The immediate thought that struck Norah was that Xavier had given Circe to Carol. After all, he had never even liked the cat.
Her heart sank like a stone. She spun around and ran outside, desperate to get Circe back.
It was raining steadily. Norah ran to the curb, looking frantically in both directions. Through the sea of umbrellas, she thought she caught a glimpse of Xavier’s familiar silhouette.
Without an umbrella, she dashed into the downpour, sprinting toward him.
The misty rain blurred her vision. Xavier and Carol seemed to be drifting further and further away, walking side by side. No matter how fast Norah ran, she just couldn’t catch up.
From now on, he wouldn't belong to her anymore. He belonged to someone else.
No, she realized with a sharp pang. He had never belonged to her in the first place.
The freezing rain, driven by a biting wind, felt like icy needles piercing her skin, leaving her battered and bleeding on the inside.
Her eyes remained locked on his retreating figure, her mind slipping into a hazy daze.
Up ahead, Xavier was carrying an umbrella, heading toward the pet clinic. Suddenly, a chorus of terrified screams erupted behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a sports car tearing recklessly into the pedestrian-only zone. People were scrambling out of the way in sheer panic.
Fortunately, the rain had kept the crowds thin.
Then, his pupils contracted. Pure terror ripped across his face. He sprinted madly toward the girl, screaming at the top of his lungs.
“Norah!”
“Get out of the way! Norah!”
The girl finally registered the deafening roar of the engine. She turned around in a daze, but the car was already right on top of her.
The driver had been on his phone. When he finally looked up and saw the girl in his path, all the color drained from his face as he slammed on the brakes.
Bang!
Norah was thrown through the air like a ragdoll. The street erupted in horrified shrieks.
Xavier raced over, dropping to the pavement beside her. He pulled her broken, bleeding body into his arms. His mind went entirely blank. All he could see was blood—a terrifying sea of crimson washing away in the rain. It was blinding, freezing, and absolute.
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