Beneath the Same Old Moon

Ten Thousand Times

If I wasn't mistaken, this was the second time he'd abandoned me.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital room. My throat felt as if someone had pressed a hot iron to it since every breath I took felt painfully raw. The doctor said that I would've spent the rest of my life as a vegetable if I had been brought in for treatment even a second later.

After I took the medication, I drifted back under.

Somewhere in the haze, voices dragged me awake again.

I groggily saw Chloe curled in Elliot's arms, crying her heart out. "Elliot, it was all my fault. You abandoned Natalie to save me. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to her."

Elliot, who usually couldn't stand a speck of dirt on him, gently wiped her tears away as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

His voice even softened in a way I had never heard before. "Ms. Shelton, don't blame yourself. Even if I had to do it ten thousand times, I would still save you first."

"Really?" Chloe looked up at him, her eyes glassy with tears.

Elliot's gaze burned, the love in his eyes finally too overwhelming to hide. "Of course. Ms. Shelton, I lo—"

'Crash!'

The monitor hit the floor. Both of them jerked in shock.

Elliot spun around, his expression freezing when he saw how pale I was. "Ms. Graf, you're awa—"

"Get lost," I said quietly.

"What?" He stared at me like he couldn't believe what he'd heard.

I met his eyes without the slightest trace of warmth. "I want you and Chloe to get lost."

Chloe flinched, her brows knitting as her tears welled up once more. "Natalie…"

I picked up the vase beside me and smashed it on the ground, letting out a brittle laugh. "What are you waiting for? For me to kill you?"

She froze, her tears falling harder. She shot Elliot a wounded look before dashing down the hall.

He instinctively took a step after her, but stopped himself mid-stride. After a long moment, he let out a quiet sigh. "Ms. Graf, do you feel better now?"

I didn't answer him. I lay back down and shut my eyes.

There were only three days left before I married.

…

The next morning, I signed myself out of the hospital despite the doctor's protests. I was getting married the next day, so I needed to see Chloe's mother's grave moved with my own eyes—just like the year she forced my father to make me kneel to her dead mother's portrait.

My father never showed up when the digging started. He claimed he'd find it too painful. I found that strange because he'd been grinning like the festivities had come early when they dug up my mother's coffin all those years ago.

Chloe came running over halfway through the excavation. For the first time, she tore off her mask of innocence and glared at me with pure hatred. "Natalie Graf, you filthy wretch! Why aren't you dead yet?

"If I'd known you'd turn out this vicious, I wouldn't have stopped at killing your mother—I should've taken you with her!"

My mind exploded. "What did you just say?"

Chloe's smile was sweet and poisonous. "Do you know how stupid your mom was? When I pushed her down the stairs, she actually told me she didn't blame me and asked me to call an ambulance. Guess what I did. I stepped on her stomach and danced a little Swan Lake."

Something in me snapped clean through. I lunged at her like a feral animal, ready to make her pay for my mother and my baby sister, who never had a chance to be born.

Chloe instantly dropped to her knees, tears flowing on command. "Natalie, please, I'm begging you—spare my mom. Hit me, yell at me, do whatever you want. I'm begging you to let my mom rest. She's still your elder."

She cried as if her heart were splitting open, and every tear struck straight at Elliot's.

"Natalie, you witch!" Elliot charged toward me and shoved me hard. My head slammed against the tombstone, and everything went black.

Right before I lost consciousness, I was crazy enough to think I saw horror in his eyes.