Chapter 2

2

"Thank you for the concern, Mr. Brooks. I'm undergoing treatment, and I'm mostly functional now. You don't have to treat me like a patient."

He stepped forward into the light, revealing a face that was hauntingly perfect.

The cold, hard energy radiating from him made Serena take a step back.

I looked up, my eyes locking with his.

His dark eyes held a weight and a focus that didn't belong to a teenager.

Wait. Did he travel back in time, too?

My heart hammered against my ribs, making it hard to breathe.

So, he could show emotion. He just never showed it to me.

All those years, he watched me crawl for him like a dog. He watched me make a fool of myself just to make him smile. How did it feel for him?

Serena couldn't take her eyes off his face now that she'd really seen him.

I didn't care. I turned to walk away.

As I brushed past Silas, he spoke under his breath.

"I've always had a thing for collecting art. I think the second Miss Brooks and I might actually have a lot in common."

I stopped, but I didn't turn around.

My heart was trembling, but I forced my voice to stay steady.

"Thanks for the offer, but I work better alone."

In my past life, I threw my heart at his feet, ignoring everyone who mocked me. I never stopped to ask if he even wanted it.

I was done chasing a love that was never meant for the light.

In the middle of the night, I went downstairs for a glass of water.

I opened the fridge, but a hand suddenly slammed the door shut.

Silas was standing in the shadows, his eyes searching mine with intense suspicion.

"What kind of game are you playing this time?"

I didn't flinch. I just reached for a bottle of cold water.

"So you did come back from the dead."

"But don't flatter yourself. I'm not interested in you or your brother. I just want to live my own life."

Silas let out a dry, mocking laugh. His eyes dropped to my chest.

"Not interested? Then why are you still wearing that?"

I looked down. It was a necklace Silas had woven by hand in our past life to thank me for taking care of him. It was the only gift he ever gave me.

I hadn't even realized I was wearing it when I woke up in this timeline.

When I didn't answer, Silas raised an eyebrow.

"Let's be clear. I'm never going to love you. Don't go getting ideas."

"And if I find out you're planning something against Serena, I won't be nice about it."

I let out a soft laugh. "I was hoping you'd say that."

I reached up, ripped the necklace off my neck, and tossed it into the trash can next to the fridge. Then, I walked past him and went back upstairs.