The Unforgettable Echoes Of Love

Chapter 30

Dark shadows obscured my vision, a weight on my chest stealing every breath. Eyes wide, I screamed, yet the grip of oxygen deprivation muted my voice, rendering it a silent plea in the suffocating darkness.

If you don't leave, they're going to come for your family. You don't want to be responsible for their deaths, do you?

It felt like I was tied to a chair, and someone was choking me, trapping me. Weird images flashed before my eyes, a total nightmare I couldn't make sense of.

"Aah!" My own scream jolted me awake, as I started gasping for air. The door burst open, and Lev hurried in, concern etched on his face.

"Raya, are you okay?" The sight of Lev filled my eyes with tears, and I couldn't hold back the emotional wave. He sat on the edge of my bed, embracing me as I grappled with the aftermath of whatever had happened.

Lost in the haze of uncertainty, I questioned the reality around me. Stuck between two realities, one real and the other elusive, I couldn't discern which was true. Levi's touch felt real, yet my past experiences left me unsure. "Are you real?" I whispered.

Lev withdrew, his piercing blue eyes affirming his reality in the dim moonlight. His gaze, at times scary as fuck, brought comfort. "I'm real," he reassured, a faint smile gracing his face.

Observing the exhaustion etched beneath his eyes, I noted his broken appearance. It seemed as if someone had punched him, let him suffer, only to punch the living hell out of him again. "You look awful." I commented, grazing my hand against his jaw. He chuckled, "Thanks for the compliment."

I smiled, turning on the purple LED lights, casting a soft glow. "What happened to you?" I inquired cautiously.

Lying horizontally on my bed, Lev sighed and sniffed. "I don't know what to do with my life anymore," he confessed. I joined him, sighing, "Me neither. Nothing makes sense anymore." I said, looking up at my ceiling.

With the exception of my boyfriend, he was the only presence that maintained a semblance of continuity in my life.

"I saw Dominica, and... all I want is for her to love me again," Lev admitted, his voice cracking with profound pain.

I wished I could alleviate his suffering, make him laugh, but the absence of Dommy seemed to overshadow any chance of happiness. "I fucked up to the point where you, her best friend, shouldn't even convince her to forgive me," he confessed, regret echoing in his words.

His sincerity tugged at my heart. In that moment, I yearned for a world where both of us could escape and find happiness again.

Zyran's presence brought joy, yet even he couldn't fill the gap in my heart.

"Can I sleep here?" Lev asked softly. I nodded, offering him one of my pillows from the floor. We turned our backs to each other, surrendering to the embrace of fatigue.

******

School.

Returning here brought back memories of my brother humiliating my best friend in front of everyone. Walking beside Lev, whispers about the situation swirled around us, frustration evident on his clenched jaw and tightly balled fists.

Murmurs followed us like a persistent shadow.

He shot murderous glares at anyone who even glanced his way. "Lev, please try to relax your face." I pleaded, catching his narrowed eyes before he returned to his cold demeanor.

Silently, he accompanied me to my locker, then to his, all under the weight of the unspoken tension. It was unbearable.

As he closed his locker, our eyes met, exhaustion and anger emanating from his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"