing around like he was trying to find the right words. “Because you need someone,” he said. “Because right now, you shouldn’t be alone.”

He turned to leave, but before he reached the door, he paused and looked back at me. “I’ll come check on you later tonight,” he added firmly. “So don’t do anything stupid. Don’t hurt yourself again. Even if you don’t want to live anymore…” His voice cracked slightly. “…then at least give me a chance to give you a reason to stay. Life can still be interesting. It can still be beautiful, even with all the mess, the pain, the tears.”

That was it. The dam broke again. Tears started spilling from my eyes again, hot and uncontrollable. “Why?” I whispered. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

He hesitated, his eyes softening. “Because I’m a police officer,” he said at first. “It’s my job.”

I shook my head. “No, that’s not what I meant. What’s the real reason? Why me?”

He looked at me for a long moment, then smiled faintly…tired, but genuine. “Because you saved me once. I’m just returning the favor,” he said.

My brows furrowed. “What? How? When?”

He shook his head, a small, almost teasing glint in his eyes. “Maybe later. Let that curiosity keep you alive until I come back to check on you tonight.”

Before I could say anything else, he reached for the doorknob. “Rest, Lucy,” he said quietly. “Please.”

The door clicked shut behind him.

I stood there for a long time, staring after him, the silence in the room pressing against my chest. His jacket was still draped over my shoulders, warm despite everything.

Saved him?

I let out a shaky breath and looked down at my trembling hands, the tear-streaked face, the woman who couldn’t even save a penny, let alone a life.

How could someone like me save anyone?

Damn him.

I didn’t know.
But for the first time in a long time, I wanted to find out.

So I guess I’ll postpone my plan of slitting my wrist in the bathtub…just for now.