Page 80 of Before We Were

As Jake handles the transaction, my attention drifts to the window. That's when everything shifts—my skin prickles with awareness, my heart stutters, then races. I freeze, ice replacing blood in my veins as I spot him.

Evan.

He's across the street, surrounded by Eden's elite, laughing like he's never destroyed a life. My stomach twists into origami shapes, a silent scream building behind my ribs. The bakery door might as well be a fortress wall for how impossible it feels to move. Each second that ticks by feels like an eternity. Panic floods my system, my breathing shallow and quick as my body reacts before my mind can catch up.

Breathe.

I command myself.

Just breathe.

But the air feels like broken glass in my lungs. Pressure builds in my chest, my throat closing like it's caught in a vice. Each heartbeat sends ice through my veins, crashing against my skull with brutal force.

Breathe.

My next inhale catches, too fast and too shallow, as control slips through my fingers like water. The room starts to spin, simultaneously too quick and too slow. I dig crescents into my palms, trying to force my breathing into something resembling rhythm.

I'm not dying in a bakery, I repeat silently, searching for an anchor. It's all in my head. I'm in control. But watching him stand there, carelessly destructive, the bitter truth crashes over me—I'm nowhere near in control.

This panic isn't just in my head. It's real, visceral, consuming.

He's real.

And he's here.

The bakery dissolves around me. I'm back in that room last summer, frozen, powerless. His threats echo in my ears, venomous promises that sealed my silence. Every buried fear claws its way to the surface, leaving me raw.

"Hey.” Jake's voice cuts through the fog, concern bleeding through.

"Nora? You okay?" I nod mechanically.

"Yeah... yeah, I just..." My voice wavers before I steady it. "Could we get these to go? I'm feeling off."

Jake's expression tightens with worry, but he doesn't push. "Sure," he says, guiding us out quickly, reading my desperate need to escape.

I follow, eyes down, feeling Evan's gaze burn into my back. Despite Jake's protective presence, loneliness pounds through me like a second heartbeat.

As we pedal home, the world blurs into watercolor smears, indistinguishable from my churning thoughts. Jake keeps glancing over, concern etched deep, but I keep my eyes forward, not daring to meet him.

How do I admit that Evan being here has shattered my carefully reconstructed sense of safety?

The wind whips past, but it's nothing compared to the hurricane inside me. Gripping the handlebars, one thought crystallizes with terrifying clarity: I'm nowhere near ready to face him.

CHAPTER25

A PART OF ME DIED

NORA

June, 2006

15 years old

It's Saturday night,and for once, I'm actually excited. All week, I've been looking forward to crashing at Claire's place for our usual sleepover ritual—snacks, laughter, and endless episodes ofOne Tree Hill.

Claire, with her magnetic personality, has always been the one in the spotlight, while I preferred the quiet of the shadows. She was always transforming ordinary moments into adventures while I orbit contentedly in her glow.

The moment we reach her room after saying goodnight to her mom, Claire's energy crackles with an intensity that sets my nerves on edge. The sharp snap of her bedroom door feels like a starting gun, and when she turns to me, a familiar guilty look twists her features.

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