Chapter 72: finally to present

Present PovRose sat silently across from Lucian in his room, a steaming cup of coffee resting in her hands, its warmth seeping into her palms, grounding her in the present. Yet her mind was racing, her thoughts tangled with past regrets, present emotions, and a sense of purpose she hadn't felt in ages. She kept her gaze steady on Lucian, who had just stirred awake, blinking and looking slightly disoriented by her presence.

Lucian glanced at her, his confusion evident. She wasn't supposed to be here, not at this time. Why now? he thought, unease creeping in. Rose was supposed to be abroad, fully immersed in her studies, far away from home. Her sudden appearance was a disruption in the timeline he had carefully tracked, a break in the logic he had come to rely on. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling oddly unsettled.

"Um… so, why are you here?" he finally asked, breaking the silence. He couldn't contain the curiosity any longer. It was so unlike her to just appear out of nowhere, especially in his room.

Rose's lips curved into a small smile, her expression calm but her eyes carrying a depth of emotions she kept tightly controlled. "Can't I check in on my little brother?" she replied, her tone light, but there was a weight behind her words that he couldn't quite grasp.

Lucian looked down, scratching his hand as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Well, usually… you don't," he admitted, his words faltering. "You're… busy." His voice carried a hint of confusion, almost as if he didn't recognize the sister sitting before him.

Rose's heart sank at his words. She could feel the distance between them, one she had created herself through years of indifference and neglect. His guarded response hit her harder than she had expected. It was as if he didn't fully trust her, as if there was a part of him that had learned to be wary, even around his own sister. She took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the coffee cup as she steadied herself.

"Have I become that much of a stranger to you, Lucy?" she asked, her voice soft yet carrying a tremor she couldn't quite hide. Her words were filled with a vulnerability she rarely allowed herself to feel, let alone show. For a fleeting moment, her carefully maintained composure wavered, revealing a glimpse of the pain she held within.

Lucian looked away, clearly uncomfortable. Rose could sense his restraint, a hesitation in his demeanor that reminded her of the innocent little brother she once knew, yet had pushed away countless times. Her chest tightened, a mix of guilt and determination swelling within her. She knew she had to make things right, no matter how difficult it was.

She took a deep breath, and then, with a resolve she hadn't felt before, she began to speak, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Lucy, I… I remember everything," she confessed, her voice shaky but determined. "I came back in time too… just like you." She watched his reaction closely, her heart pounding with anticipation, hoping he would believe her. "I remember… all of it. Every mistake, every hurtful word. I know about the bullets you took for me… the way you protected me. I… I know how horrible I was, how much I failed you."

She took another breath, her words coming faster now, as though speaking them would somehow erase the pain she had caused. "I was blind, and selfish, and I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I'm here… because I need to ask for it." She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of her confession settle over her like a shroud, afraid to see the disappointment or confusion in his gaze. Would he believe her? Would he think she had lost her mind? Would he walk away?

When she opened her eyes, everything around her was… gray. The coffee in her hands was still warm, but the world itself seemed to have stopped. The clock on the wall was frozen, mid-tick. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked around, realizing that even Lucian was motionless, suspended in time.

"What… what's happening?" she murmured, panic creeping into her voice. She rubbed her eyes, thinking it was a trick of the light or her imagination, but everything remained still. She glanced back at Lucian, his expression caught in mid-reaction, as if he hadn't even heard her confession.

Is this because I told him? she wondered, dread settling in her stomach. Am I not allowed to tell anyone that I've come back in time? The thought twisted in her mind, but it was the only explanation that made sense. She had crossed a boundary, broken an unspoken rule in this strange second chance at life. The world itself seemed to reject her revelation, trapping her in this eerie silence.

The weight of it sank in. She was meant to keep the truth a secret, perhaps a punishment of sorts, a limitation on her ability to fix her mistakes. I've been given a chance, but there are rules, she realized, her mind racing to grasp the implications. She clenched her fists, frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior. So even now, I'm not allowed to fully make amends? The cruelty of it stung, but a part of her understood. This was her trial a test of whether she could make things right without relying on explanations or shortcuts.

Rose sat across from Lucian, her mind swirling as she processed the bizarre experience of time stopping, the gray stillness, the quiet that had blanketed the room. She let out a breath, barely realizing she'd been holding it. Her hand gripped the coffee cup tightly as she pieced together the strange rules she now seemed bound by unable to speak of her past life or confess the depth of her remorse. So, one minute, she thought, one minute of frozen silence to stop me.

Lucian, meanwhile, seemed utterly unaware, blinking as though nothing had happened. His gaze had drifted away, unfocused, as though he were physically present but emotionally somewhere far away. He looked distant, worn, and seeing him like this only deepened Rose's guilt. Sёarch* The Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

She took a breath, forcing herself to speak with whatever honesty she could. "Lucy…" she began, carefully considering each word, fearful that another misstep could plunge her back into that terrifying suspension. "I… I wanted to talk to you about everything. About us."

But Lucian's gaze didn't soften. His eyes remained guarded, as though he were bracing himself for more disappointment, for another meaningless gesture from her. There was a flicker of something in his eyes perhaps resentment, perhaps exhaustion. He didn't move to make things easier for her; instead, he looked at her briefly before turning his face away.

"Yes?" he said flatly, his tone clipped and distant, as though each word were an effort. "What is it, Rose?" He crossed his arms, keeping his tone polite yet utterly indifferent.

His coldness pierced her. In a quiet voice, barely audible, Rose replied, "Lucy, please, I wanna talk about something. Explore more adventures at M-V-L

just as rose was about to say more Lucian cut her words in middle and started talking himself

rose stopped in middle of her words

Lucian sighed, his patience clearly wearing thin. He looked away from her, letting the silence grow tense and uncomfortable. It was as though he were giving her one last chance, a silent ultimatum. "Just tell me what you want, Rose," he said, his voice soft yet sharp. "Please, don't play games with me. I don't have it in me to pretend anymore."

The rawness in his tone caught her off guard, and she felt a pang of remorse. Here was Lucian, the brother she'd once ignored, now too hurt to even tolerate her presence. Rose's heart sank. He's given up on me, she thought, and maybe I deserve that.

Lucian continued, his voice quiet and firm, every word carrying the weight of past pain. "I'm going to be straight with you," he said, his tone resigned, as though he had rehearsed this moment a thousand times in his mind. "I'm done. I've spent years waiting, hoping… thinking you'd care. And I've finally stopped expecting anything." He swallowed, as if gathering his composure. "So if you're here to play another game, please… don't. I can't do this anymore."

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