Chapter 18: Giving up

HUGO

I wanted to be her friend, but that could be dangerous. If our relationship evolved into something more, it could be a recipe for disaster.

“She saw me in her vision,” I told Celeste.

“What did she see?” she asked, her interest piqued.

“She’s family to me… She’s still in the dark about her sister. It’s all so strange and I can’t make sense of it. I’m not a part of her world, she shouldn’t have seen me,” I explained.

Guardian angels aren’t meant to be permanent fixtures in someone’s life. We’re not supposed to be seen, we’re there to guide and then disappear once our task is complete.

“But she saw me take a bullet meant for her and then…then she saw us kiss…,” I shared with her, hoping she might have some insight. She wasn’t a guardian, but she was wise and had seen a lot.

A soft smile played on her lips. “Maybe,” she offered gently, her gaze soft on me. “Maybe you’re just uncomfortable with her seeing your dreams,” she suggested, and a lump formed in my throat.

“When you first brought her to the forest, at the front door. You didn’t look at her like an angel. You looked at her like she was a piece of your heart. You can’t fool someone who has felt that kind of love. My only question is,” she leaned in closer, “how can you love her so deeply when she didn’t even know you existed a few days ago?”

Celeste was a wise woman. Too wise. And I was scared she already knew what I had done…

DANICA

Suddenly, all motivation seemed to evaporate. The drive to get up and face the day was gone. There was no point in continuing to work, I should probably let someone know I’m quitting.

Miles… I had agreed to go out with him this weekend, but why bother now? I picked up my phone and dialed Miles.

“Hello,” he answered, his voice heavy with sleep.

“Hey…it’s Danica…did I wake you?” I asked him.

“My alarm just went off, so you’re good,” he replied. “Is there a reason you’re calling? Not that I’m complaining, it’s just unusual,” he added, his tone flirtatious as always. He was the golden boy, the one all the confident girls chased and the quiet ones admired from a distance.

“I’m quitting my job. I’ll call my boss and let him know later. And that means…it’s probably not a good idea for us to go out this weekend,” I tried to keep it as straightforward as possible.

“Danica, are you okay?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Yeah…just some things have changed…,” I replied.

“You can’t just quit without giving notice,” he reasoned.

“I’ll call the boss. He can find a replacement quickly, it won’t be a problem… Bye Miles,” I said, hanging up before he could respond.

I took a shower, got dressed, and headed downstairs. Celeste was still asleep, the house was dark. I walked into the living room and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Hugo sitting on the couch.

He glanced up at me. “You’re up early,” he commented, then returned his gaze forward. I sat down on the opposite end of the couch. It was early, but I couldn’t sleep any longer.

“You’re here early,” I retorted. I doubted he had slept at all. “You know there are plenty of empty rooms upstairs. You could have found a decent place to sleep,” I pointed out.

He ignored my comment. “Why are you up so early? Heading to work?” he asked, already preparing to follow me outside, but I wasn’t going.

“I’m not going. There’s no point in working anymore,” I confessed.

“There was never a reason for you to work. You’re not meant for a mundane life,” he stated. “And now it’s clear as day that you were never meant to live in the human world.”

“Even if you’re right, there’s no point in anything now,” I said, devoid of hope.

“Don’t say that,” he implored, looking at me. “Don’t say there’s nothing left for you. No one said you’re going to die!”

“And no one said I won’t,” I countered.

He moved closer to me, taking my hands in his and kissing them fervently. I felt it deep within me. ~Please don’t feel what I’m feeling now.~ So easily swayed by him. My heart quickened its pace.

“Don’t,” he pleaded, his voice laced with disappointment. “I can’t stand the idea of you entertaining such thoughts, knowing that many have ended their lives because they felt the same way.” He moved closer to me, almost instinctively.

“I won’t abandon you, Danica, especially not now,” he continued, his words tumbling out in a rush. “Whether you like it or not, I’m going to teach you everything you should have known a long time ago. I need you to be strong, to fight, to believe in yourself. My job is to shield you from harm, to make you feel safe and content. If I fail at that, it’ll destroy me from the inside. I need you, Danica…”

His words hung in the air between us, heavy and charged. We weren’t physically close, but it felt as if we were sharing the same breath. The space separating us seemed too small, too intimate. He was too near.

My breath hitched, my heart pounded, and a blush spread across my cheeks. I saw his gaze shift to my flushed face.

His lips parted in surprise, but before he could say anything, Celeste’s voice cut through the tension. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said, a smirk playing on her lips as she looked at us. “Someone’s here for you, Danica,” she added before leaving the room.

I couldn’t stay there any longer. The thoughts swirling in my mind were wrong, and I needed to escape the suffocating atmosphere. I sprang from my seat and made a beeline for the door, desperate to get away from the situation.

But then, a chilling thought stopped me in my tracks. Astra.