Our footsteps echoed on the cobbled streets as the sun started to lower in the sky, casting magnificent orange and pink hues across the town.

I was lost in thought, trying to bite my tongue around Ollie and trying to not think of the memories of my past every time I tried not thinking about Ollie.

Meanwhile, Olivia was just as quiet beside me. Eyes glancing around at our surroundings, she was seemingly not present.

Hating that her face was starting to echo my own pained expression, I realised it was time to pull her from her trance.

Though the only way I knew how was telling her about the past.

About my memories.

So I started with one I had shared with her before... one she liked because it was a happier one. "Whenever my uncle would let me outside, I would run down this street, all the way to the edge of town. Just because I could," I mused.

My Ollie laughed at the memory when I told her over a year ago now. She said the idea of a little me bolting down the street to feel the wind in my hair and sun on my face was a funny sight in her imagination.

Though Ben's Olivia beside me reacted in the opposite way. Her face turned solemn, her brows pulled together, and a slight sheen coated her eyes. But after a moment of studying me, she forced her face into a small smile, trying to joke, "In human speed, I hope."

Playing along with her facade, I also smiled back just as fakely. "Of course. I just loved that feeling. Me and the world. Wind on my face as I ran. The sun prickling my skin..." I repeated verbatim the very picture Ollie laughed about when she explained her imagination of me running down the street. "He only ever let me out in summer because he knew I would never go far despite what he did to me," I explained to her after seeing that confusion still swirling in her gaze.

But again, that glisten returned to her eyes.

The smile dropped from her face.

And she looked at me with copious amounts of pity.

"I didn't mean to upset you," I sighed, wondering if I should just take back the memory... But then she might wonder how we got this far down the street. I'd have to walk back to our starting point before I could even—

She shook her head, pulling me from my thoughts. "I suppose it was a really lovely experience for you at the time." She glanced around properly at the buildings, taking in the townhouses and shopfronts lining the main street. "It is picturesque."

Realising I had to keep her in the present to stop her from seeming so sad about my past—because evidently that is what she had been distracted about the whole time we had arrived, causing her to glance at me, Ben to stew, and me to hope—I moved in front of her and turned around, walking backwards so that I could face her as I spoke. "Some things are still the same and some are different since I last lived here in the 80s. That shop was always a butcher as long as I can remember. But that supermarket didn't exist back then." She turned her head, following the direction of my hand as I gestured to the landmarks. "We had separate fruit and vegetable stores. The baker has migrated down the street as different families have come and gone, trying to make it work." And then my hand moved onto the next building. "And that store..." I stopped, its storefront capturing me in its hold as I remembered exactly what was once there, somehow having momentarily forgotten.

The wall of memories flooded me at once.

Freshly painted in an olive colour, new wooden sign hanging above—the aesthetics an homage to apothecaries 1800s—I recalled the blonde girl sitting on the stool out the front, book in her lap, smile on her face as she flicked through her pages with such delight.

"Anja!" her mum called from inside. "Come help me move this box."

"Coming, Mama," she said back, barely glancing up as she finished the sentence she was reading. Then, the book snapped shut with a loud thud, and her gaze flickered up.

Blue eyes meeting mine across the road, her cheeks tinted red as she waved a hand, giving me a slight wave.

Lost in my stupor and heart pounding in my chest at the sight of this girl, I weakly raised my hand to return her a wave. But in still trying to continue my walk along the main street, I tumbled over an upturned stone, face-planting the ground.

"Oh my gosh!" she immediately exclaimed, rushing to my aid. "Are you okay?"

"What was it?" a gentle voice by my side asked, calling me back to the present.

The building now stood in front of me.

No blonde girl.

Faded green paint peeling, revealing the various layers of colour that had covered the store before.

And the insides were long abandoned... like no one dared to touch it after she was gone.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to meet Olivia's worried gaze, before I said, "It used to be an apothecary."

"A pharmacy?" she said back.

Shaking my head, I replied, "Not using the German word intentionally, Ollie. An actual apothecary from older medicinal practices. The pharmacy moved into town not much long after she..."

Though I caught myself just in time.

This Olivia doesn't know about Anja.

This Olivia only breaks at your pain.

You can't tell her, Lukas.

You must keep it in from now on.

When I pulled myself back again to the present with her, Olivia was staring at the vacant shop with clouded eyes, that familiar crease worrying between her brows as she tried to piece together what I wasn't telling her.

But she didn't need to know those parts about me.

It was best if she knew nothing...

Just in case my Ollie was right.

And because I was also scared my Ollie was wrong...

Her head slowly turned back to face me, eyes going wide when our gazes met. I forced a grin onto my face as I realised it was time to completely distract her from the sad conversations.

"If I beat you to the end of this road, you have to go for a late night swim with me at the hotel," I challenged her. Because Ben's Olivia or my Ollie... she always liked a bet.

That familiar gleam sparked in her eye that said it was on. But before she could even press for details, I took off.

Racing down the straight.

Running away from the abandoned building.

Running away from the past.

Running away from Olivia.

· · ───── ∘ ☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

To say Ben's face was glum when we returned would be an understatement. Stephen and Ben had just come back from their own walk it had seemed, stopping just as we met in front of the house.

Though before any of us could say something, Stephen immediately turned to Olivia and said, "I was wondering if I could have a brief walk with you, Olivia."

She glanced at Ben for guidance, and he gave her a curt nod before turning to look away. While she didn't seem to notice the reluctancy, I saw it in his glossy eyes he hid from her.

"Okay," said quietly before starting to walk after a retreating Stephen.

Once alone, I turned on Ben.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he uttered through gritted teeth before storming off into the house.

Though I was hot on his heels, refusing to believe it was nothing.

"What happened?" I pressed as we walked into the house. "Did your dad say something?"

"Not exactly," he said, walking into the kitchen and starting to put the dishes away.

"What does that mean?"

"It means... nothing happened."

"Obviously something did otherwise he wouldn't want to talk to Ollie and you wouldn't be reacting like—"

Ben slammed the plate in his hand onto the kitchen counter. Immediately, the porcelain rumbled under impact, cracking up the middle. Though Ben paid it no attention, blue eyes burning bright as he seethed his pain out at me.

"Why must you always lie to me?" he demanded.

"Lie? I don't know what you're—"

But he wasn't ready for me to talk. "Is it that you think you're protecting me? Or is it just that you really don't trust me?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to need some more context, Ben." Had his father told him that the reason we became friends that day was because of his request of me? Is that what's got him so—

"Your mother researched how to break bonds with mind magic!" he spat at me.

Eyes going wide at his loud remark, I quickly clamped my hand over his mouth before glancing around. "Shut up," I hissed in his ear before dragging him through the kitchen and into the pantry.

Confined in the small space, I shoved him into the corner of the room before pressing my hand up against the door.

"Shut up for one second," I said when he opened his mouth to talk again.

And when he seemed to go quiet, I began muttering incantations around the room, making it so we could still hear outside, but no one could hear us in here.

"Check for bugs," I then said, starting to search myself under food packets and cookware.

"What?" he asked.

"Check," I snapped.

Reluctantly, Ben joined me in raiding every nook and cranny of the room until we were satisfied as we came out clean.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I then turned to face him. "Start at the beginning."

"Dad could see something was off," Ben said, sounding like he had rehearsed this part already... perhaps as we were searching just before. Nonetheless, he went on without prompting from me. "He could see how Ollie was looking at me and you. How I was responding to you and her... and he pushed me until I confessed."

"You did not tell him," I growled, walking until I was right up in Ben's face.

"He's my father. He won't tell—"

"You can't trust anyone, Ben. Besides, even if Stephen won't tell anyone, whose to say no one—"

"We were alone."

"How can you be sure?"

"We ran out of town for our talk."

I pressed my lips together, trying to calm the rage brewing inside me that another person knew of my feelings for Ollie.

I can wipe Stephen's memories later, I concluded.

"What did you tell him?" I asked.

"That... you wiped her memory of a bond invitation you two had before. And now you remember it and she doesn't... and that I bonded to her before you told me about the connection you two had."

I nodded as I processed the information and began plotting exactly what story I'd convince Stephen of when I altered his memory later.

"But then dad told me one can't wipe an invitation... Only actual bonds can be wiped and they transform into an invitation... Your mum's whole book is on it."

I clenched my teeth together as I tried to think of a way to talk myself out of this one.

But as more seconds ticked on, the more Ben seemed to realise the reality of it.

"You were bonded?" he asked, voice cracking at the end.

"What does it matter? It's gone."

"Lukas..." he breathed, eyes pooling with tears already as he took a step closer to me. "Why didn't you just yank me away from her the moment I brought her home? Nip it in the bud so that—"

"I never thought you two would bond. I was sure it wouldn't go that far... That you two would split before then."

"That we'd—" he started to repeat me, but I wasn't finished.

"But what I should and shouldn't have done doesn't matter anymore, Ben. It's over between me and her. How many times do I have to—"

"Her invitation for you is still there," he breathed. "That's why she still looks at you like that."

"And I'm going away when we get back. I'm going to make the invitation break and—"

"Do you really not want her back?"

Again, I clenched my teeth together, counting the seconds down as I tried to control my breath and weighed up what to say. "What I want doesn't—"

"Of course it matters."

"What are you saying, Ben? Are you going to let her go?" I taunted, already rolling my eyes. Like seriously... why even discuss this with me? Are you trying to get my hopes up?

"You were with her first. You—"

"I wiped her memory. I didn't stop you two. I face the consequences."

"Did she... know what you were going to do? Or did you just wipe her memory?"

I went quiet again.

"Damn it, Lukas. Stop lying to me and give me the damn truth!"

"Why? I can't take it—"

"I need to know so that I know exactly what I should do!"

"What you should do is be there for her and be the best partner she deserves and keep her safe. You support her. Help her grow strong. But also not squander her. And, for fuck sake, keep her away from me. Because by my side, she's only going to get hurt."

"What do you mean by that?"

I turned my head away, refusing to look at him. Refusing to respond again.

"For crying out loud, Lukas. Finish your statements instead of retreating every time! Talk to me for once!"

"I can't tell you," I choked out. I can't tell him about Anja...

"Did she know about your mum's book?" he then asked, sidestepping our conversation.

"What does that matter?"

"Fucking hell, Lukas. One question. Answer one!"

"Yes. She did. She read it before I ever did because I avoided myself and my powers my whole life because of what my uncle did to me. Is that what you want to hear? I've been so scared to actually know what I can do because he was so eager to find out. He hurt countless people in front of me. He tortured me. My own flesh and blood harmed me to try to see what powers I was hiding. So when I was finally fucking free to explore, to learn magic, to read about our kind in a way that wasn't censored by him, I only learned about my vampire self. I rejected all witch in me because I didn't want to fucking know about that part. The magic in me has only brought fucking pain! And the one time I ever actually used it, thinking I was protecting Olivia, thinking it would make her happy after she asked me to do it, after she thought her plan was so fool-proof, I fucking lost her! And I have to watch her live with you every day, remembering what she and I used to have! Remembering the god damn five months we lived together and—"

I caught myself, realising just how much I had let slip.

Just how much I revealed.

"Fuck," I whispered. Then I pulled the magic to my eyes, trying to lock him into my hold.

Ben blinked back at me, brows pulling together. "What are you doing?" he asked me.

I tried even harder to pull him in.

But he started cocking his head to the side. "Why are you staring at me like that? And what are your eyes... Wait. Are you trying to fucking bewitch me right now?"

I stopped the magic, taking a step back from him. "How are you immune?"

"No. Start earlier. Why are you trying to bewitch me? What are you trying to get me to do?"

I pulled my magic back to my eyes again, hoping that maybe he didn't get locked in trances but would still... "I want you to forget everything I told you," I said.

But Ben just rolled his eyes. "Well clearly you can't make me." He crossed his arms over his chest. "So talk to me instead."

"Why?" I demanded.

"Because you have to talk to someone!"

"I don't want to talk to you! You took her from me!" I unfairly shouted at him.

Ben flinched away from me, gaze lowering as his face fell further.

"Shit..." I muttered, immediately feeling the guilt wash over me. "Sorry... you didn't know... I can't put that on you."

"It's... fine. You're hurting," he mumbled, though he still didn't meet my eyes.

The moments ticked on, both of us standing in the pantry in silence, not speaking to each other. Not looking at each other.

But then Ben said, "So you were bonded to her... she lived with you... and she asked you to take her memories."

Feeling the lump in my throat, I didn't know how to respond to him without breaking. So I did all I could, and I nodded.

"Which means you have kissed..."

I gave him another nod of confirmation.

"Did you have sex?"

I heaved a sigh and turned away from him, so that my back was facing him. "Why are you asking this?" I forced out, unable to watch him breaking further.

"I need to know... please."

"What good will it do?"

"I need to understand what she meant to you."

"Why? To rub in even further what I've lost?"

"No! To help me decide if I really could ever let her go for you..."

Spinning on my heel, the tears escaped my eyes. Though Ben's face was only mirroring mine, a wetness also clinging to his cheeks. "I'm not asking you to—"

"I know you're not. And I'm not prepared to give her to you just yet... but if she reaches a point where her invitation to you outweighs what we have and she wants you... I need to let her go. I can't hold her back when—"

"That invitation will be gone once we get back."

"No it won't."

"Okay, not straight away. But I will be gone. And then it will break."

"Lukas—"

"No. It's okay, Ben. It really is. If it were anyone else, anyone in this world, I would have not hesitated to have yanked him away from her... to have maybe even killed him to get her back. But with you... I know you will love her. Unconditionally. And I can live with that."

The tears pouring down both of our faces were relentless now, but neither of us stopped them. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You don't get to decide that. Only Olivia does. And she chose you when she kissed you back in the park that day. And she chose you when she agreed to date you. And she chose you when she moved in with you... so stop looking at the past, at my past, and just be the person she needs."

But then Ben said, voice cracking in all the places, "Dad is out there trying to convince her that if she likes you then she should just leave me."

"What?" I gasped. Then I clamped my hands down on his shoulders. "Don't you dare give up on her, Ben. Fight for her. Keep her. If she's wavering because of whatever is remaining that she doesn't remember, know it will pass. But do not just let her go because—"

"Dad says you deserve your chance with her."

"I let her go."

"She made you."

I didn't have a response to that.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you wiped her memory because you wanted to."

But I couldn't say anything back.

"Exactly. Why should you suffer because of her choices?"

"Because it was her choice," I whispered. "She wanted this option over going back home... Despite the consequences."

"She knew this would happen?"

I turned my head.

"Lukas?"

"I was scared she'd meet someone else," I confessed, not meeting his eyes but letting him go.

"And? Did you tell her?"

"Of course I did."

"She didn't care?"

I shrugged.

"Lukas!"

Whipping my head back to face him, mad he was shouting at me over this, I blurted out, "She told me to do whatever it takes to pull her away from whoever tries to steal her heart. But I saw how happy you two were together! How happy you were! And damn... first I tried to get in the way. I broke her damn phone, hoping you'd just think she took the memory-wiping potion and it would be a painless split. But she was so determined to find you. And after I saw her in the park that day, prepared to sit in the cold rain just to connect with you again, I realised what she and I had never was that special. That we were fated to fall apart like this. That she was just destined to probably fall for the first boy in the library, or maybe first mutant, or first vampire... who knows. But I don't matter in all of this, okay?"

"You're really just going to... hand her over to me?" Ben demanded in disbelief.

"You should be happy about this!" I exclaimed, almost throwing my hands up in the air in his ridiculousness.

"Well, I'm not, okay? Knowing that after all this time, the one person you finally let in is the girl I fell in love with... the one I stole from you... How can I be happy that I've made you miserable?"

"Because you have Olivia. You are bonded to her!" Rather than continuing this fight any further than it had to go, I stormed out of the pantry, breaking the spell that had concealed our discussion and stormed off to the bathroom to wash my face.