Five
1774 Words
He stopped right in the middle of the ballroom. One foot frozen. Mouth slightly parted.
The smile disappeared.
His eyes weren’t on me anymore.
They drifted past me, behind me.
The look in them was something I had seen on him before. Adoration.
But he wasn't looking at me.
No.
My stomach knotted.
No. No. No.
My heart dropped as Josh stopped in his tracks, his mouth dropping wide open as he stared behind me with the look I prayed to see directed at me, but it wasn't.
“Josh?” I called softly, my voice cracking as dread flooded me.
He didn’t blink. Didn’t move. Just stared.
At her.
Whoever she was. I spun around, heart thudding so violently I thought I might drop right there. But all I saw were shadows, bodies, dresses, masks. Too many faces. Too much movement. I couldn’t see her.
But I could see him, the man who said he would never let me go.
So I turned back.
“Josh?” I whispered as my legs felt too heavy to move.
He stayed frozen, so I rushed to him, grabbing his hand before he could move.
“No, Josh, you promised… we were going to reject them, remember?” I placed a desperate, shaky hand on his face, forcing him to pry his gaze away from his mate, whoever she was.
“We had plans, Josh,” I said, tears brimming. “I love you.”
He flinched like the words hurt him.
“Eva…” he breathed, so softly I almost missed it. “I’m sorry.”
My vision blurred. “You said it wouldn’t change anything.”
“I know.” His hand touched mine for the smallest second. “I thought I meant it.”
“Then mean it now,” I begged, “Please, Josh. Fight it. Fight for me.”
He looked at me, his eyes empty as he watched me cry. No love, no adoration, just pity as he watched me sob.
“We promised. We had plans…we had so many plans… Are you just going to throw them away?” I said, desperation clinging to my every word as I fought back tears.
“Eva… I’m sorry,” he whispered, his gaze meeting mine, “I can't…” He started to pull away, but I couldn't let him go, tears pouring out of my eyes.
“No! Josh… please…” I pleaded. “You love me no matter what, remember? Our plans… you're my future.”
“I’m sorry, Eva,” he pulled away, his gaze avoiding mine as he let my hand fall away from him. “I have to follow her. I’m sorry.”
He walked away into the crowd.
Away from the promises.
Away from our future.
Away from me.
Whispers began to echo around me, and I knew everyone saw what had just happened. Eva Vale is getting rejected by her sweetheart, Josh, for his mate. It was all too much. The humiliation, the stares, I couldn't handle it.
I gripped the hem of my dress and ran as fast as I could out of there. Away from the stares and gossip, the sneers of victory about me, the moment my heart was ruined.
I didn’t care who I hit, I didn’t care who saw me ugly cry as I rushed backstage with my dress in my hands.
“Eva! Wait up!” I heard Lila say, but I refused to look back as I headed for the supplies closet. When I was well inside, I locked the door, sat on a bucket as I ignored the stench of soap and bleach, and then everything began to come out.
Josh left me. My Josh. I started hyperventilating, my hands gripping against my chest as I struggled to breathe.
“Eva!” Harsh knocks came from the other side of the door as Lola pounded against it. “I heard what happened! Please let me in.”
A sob raked through me as I gripped my chest, everyone knew.
Lila knocked again. But I didn’t get up. I couldn’t let her see me like this.
“Please, Eva, let me in. Let me help you, please. You can’t deal with this alone. Let your best friend help.”
More silence for me, my sobs filling the void. Lola sighed from the other side of the door.
“Please let me in, Eva. I have also gotten my heart broken before. I can help you. Eva and Li, la no matter the weather, right?”
A shuddered sigh left my lips as I reached for the door and turned the key.
Lila’s gaze met mine, and her eyes softened in pity.
“He left me, Lila.” Hearing the words out loud caused a fresh batch of tears to fall from my eyes. “He left me without even caring about the promise he made to me. He just left like I was nothing!”
“Oh, Evangeline.” She cooed as she pushed into the supplies closet, her hands wrapping around me tightly. Her soft lily scent wrapped around me, calming me just for a second.
We stayed in silence, my tears drying off as I transitioned from broken to broken and numb.
"He didn’t even look back," I whispered, almost to myself.
I thought I was Eva and Josh. The future Mrs. Always-His. I thought love like ours could rewrite fate.
But fate didn’t blink. Fate took one look at his mate and erased me.
What am I now?
“Who am I without him?”
Lila pulled away, “You are Evangeline Vale. The queen of this school! Look, Josh was everything for you, but if he was worth it, he wouldn't leave you like this. You are amazing. The whole school sees it, and they are out there waiting. Waiting to see how Evangeline Vale would get up after being knocked down publicly. And what are you going to show them?”
“But it's not that simple. He was my everything.”
Lila sighed, holding my hand. “I know. But so is this school. And now they need their queen to go out and give a speech about love, because just like you, there are others out there who were hurt. You can cry later, but now, they need to see you don't need Josh to remain Queen.”
I stared at her, my heart still bleeding. I doubt it would ever stop. But… the words settled somewhere deep.
Maybe not in the part of me that was strong.
But in the part of me that wanted to be. In the part of me that survived the bullying and loss I went through and got here, head of student body.
I wiped my face with my trembling hands and looked down at my ruined dress, smeared with tears and with makeup.
A queen, huh?
Queens break too. But they rise. But can I?
“I can’t do this,” I whispered, my voice barely there.
Lila squeezed my hand. “Yes, you can. And I’ll be right there with you.”
I stood on shaky legs, my heels hurting. I reached for the mirror on the back of the door, wiping away mascara with my fingers.
It wasn’t perfect. Neither was I.
But I was still me.
Still Eva Vale. Who defeated the Cross Brothers? I can survive this.
And for tonight, that had to be enough.
Heads turned as I stepped out of the supplies closet. Gasps echoed as I walked to the stage, my head high as I ignored the looks of pity. I pushed away thoughts of Josh and this whole night because I was stronger than that.
Everyone blurred as soon as I stepped onto the podium, and I caught a glimpse of the speech I wrote the night before.
A note about how much I loved Josh… My throat constricted, but I focused on my heart instead.
“A lot of you know how beautiful Love is, and a lot of you are on a journey of discovering its beauty with your fated mates after tonight.”
The hall fell silent as they waited for what I would say, and in the crowd, I caught a glimpse of Josh.
He averted his gaze almost immediately. My heart broke all over again.
“You are doing great!” Lila whispered from behind me, and I took a deep breath and continued.
“It's the most beautiful feeling to exist. And when you are loved back… You feel whole. You feel worthy of living because there's something to live for. I thought I had felt love before. But I was wrong. But there's love all around me. If you've ever felt discarded, abandoned, or rejected tonight, it doesn't define you. As long as you have yourself, you are worthy of a love that would never leave. A love that keeps promises.”I felt Josh’s gaze on me.
“You are worthy of it all. Have a great night, Burwood.”
I expected applause, as always, but I noticed everyone’s attention was away from me and on something, someone behind me.
“That was such a sad little speech, Angel. Seems like your little bleak heart was ruined tonight.”
I gasped as I instantly recognized the voice.
Riven.
No. But how? My throat closed up as I froze in place.
The music stopped abruptly.
Kade stepped into view, a cruel grin on his face as he yanked the mic from my hand.
“Hey, Burwood,” he said smoothly, his voice echoing through the speakers,
“It’s your president speaking. Run.”
A deafening roar shook the room.
The doors burst open.
A massive black wolf charged in, eyes glowing red as it snarled, jaws snapping with hunger.
Screams erupted. Students scattered. The chaos was instant. We were all wolves, but this wolf was on another level.
But I couldn’t move. How did they escape? Dad said they were on their way to the other side of the world. The plan was supposed to work permanently.
A hand, hot, firm, grabbed my wrist. “I wish I could capture the fear on your face forever,” Riven smirked behind me.
Then it hit me like a wave.
My knees buckled.
And then I felt it.
A snap.
A bond.
The massive wolf froze in the middle of the hall.
Kade froze as his gaze snapped onto mine.
Riven’s hands dropped from my waist as he took a staggered step away from me.
“Mate.”
What the f**k?
- Writer
