Free Web NovelChapter 36: Chapter 36 Drunken Confessions
Bella’s POV
The tension between Hugo and me stretched like a wire ready to snap when footsteps interrupted our charged moment. His spine went rigid, and he turned away, dragging both hands down his face as if trying to erase what had just passed between us.
I whipped around to see little Leah standing on the small balcony, her silhouette framed against the dim light.
"Mommy," she called, her voice cutting through the thick air.
The sound of her voice melted my heart instantly. I wiped away the tears that had been threatening to fall and rushed to scoop her into my arms.
"Are you feeling better now, sweetheart?" I asked, forcing brightness into my voice while my pulse still hammered from whatever had been building with Hugo.
"I’m okay. I just had a really weird dream," she said, her bottom lip jutting out in that way that made her look so much younger.
Hugo turned back toward us, his eyes finding mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.
"What happened in your dream, baby?" I settled her carefully on the balcony railing, keeping my arms secured around her as she leaned into me.
"There was this old man in a dark cave. He couldn’t see anything, and he was doing something strange with his hands," she said, her words tumbling out with startling clarity for someone who had just woken up.
My throat constricted. Something about the way she described it sent ice through my veins.
"What was he doing exactly?" Hugo stepped closer, his voice gentler than I had heard it before.
He must have sensed that I was struggling to keep my composure, because he seamlessly took over the questioning.
"I don’t really know. He was making fire appear from his hands somehow. But then he would make these scary sounds and jerk his hands away like they hurt. And then all these children started coming out of nowhere. So many of them. I was there too."
The words hit me like a physical blow. My eyes went wide, and every nerve ending in my body seemed to come alive with warning signals.
"That’s all I remember," Leah said with a casual shrug, already squirming to get down so she could return to her toys while her siblings were still napping.
I lowered her to the ground, my hands shaking slightly.
Once she disappeared back inside, I turned to face Hugo, my heart still racing.
"Do you think that dream means something important?" The question came out more breathless than I intended. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
He raked his fingers through his hair, the gesture betraying his own anxiety.
"We need to start monitoring them while they sleep," Hugo said, finally meeting my gaze. "Someone has to be watching at all times now."
His words landed like stones in my chest. This was exactly what I had been dreading, the situation spiraling beyond my control.
"But you brought the medication, right? We can start them on it immediately," I said, grasping for any thread of hope.
The moment his eyes shifted away from mine, dread settled in my stomach like lead.
"The pills will prevent the worst symptoms for maybe a year, possibly two if we’re lucky," he said quietly, his voice heavy with reluctance.
The admission wasn’t nearly enough. My children needed complete freedom from this curse, and they needed it now.
Something malevolent was closing in on us, something that seemed to target the innocent.
My phone started buzzing insistently against my hip. I glanced down at the unknown number, frowning at the unfamiliar digits.
Hugo moved closer, peering over my shoulder at the screen.
"That’s Derek’s number," he said, his voice carrying a strange note.
I looked up, confusion creasing my brow.
"Maybe it’s urgent," I said, swiping to answer. "Hello?"
Heavy, ragged breathing filled the line, but no words.
"Hello?" I tried again, tapping my fingers against my jaw as I moved toward the suite.
My two youngest emerged from their bedroom, rubbing sleep from their eyes. When Hugo noticed them, he started walking in their direction, probably wanting more time with Zack.
Part of me wanted to intercept him, but I held back. Soon enough, I would find the cure we needed and leave this place behind. Hugo would have to face saying goodbye to Zack regardless.
For now, I was just grateful for any help with my suffering children.
The call disconnected abruptly, leaving me staring at my phone in bewilderment. Seconds later, Derek called back.
I answered, repeating his name several times, but heard only the same labored breathing and distant sounds before the line died again.
When the phone rang for a third time, I put it on speaker.
"Hello?"
This time, a voice finally broke through.
"Derek? You keep calling me. What’s wrong?" I asked, walking back into the suite and heading toward the room where I had left my files.
With Hugo already occupied with the kids, I felt a small measure of relief, at least concerning Leah for the moment.
"Are you alright?" I called out again. Derek’s breathing was loud and irregular, filling the speakers.
"I miss you."
The world seemed to tilt sideways. I froze completely, taking several heartbeats to process what I had heard.
"Derek, you have the wrong number," I said with a forced laugh, settling into a chair at the table with my hand resting on the file folder.
My fingers curled into a fist. It felt cruel for him to call and say such things when he obviously meant to reach Serena, his wife.
"I can’t survive without you," he continued, his words slurred and heavy with emotion, making me realize the truth.
He was intoxicated. That explained the misdirected call.
"I don’t understand why we’re apart, but I need you here with me right now," he said through what sounded like tears.
"Derek, I’m sorry you’re hurting, but you’ve called the wrong person. You should try calling Serena," I said, already moving to end the call.
"I’m calling exactly the right person, Bella."
When my name left his lips, my heart stopped beating entirely.
"What?" My voice cracked with disbelief. I stared at the phone screen in stunned silence.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" I demanded, my tone turning sharp and dangerous.
"I miss you, Bella. More than you know. I want you back in my life," he continued, each word hitting me like a physical blow.
"You’re not thinking clearly right now. Call me when you’re sober," I snapped, my voice shaking with anger and hurt.
Before I could second-guess myself, I ended the call.
My hands clenched into fists, and tears of rage burned behind my eyes.
After all these years of silence, now he chose to confess his feelings?
I growled under my breath, shoving the phone away and slamming my palms on the table as I shot to my feet.
When I spun around, Hugo was standing in the doorway. The expression of shock on his face told me everything I needed to know.
He had heard every word.
