From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 213

**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**

**Chapter 213**

She continued, her voice quivering with emotion. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve endured? The burden I’ve carried since you and Chloe vanished? You both left everything for me to manage! I’ve been looking after our mother. And our father—”

I interrupted her, my tone sharp and unyielding. “That man is not my father, Alyssa.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “What?”

“Your father, yes,” I clarified, keeping my voice low yet unwavering. “But he is not my father. And I couldn’t be more thankful for that.”

Her face contorted in a mix of confusion and pain. Then, as if drawn by an invisible thread, her gaze flicked to Mom for a fleeting moment. “What are you trying to say? Do you even realize what you’re implying—”

“Girls?”

Mom’s voice sliced through the tension like a knife, weak yet imbued with the authority that had always characterized her. It reminded me of days long past.

Both of us turned our heads in unison. Mom had managed to open her eyes, blinking as if awakening from a deep slumber. Her complexion appeared even more pallid than before, a ghostly shade that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Please,” she murmured, her voice a fragile whisper. “Don’t fight with each other. I beg you.”

Alyssa’s eyes shifted away, a flicker of shame dancing across her features. Guilt gnawed at me, and I bit my lip, feeling the sting of remorse crawl under my skin.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips. Then, a bit louder, directed at Mom: “You need to rest. Don’t worry about us.”

She offered a small, weary nod, but the lines of concern remained etched around her eyes, deepening the shadows of her careworn face.

A thick silence enveloped the room, heavy and suffocating. Alyssa settled onto the edge of the bed, brushing a stray hair behind her ear, while I stood by the window, gazing out at the dimming sky. The sun hung low, painting the horizon in hues of gold and crimson, a breathtaking sight that should have brought tranquility.

Yet, restlessness churned within me.

Finally, I broke the silence, my voice barely above a whisper. “Mom… I think I should leave. I don’t want to be on the road when darkness falls. Plus, it looks like rain is on the way. Dean and I should get a head start.”

Mom turned her head slowly towards me, sadness clouding her eyes like a storm brewing on the horizon. “Will you come back to see me?”

I nodded, determination flickering within me. “I’ll try my best.”

Her lips curled into a faint smile, a fragile thing that barely touched her eyes. “Could you bring Roman with you next time? There’s something I need to ask him.”

“Ask him for what?” I inquired, curiosity piqued.

But before she could respond, the door swung open once more, and every muscle in my body tensed involuntarily.

As he entered, the atmosphere shifted palpably. It felt as if all the air had been sucked from the room, leaving a suffocating void. He stood there, silent, his expression as familiar as it was chilling—cold and uninviting, his eyes darting between me, Mom, and Alyssa.

I straightened, my hands clenching into fists at my sides, choosing to ignore him entirely as I leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Mom’s forehead. “Goodbye, Mom. I’ll be praying for you.”

Her hand trembled as she reached out to grasp mine. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

I scrutinized him for a moment longer, then sighed, sensing the weight of unspoken words hanging between us. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

As we walked down the hallway, our footsteps echoed softly against the sterile tiles. The hospital lights buzzed faintly above us, casting a dim glow that felt almost surreal.

Once we reached the car, the air outside was cool, carrying the faint scent of impending rain. Dean opened the door for me, and I slid inside, casting one last glance back at the building. The window of Mom’s room glowed dimly in the distance, a beacon of warmth amidst the encroaching darkness.

For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a shadow flit across the glass, but I shook my head, dismissing it as a trick of the light.

Dean started the engine, and the car purred to life, a comforting sound that momentarily eased my tension. As he pulled out of the parking lot, I retrieved my phone, quickly typing a text to my fiancé.

Typically, he would respond within moments, his messages always laced with teasing humor or a heart emoji.

But this time, silence stretched between us.

I stared at the screen, watching the message status hover on “delivered,” before it slowly shifted to “read.”

Seconds turned into minutes, and still, no reply.

A cold chill crept up my spine. I tried to reassure myself that everything was fine—that perhaps he was busy or had fallen asleep. Yet deep down, an unsettling feeling gnawed at my insides, whispering that something was amiss.

Dean mumbled something beside me, mentioning traffic or our route, but his voice sounded distant, as if it were echoing from another world. My gaze remained glued to my phone screen, my worried reflection staring back at me through the glass.

And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt utterly alone. Yet, beneath that loneliness, a gnawing premonition settled in my gut, warning me that darkness was approaching. For all of us.