Eventually, I told my therapist everything.
Yes— everything.
About my last life. The reincarnation. The novel I died into. The therapy I promised myself. The virginity pact. The twisted romance. All of it.
She didn't blink.
Instead, she listened like someone who'd read a hundred stranger truths and found value in each of them.
And when I was done, she simply said:
"You died once. Then you were betrayed. I'd be more concerned if you weren't emotional. Your grief is justified. And your control of your story? That's power."
Yeah.
That's when I knew I was healing.
A Night Out
Lily came home for the weekend. We'd started reconnecting—slowly.
To surprise me, she booked a private karaoke suite.
Just us, some snacks, mics, and songs we'd belt off-key like no one could hear us.
What she didn't mention was that she invited some friends too.
Elizabeth. Maria. Lucas.
The original trio from the horror club I started back in high school.
Seeing them again felt like seeing a past version of myself walk through the door.
Maria and Lucas were a couple now—unsurprising. The tension between them had been plot-worthy even back then.
I hugged them. Laughed. Even danced a little.
Jack was there, too. I tolerated him in small doses. He made Lily happy.
It was shaping up to be a good night.
And then he walked in.
Jacob.
Same pretty face. Same cool swagger.
My blood turned to ice the moment I saw him.
"What is this guy doing here?" I asked, tone flat as concrete.
Lily stepped forward, all wide eyes and earnest hands.
"I know you don't remember him, but—please—he loves you. He's been heartbroken since the accident. You loved him too. I just thought... maybe give him a chance to talk?"
I don't know what broke more in that moment—my trust or the illusion that Lily really understood me.
All I saw was Jacob again. And her trying to fit him back into my life like he wasn't the one who shattered it.
I felt my therapist in the back of my mind, calm and firm:
"Don't silence yourself to protect other people's guilt."
So I screamed.
"I was having a good evening! Why must you meddle and ruin everything?! I don't know him. I don't want to know him. And I have no desire to change that!"
The room froze.
Jack stepped in front of Lily like I'd become a threat.
Jacob raised a hand, like he could calm me.
"There's no need to yell at her," Jacob said. "If you're mad, talk to me."
I turned to him with a smile sharp enough to cut diamond.
"Oh, let's talk then. If you ever come near me again, I'll break your nose and file a restraining order before the bruise fades."
Jack flinched. Jacob's mouth opened. Lily looked like she'd been slapped.
I turned to Jack, my voice soft but steely.
"I've known my sister since the womb. She doesn't need protection from me. "
Then I picked up my purse, walked over to Elizabeth and Maria and Lucas.
"Sorry, guys. I need to leave. This wasn't what I signed up for."
And I walked out.
Back to the Nest
The house was warm. Golden.
Mom was sprawled on the sofa like a queen between her suitors—head on Dorian's chest, feet in Caelum's lap as he massaged them while they watched a crime drama.
They looked up the moment I stepped in.
Something in the way I walked must have said it all.
Mom sat up.
"Selene? Is everything okay?"
Before I could answer, the door opened behind me.
Lily burst in, eyes red.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you—"
Mom and Caelum rushed to her. She clung to them, sobbing.
Dad—my father, the one who always listens—came straight to me.
"Your breathing's too fast. Inhale slow. Exhale longer."
I followed him, hand in his, grounding myself.
Lily's voice trembled as she explained what happened.
"I thought maybe she'd remember... maybe they could talk..."
Mom said gently,
"Oh sweetheart, your sister was just surprised. She's not mad at you."
"I am mad at her," I said.
That shut the room down.
Caelum blinked.
"Selene, don't be cruel. She just wanted to help."
Mom added,
"She thought it was best for you—"
"What's best for me," I snapped, "is for people to stay out of my business."
Dad stepped in again, putting an arm around me.
"Let's go. You can stay at my house tonight."
"Yes, please."
I didn't look back.
His house was quiet.
My room there was pristine. Black, white, minimal. The way I liked it. No echoes of old ghosts. No distractions.
Just peace.
I changed into my favorite pajamas and curled into bed, exhaling for the first time all day.
And as I drifted off, I thought:
At least someone listens.
The next morning, Lily showed up at my father's house.
Alone. No Jack. No dramatics.
She knocked on my bedroom door like she wasn't sure I'd open it.
I did.
Her eyes were puffy, her voice small.
"I'm sorry. I was wrong to push Jacob back into your life. I thought... I don't know what I thought. That maybe you'd remember how happy you were. But I didn't think about how much pain it might cause."
For a second, I didn't answer.
Then I stepped aside and let her in.
She sat on my bed like we were kids again. We didn't touch. We just sat in the quiet.
"You really hurt me," I said finally.
She nodded.
"I know."
"So I need a promise. No more meddling. No more trying to fix things behind my back. If I say no, you accept it. No second guessing. No secret invites."
"I promise."
I believed her.
Later that day, our mother joined us at home. She hugged us both, then looked me in the eyes.
"Your wishes will be respected from now on, Selene. No more surprise guests. No more pressure. You call the shots."
I could've cried. But instead, I just nodded.
Back to the World
A few weeks later, I decided it was time.
I emailed my professors.
Called my advisor.
Packed up my favorite clothes
I returned to university.
Not with fireworks or speeches or hugs in the hallway.
Quietly. Steadily. Like a shadow slipping back into place.
Some things came easy. I still aced my assignments. Still hated group projects. Still had strong opinions about seating arrangements in class.
Other things were harder.
I got tired faster. I didn't always want to go out. Sometimes, I had to excuse myself from lectures just to sit somewhere quiet.
But I was trying. Really trying.
Jacob still popped up sometimes.
In the cafeteria. In the quad. Just far enough away to pretend it was coincidence. Close enough that I noticed.
But this time, I wasn't the one who handled it.
Lily cornered him in the library.
Told him to back off. Told him if he really cared about me, he'd respect my space.
Told him if he kept playing stalker, she would cut him off.
"And I don't care how long we've been friends or how guilty I feel. If Jack won't get his cousin under control, I'll break up with him, too."
Later, she told me everything. No editing. No dramatics.
I looked at her.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
She smiled.
"I mean it. I've got your back this time. The way you always had mine."
It wasn't perfect. But it was a start.