Chapter 11

Hale's pov

I didn't know how long I had been driving, but I eventually found myself at the edge of a dense forest. The trees loomed tall and dark, their shadows stretching out like skeletal fingers in the dim moonlight. I pulled over and realized with a sinking feeling that my bike was out of gas.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, hoping to call for help, but there was no signal. The battery icon flashed red, warning me it was about to die. Panic began to set in. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere, alone and heartbroken, with no way to reach anyone.

I decided to stay put and wait for dawn. The thought of spending the night in the forest was unsettling, but I had no other option. I found a spot close to my bike and sat down, hugging my knees to my chest. The night air was cool and crisp, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me.

I couldn't stop thinking about Cassandra. The image of her with Theo, surrounded by laughter and joy, played over and over in my mind like a cruel loop. Each time it did, the pain felt fresh and raw. I wondered how things had gone so wrong, how I had been so blind to the truth.

I felt completely alone, abandoned by the one person I thought I could trust. Hours passed as I waited, hoping someone might come by. The forest was eerily quiet, the only sound the occasional rustling of leaves. Suddenly, I heard a faint sniffle coming from deeper in the forest. My curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to follow the noise. Maybe someone else was out here and needed help, too.

I walked cautiously into the woods, the ground crunching softly under my boots. The sniffles grew louder, and soon I stumbled upon a small clearing with a pond in the center. Moonlight reflected off the still water, casting an ethereal glow around the area. Beside the pond, I saw a beautiful woman around my age, sitting on a rock and crying.

"Hey, are you okay?" I called out softly, not wanting to startle her.

She looked up, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "No, I'm not," she replied, her voice trembling.

I walked closer and sat down on a nearby rock. "I'm Hale. What's your name?"

"Chiara," she said, sniffling. "Why are you here?" I curiously asked. "I miss my parents, that's why I went here. My father made this pond with his friends before."

I sighed, feeling a strange connection with her. "You're not alone in feeling lost tonight. The woman I thought that I'll be with is with another man, my bike ran out of gas, and my phone is about to die. I can't reach anyone either."

Chiara wiped her eyes and looked at me with a mix of surprise and sympathy. "That's awful. I'm sorry you're going through that."

"Thanks," I said, offering a small smile. "We'll figure this out together. Maybe we can find a way out of here."

She nodded, seeming to draw some strength from our shared predicament. We sat in silence for a while, the cool night air and the gentle lapping of the pond providing a strange sense of calm.

Chiara's pov

I had finally arrived at the mansion, the place my parents had spoken of so fondly a decade ago. It was grand and imposing, with its tall iron gates and sprawling gardens, but despite its beauty, I felt a deep ache in my chest. This was supposed to be a new beginning, a chance to start over again after cowardly leaving everything I knew behind to escape the pain. But instead of excitement, I was overwhelmed by a wave of enormous sorrowfulness.

My parents had always talked about this place as if it were a paradise, a retreat from the world. But without them here, it felt empty and cold. I wandered through the halls, the echoes of my footsteps amplifying my loneliness. I needed to feel close to them somehow, to connect with the memories they had shared with me.

That's when I remembered the pond in the forest, the one my father and his friends had created. It was a special place for him, a symbol of friendship, love and hard work. I had seen it in pictures and heard stories about its creation when I was still a child. It was there that I hoped to find some semblance of comfort.

I made my way through the dense forest, the unfamiliar path guiding me despite the gathering darkness. When I reached the clearing, the sight of the pond took my breath away. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined, with the moonlight casting a soft glow on the still water.

I sat on a rock by the pond, the memories flooding back and the tears flowing freely. I missed my parents so much  that it hurts. The pain of their absence was a physical weight on my chest. I cried until my throat was raw, my sobs the only sound in the otherwise silent night. Time seemed to lose meaning as I sat there, lost in my grief.

It wasn't until I heard a soft voice behind me that I realized how late it had gotten. "Hey, are you okay?" The voice was gentle, concerned.

Startled, I looked up to see a woman around my age standing a few feet away. Her eyes were kind and puffy, and she seemed genuinely worried about me. "No, I'm not," I replied, my voice trembling. I usually don't talk to strangers, but something about her is telling me that I'm safe and I can talk to her.

She walked closer and sat on a nearby rock. "I'm Hale. What's your name?"

"Chiara," I said, sniffling.

"Why are you here?" She asked, her curiosity evident.

"I miss my parents, that's why I came here. My father made this pond with his friends," I explained, my voice thick with emotion.

She sighed, a look of empathy crossing her face. "You're not alone in feeling lost tonight. The woman I thought I'd be with is with another man, my bike ran out of gas, and my phone is about to die. I can't reach anyone either."

I wiped my eyes and looked at her, surprised by her openness. "That's awful. I'm sorry you're going through that."

"Thanks," she said, offering a small smile. "We'll figure this out together. Maybe we can find a way out of here."

I nodded, finding some comfort in her presence. We sat in silence for a while, the cool night air and the gentle lapping of the pond providing a strange sense of calm. Despite everything, in that moment, I felt a glimmer of hope.

Hale's pov

After sitting there for a while, letting the quiet of the night wrap around us, I finally worked up the courage to ask Chiara the question that had been on my mind since she mentioned her parents.

"Why do you miss your parents so much?" I asked softly, not wanting to intrude but genuinely curious.

Chiara took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the pond's surface, reflecting the moonlight. "They died when I was only ten years old," she began, her voice trembling.

A chill ran down my spine. "What happened?" I asked gently, sensing that this was a deeply painful memory for her.

She took another shaky breath. "My father had enemies. Powerful ones. One night, they came for us. They kidnapped me to get to him. My parents tried to save me, but they were shot and killed right in front of me. But before that, they managed to take down the kidnappers with them that's why I escaped. My father's brother, uncle Robert found me."

I felt a lump form in my throat. "Chiara, I'm so sorry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I was adopted by my uncle Robert after that," she continued, tears streaming down her face. I don't know why, but I hate to see her cry. "My uncle did his best to raise me, but the trauma never really goes away. Coming here was supposed to be a fresh start, a way to connect with the happier memories of my parents. But instead, it just brings back the pain."

I reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I can't imagine how hard that must be. You've been through so much."

She wiped her eyes and managed a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Hale. It's just... I don't know anyone here, my best friend is not here, and everything is so different. I thought I'd find some comfort in the places they loved, but it just made me realize how alone I am."

"You're not alone," I found myself saying. "We might be strangers, but we're both going through something tough right now. We can help each other."

She looked at me, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Maybe you're right. It's just hard to see past the pain sometimes."

"I know what you mean," I said, thinking about Cassandra and Theo. "But we'll get through this." Which she nodded in.

***

As we sat again in comfortable silence, Chiara finally looked over at me, her curiosity piqued. "Hale, why do you look like you've been crying? And what did you mean when you said the woman you like is with another man?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions. "Her name is Cassandra," I began, my voice heavy with sorrow. "I have been courting her for 9 months. I thought she felt the same way, or at least that she might someday. I thought it was finally the right time to officially ask her to be my girlfriend. That's why, I planned on asking her to be my girlfriend in her favourite restaurant. But then, she never showed up. I kept waiting and hoping that maybe, there's an emergency."

Chiara listened intently, her eyes full of empathy.

"But tonight, I saw her with Theo," I continued. "They were completely surrounded by a lot of people. Only a stupid person won't understand the situation, Theo asked Cassandra to be his girlfriend and she said yes. I felt like an outsider and my heart was ripped apart from the betrayal."

Chiara nodded slowly. "That must have been so painful to see."

"It was," I admitted. "I left in a hurry, jumped on my bike, and just started driving. I didn't know where I was going, but I needed to get away. Eventually, I ended up here, at the edge of this forest. And then my bike ran out of gas, and my phone was about to die. I felt completely alone and lost."

Chiara reached out and squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry, Hale. It's hard when the people we care about don't feel the same way. But you aren't alone. We're both lost tonight, but at least we found each other."

Her words brought a small, sad smile to my face. "Thanks, Chiara. It helps to talk about it and know that someone understands."

She smiled back, a hint of warmth returning to her eyes. "Maybe this forest isn't such a bad place to be after all."

After a while, I got up and extended my hand to her. "Let's head back to the road. Maybe we'll get lucky and find some help." She took my hand, and we made our way back through the forest.

Just as we reached the edge, we saw headlights approaching on the nearby road.

I waved frantically, hoping to catch the driver's attention. The car slowed down and pulled over. A middle-aged woman rolled down her window and looked at us with concern. "Do you two need help?" I quickly explained our situation, and she nodded. "Get in. I'll take you to the nearest town."

As we climbed into the car, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. The night had been rough, but at least now we were on our way to safety. Chiara and I exchanged grateful looks, knowing we had found an unexpected ally in each other.

As we drove back to town, I couldn't help but reflect on the night's events. Despite the heartache and the fear, I had found a way to help someone else.

(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

A/N

New characters~ what do you guys think?