Zara’s gaze drifted to the chest resting on the nightstand. She still hadn’t finished going through it. The ache in her chest dulled beneath a flicker of curiosity.
Sitting up, she brushed the tears from her cheeks. She pulled out the stack of loose pages from the chest and began to read where she had left off.
’Sumr break has finally arrived, and we’ve returned to our hotown. Even though everything has been sold, we still have our beloved aunt, who cherishes us deeply. Mom and Dad didn’t co—they are caught up with the new company. But Zara and I couldn’t be happier to be back, and our aunt... she is simply wonderful.’
A faint softness passed through Zara’s eyes. Her mother’s sister, Beth... She could almost picture her now. Her aunt had always been a gentle, loving presence, cherishing them as if they were her own children. With no children of her own, she had poured every drop of love she had into the two of them. After their mother’s death, Aunt Beth had been their support that keeping them from drifting apart.
In the last five years, Zara had rarely made the ti to visit her. Seeing her aunt’s na in Nora’s diary sent a sharp stab of guilt through her. Life had swept her into its whirlwind, and Aunt Beth had nearly slipped from her thoughts.
A heavy ache of remorse settled in her chest.
She would have to make ti to go and see her—no excuses this ti.
She turned her attention back to the diary.
’Zara and I had planned a picnic. But sothing terrible happened today, dashing our plans.’
Zara’s thoughts wandered to that day. She could still recall the bubbling excitent they had felt, and how carefully they had chosen the spot for the picnic.
It was an open stretch of land blanketed in lush greenery, with a large lake as its centerpiece. The place was a popular spot for camping and picnics, especially on weekends, but that day was a weekday, and only a handful of people were around.
The breeze was gentle, and the water shimred under the sun. She and Nora had been laughing, their picnic basket swinging between them.
But they froze when the sound of the frantic splashing of water reached their ears. Their excitent soon transford into panic when they saw soone struggling in the middle of the water, arms flailing, head dipping under.
’I was terrified, my whole body trembling. I had no idea what to do. The only thought in my mind was to run and get help. I dashed off without even checking if Zara was following , focused solely on finding soone quickly to save the man in the water.’
Zara’s thoughts flashed back to that mont. While Nora had bolted, she had remained rooted by the lake’s edge, stunned and trembling when she realized who the person in the water was.
Nathaniel.
Zara didn’t know how he had ended up there, or how he had fallen into the water. Why wasn’t anyone with him? How could he be all alone?
But there was no ti to search for answers. Fear gripped her, too, yet she knew waiting for help would only waste precious monts.
Then instinct took over, and she dove in. The lake was heavier than she rembered. She pushed harder, her breath burning, until her hands finally gripped him. With all the strength she had, she dragged him toward the shore.
Nathaniel lay there, pale and still, water streaming from his hair, and Zara’s own chest heaved from the fear of what would happen next.
Nathaniel hadn’t been breathing, his lips already tinged with blue. Panic had surged through Zara, but her instinct had told her to do sothing, to save him.
She pressed against his stomach, forcing the water out, and then sealed her lips over his, breathing air into his lungs. She repeated until he coughed, water spilling from his mouth, followed by a sharp, desperate gasp for air.
By then, Nora ca running back with a middle-aged man.
Zara’s gaze drifted back to the open diary.
’I was terrified when I saw water streaming off Zara’s clothes. This girl had actually jumped in after that man, never once thinking of her own safety. She could have died.
How could she be so impulsive?
I scolded her, but deep down, I knew she had done it for the right reason. If she hadn’t acted quickly, perhaps it would have been too late.
I was relieved when we got him to the hospital in ti. I told Zara to change before she caught a cold, but I stayed behind. Soone had to be there until he woke up—after all, we didn’t know a soul from his family to call.
I rember sitting beside him, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. His skin was pale, yet his handso face made uneasy. I stared at him far too long. I felt strangely self-conscious, but I couldn’t look away. And in that strange, quiet mont, I caught myself wondering... could he ever be my boyfriend?’
Zara’s hands tightened around the edges of the pages, but she forced herself to keep reading, the ache in her chest deepening with every word.
’Then he opened his eyes. God, those dark eyes—they were beautiful. My heart wouldn’t stop fluttering, and heat rushed to my cheeks when I realized he had caught staring.
I tried to smile, to hide the awkwardness, fumbling for an excuse to leave and call the doctor. But before I could escape, he asked if I was the one who saved him.
When I turned back, eting his gaze, words failed . I couldn’t think beyond how impossibly handso he looked. All I could do was nod and whisper "yes."
The pages trembled in Zara’s grip before she let them slip onto her lap. She closed her eyes, and hot tears slid down her cheeks.
She had been there, right outside the ward, just ca from ho after changing her clothes, and was about to enter the ward when she heard their conversation.
Zara had stood frozen there in disbelief, unable to fathom that Nora had lied and claid the credit. The betrayal had cut deep, bringing tears to her eyes. Without drawing any attention, she had left.
As the days passed, their bond deepened, and they eventually fell in love. Despite the sting of betrayal and the ache in her heart, Zara had never once tried to reveal the truth about Nora.
Seeing her sister so happy with Nathaniel, she had chosen to step back, convincing herself it was destiny—that Nora and Nathaniel were ant to be together.
There was no place for her in his heart.
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