Sophia’s POV
I was rubbing Lex’s back softly. My heart was racing like crazy.
“Is something wrong with Lex?” I asked, trying to turn my head so I could look at my mom. “What is going on, mom?”
I couldn’t move much because Lex was holding me too tightly. I couldn’t see my mom’s face clearly, but what I did see had me even more worried than before. I tightened my arms around Lex and kept my eyes on my mom.
“Alex is okay, honey,” my mom said and I relaxed immediately. “It’s not about him.”
As long as Lex was okay, everything would be okay.
“Who is it about then?” I heard Hunter ask. “What the hell happened?”
Lex placed a hand on my head and pressed me even closer to him.
“It’s about your darkness, Fia,” Lex said, his voice trembling. “It didn’t leave. It’s still here.”
I froze completely.
What?
“I can still feel it inside you, honey,” my mom added and I felt her hand on my back. “We got you back, but we didn’t get rid of it.”
My stomach turned. I was going to throw up. I couldn’t move, though. I couldn’t feel my body.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Hunter screamed. “You are wrong! You have to be wrong!”
I couldn’t even feel my heart beating. Maybe it just stopped working. I was sure that I wasn’t breathing. My chest burned with the lack of air.
It was still here? It could take over me again?
Oh, Goddess, no.
No, no, no, no!
It could take over me again and I could hurt someone again. I could kill someone again! What if this time I hurt someone I loved? What if I hurt my family? What if I hurt Lex? What if I hurt Hunter?
No!
I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t find my voice. I could hear my parents explaining something to Hunter, but I couldn’t focus on their conversation.
All I thought about was hurting someone again. I didn’t want to hurt anyone ever again.
“Breathe, Fia,” Lex whispered softly. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise. We will find a way to get rid of it for good. I will find a way.”
Find a way to get rid of it? We’d been trying for years and nothing ever worked. We wouldn’t find a way to get rid of it and it would take over me again. I would hurt someone again. Only this time it could be someone from my family. This time I could hurt my mate.
I would never forgive myself if I hurt Hunter.
And then a thought came to me.
I had to leave. I had to protect them all and leave.
‘What?!’ Stella screamed at me. ‘You can’t go, Sophia! I won’t let you leave! I will tell Axel. You are not going anywhere!’
I swallowed the lump in my throat and closed my eyes.
‘I am not going anywhere,’ I mumbled. ‘I am a danger to everyone, not just my family. The darkness could take over me and I could hurt someone. I don’t want to hurt anyone else.’
Stella was quiet for a few moments.
‘What did you mean then?’ she asked, but I didn’t respond.
I forced a little bit of air into my lungs and opened my eyes.
“You need to lock me back up,” I said and the room suddenly got very quiet. “I need to go back into that room.”
It was the only way. I wasn’t going to let anyone get hurt again.
“What?” Hunter was the first one to speak. “No, Sophia!”
He sat down next to Lex and me. I felt his hands on my back. He tried to pull me away from Lex, but Lex growled quietly and tightened his arms around me.
“Yes,” I said, grabbing a fistful of Lex’s hoodie. “I am dangerous. I could hurt someone. I don’t want to hurt anyone ever again. You need to lock me back up until we find a way.”
“No, Fia, we won’t do that,” Lex said. “You will feel the darkness coming. You will tell us and we can do something then. I am not locking you up in that room again.”
I pushed back a little so I could look at Lex.
“What if I don’t feel it?” I asked, my voice laced with fear. “What if it just takes over and you can’t do anything about it?”
Lex shook his head at me.
“I won’t let it happen, Lex,” I said. “I won’t hurt anyone ever again.”
Lex just kept looking at me. He kept gulping and I could tell that he was having a hard time speaking.
“I don’t think that’s necessary, honey,” my mom said. “You always felt the darkness coming, Sophie. There is no reason to think that this time will be any different.”
I looked at my mom and shook my head.
“I am not ready to take that risk, mom,” I said. “I won’t let myself hurt anyone ever again.”
My mom looked at my dad and took a deep breath.
“Fuck, no, Sophia,” Hunter said angrily. “It is not happening. I am not locking you up I that room just because the darkness could come back. What if it doesn’t? What if it takes us days to find a way to get rid of it? What if it takes us weeks, or months?”
Hunter pulled me from Lex and this time Lex let him do it.
“I am not doing it, Sophia,” Hunter said as he turned me around and cupped my cheeks. “There is no fucking way that you will be locked in that room again.”
I lifted my hand and caressed his cheek. I didn’t want to be separated from him again either. But if the darkness came back and I hurt him…
“It will be okay,” I said, trying to give him a small smile. “We will find a way. My mom will find a way soon and I will be able to get out of there.
I looked at my mom and saw her looking at me with tears in her eyes.
“You will find a way, mom, won’t you?” I asked.
She nodded and approached me. She pulled me from Logan and hugged me tightly.
“I will find a way, my baby,” she said softly. “I promise, Sophia. I will find a way and I will make sure that you are never touched by darkness again.”
I leaned my head on my mom’s shoulder. I believed in her. I knew that she would find a way and I knew that everything would be okay.
