Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Clara almost woke up at the sound of the gunshot, but she didn't. She couldn't move, couldn't even control her own body. All she could do was watch the look in his eyes shift from happiness to something so wounded, it felt endless.

He pressed a hand to his chest, head down, silent.

Outside, the rain was coming down in sheets. The storm was wild, shaking the windows, making it feel like the whole world was about to cave in.

Clara wanted to snap out of it, break through whatever was holding her back. She hated scenes like this-two people on the edge, everything tense and raw.

Crash.

Something hit the floor. Clara jerked awake. The glass that had been on her desk was now shattered on the wood, broken by the wind.

She hadn't closed the window last night. Living by the sea, she knew how strong the wind could get sometimes it felt like it could tear the whole place apart.

She'd been through storms before. That island with Dylan, the hurricane—they'd survived together.

So why was she thinking of Dylan now?

Clara rubbed her forehead, still unsettled by the dream. She'd finally had a few quiet days, but after this, sleep was out of the question.

She got up, grabbed a bottle of water, and took a long drink, trying to calm the storm inside her.

She didn't bother with the window. She just stood there, letting the cold air slap her awake until her skin stopped burning.

She scrolled through her phone, thumb hovering over her contacts. For a second, she didn't even know who she wanted to call.

Finally, she dialed Z.

She didn't expect him to answer. Z had always been closed off, almost allergic to other people. As far as she knew, he only had one real friend.

Thinking about that—and about her dream-made her chest ache. It was like the pain from her dream had followed her into the real world, squeezing her heart until she could barely breathe.

The phone kept ringing. She silently begged him to pick up.

Then, he did.

"Hello?"

His voice was soft, almost gentle. Like he knew it was her, but wished it wasn't.

Maybe it was the dream, but Clara's heart hurt for him.

The cold wind made her shiver. She

brushed her face with her

hand,

surprised to find it wet. She was

and hadn't even noticed.

It was just a dream, she thought. So why did it feel so real?

She tried to speak, but the words

wouldn't come. The weight inside et

her made everything blurry, like she wasn't sure if she was still dreaming.

He spoke again, quiet: "Is that you?"

Clara's emotions were a mess, but her voice was steady. "Yeah."

That was all she could manage.

He let out a short, broken laugh. It sent a chill through her.

"I told you, didn't I? If you ever left me, I'd die."

Clara gripped her phone tighter, wanting to ask what he meant, but he hung up before she got the chance.

Her mind snapped into focus. She stared at her phone, then immediately called him back.

No answer. Then, his phone switched off.

She kept calling, again and again, even as she hurried to get dressed, already planning to drive back to the Capital.

She rented a car right then. If she drove through the night, she'd make it by sunrise.

She didn't let herself slow down, speeding down empty streets toward Z's place, her heart pounding, every nerve on edge.noveldrama

She remembered the last time they almost broke up-how he'd threatened to end everything. She'd left him alone for so long now, she could only imagine how close he was to the edge.

Clara kept driving, kept calling.

She'd asked Ryan to pass along a message, but Z had refused to come. He

probably already knew about her and Dylan.

She pulled over, took a shaky breath, and sent a text.

I can explain. Please wait for me I'm coming to get you.