Part 2The Day Their Lies Broke My Mind

Brianna's POV

I had no idea how I made it back home.

My head was pounding, and the house felt stifling.

The voice that had vanished returned. "Open the window. Open it, and it won't feel so stuffy anymore."

I shifted my gaze toward the pitch-black window.

"Go on, open it. Take the leap, and your head won't hurt anymore!"

I dragged myself forward. After I opened the window, the room really did feel less stuffy.

I pounded on my head. Would the pain really go away if I took the leap?

I had just swung one leg over the sill when a voice shattered the silence behind me. "Bri!"

The very next second, I was tackled to the floor.

Hugo panted and pulled me into his arms. "I should've been home sooner. Forgive me, Bri. I'm so sorry."

There was a lingering fear in his trembling voice.

He kept running his hand down my back. His movement was gentle, and his hand was shaking, too.

I rested my head on his shoulder, staring out at the darkness of the night. "Where'd you go?"

His body stiffened for a split second before he pulled away and gently wiped the tears that had unconsciously slipped down my cheeks.

"I had a wedding to attend today. I couldn't duck out before it wrapped up, so I got held up."

Right after saying that, he pulled out his phone. "Kieran was there with me. If you don't believe me, you can ask him."

The call connected almost instantaneously.

"Hugo has made it home, right, Brianna? Are you checking up on him again? Relax, he was on his best behavior today." His slightly lazy voice was as infuriatingly punchable as ever.

He used to tell me, "Brianna, if anyone ever picks on you, tell me. I'll beat the hell out of them!"

Yet, he had taken the side of the very people who had betrayed me. He had chosen to stand against me.

After hanging up, Hugo leaned in to peck my forehead. "Is your mind at ease now?"

The scenes from the wedding flashed across my mind. A wave of nausea rose in my throat, and I couldn't help but double over and dry-heave.

Hugo's expression shifted. "Bri—"

His phone abruptly rang, cutting him off.

"I need to take this," he said before hurrying out onto the balcony.

Snippets of his voice drifted in through the narrow gap of the unlatched sliding door. "She's having another episode... Yeah... I'll be down in a second."

I closed my eyes and listened as Hugo's footsteps approached. "Sean told me he's not feeling too well, Bri. I'm going to check on him. If it gets too late, I'll just crash at his place tonight."

As soon as his words fell, I received a call from Dad. "Hugo's coming over to check up on me, Bri. Don't worry about a thing."

What a seamless tag team they were.

Hugo dangled his bracelet in front of me. "If you're still anxious, feel free to track my location at any time." His footsteps gradually faded, and the door clicked shut behind him.

I pushed myself up from the couch and walked to the window, where I saw Katalin eagerly throw herself into Hugo's arms. The couple kissed before slipping into the car.

The vehicle vanished into the distance in no time.

I took a deep breath and silenced the voice in my head. Then, I went downstairs, hailed a cab, and gave the driver Mom and Dad's address.