Lily was at home, the silence of the evening creeping in through the windows, when an unexpected knock at the door startled her. She frowned, not expecting anyone. Her parents were out of town, and no one ever visited unannounced. Something in her gut warned her to ignore it, but curiosity, or maybe habit, got the better of her.

Slowly, she approached the door, her fingers hesitating on the handle before she pulled it open. Standing in front of her was someone she thought she’d finally escaped—Jason.

“Jason?” Lily’s heart sank as she spoke his name. The memories of their volatile relationship came rushing back, every fight, every time he’d lashed out. She hadn’t seen him since the breakup. He’d always had a way of creeping back into her life at the worst moments, and this time was no different.

Jason stood there with his familiar cocky smirk, dark brown eyes locked on her like a predator eyeing its prey. His posture was casual, hands in his pockets, but the tension in his body said otherwise.

“Lily,” he drawled, as if this was just a casual visit. "That’s no way to greet someone you once dated."

Lily clenched her fists at her sides. She wasn’t in the mood for his games, not after everything. "I don’t want to see you, Jason. Just leave me alone," she said firmly, trying to keep her voice steady.

But Jason didn’t budge. He stepped forward, forcing his way into the room. His presence felt suffocating, filling the small space of her living room.

Jason had always been this way—possessive, controlling, and quick to anger. They had dated for a year, and during that time, Lily had learned how to tiptoe around his moods, always trying to keep the peace. But in the end, she couldn’t handle his temper. His angry outbursts, the way he lashed out at her, both physically and emotionally, had pushed her to leave him. She thought she’d escaped him for good.

“Come on, you love me. Don’t you?” Jason’s tone shifted, becoming darker, almost threatening.

Lily took a step back, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. “I hate you,” she spat, venom dripping from her words. She’d spent months rebuilding her life, distancing herself from the chaos he’d caused. Seeing him now, so casually stepping back in, sent a wave of anger through her.

Jason’s eyes flared with anger. His expression twisted into something darker, more dangerous. "You always knew how to piss me off, didn’t you?" His voice was low, the edge sharp as a blade.

Before Lily could even react, Jason lunged at her. His hand grabbed the back of her head with a cruel grip, and in one swift motion, he slammed her head against the edge of the table. Pain exploded in her skull, her vision going blurry as she stumbled backward, a sharp gasp escaping her lips.

“Ugh,” Lily groaned, clutching the side of her head, feeling the warm, sticky blood already trickling down. Her head throbbed with pain. “Why did you have to do that?” she whispered, barely able to focus.

Jason stood over her, his face cold, unfeeling. “You pissed me off,” he said simply, as if that justified everything.

Lily staggered to her feet, her mind spinning from the pain. She needed to get out of here. She stumbled toward the bathroom, gripping the sink as she tried to clean the blood off her head. The bleeding hadn’t stopped, but she didn’t care. She just had to leave. She had to get away from Jason.

She grabbed her coat and, without even thinking, bolted out the door, her legs carrying her as fast as they could. Her feet pounded against the ground as she headed straight for Kael’s cabin, the one place where she felt safe. She could still feel the sting of Jason’s attack, but she needed to see Kael. She didn’t know why, but she knew she had to be near him.

By the time Lily arrived at Kael’s cabin, she was exhausted, her breathing ragged from the run. Her head still throbbed, and the blood hadn’t fully stopped, though she tried her best to hide it by covering the wound with her hair.

She knocked on Kael’s door, her hand trembling slightly. Kael opened the door, his expression shifting immediately when he saw her. “Hey,” he said softly, his usual calm presence like a balm to her frayed nerves.

Lily gave him a weak smile, hoping he wouldn’t notice the blood or her obvious distress. But Kael’s sharp eyes caught it almost immediately. His gaze narrowed in on her face, and he frowned.

“You’re bleeding,” he said, his voice filled with concern.

Lily’s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively touched her head, trying to brush it off. “No, I’m not,” she lied, still trying to play it cool.

Kael reached out, his fingers gently brushing her hair aside, revealing the wound. “Yes, you are,” he said quietly, his eyes locking onto hers with a serious intensity. “What happened?”

Lily hesitated. She didn’t want to drag Kael into this. She didn’t want him to know about Jason or what had happened. She just wanted to forget. “It’s nothing,” she whispered, looking away.

But Kael wasn’t fooled. He stepped closer, his presence warm and reassuring. "It’s not nothing," he said softly. "But you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to."

Lily felt her chest tighten, the weight of everything threatening to overwhelm her. But Kael didn’t press any further. He just stayed close, offering her silent support. He reached for her hand, and in that moment, Lily felt something shift between them. She wasn’t alone in this anymore, even if she didn’t say a word.

They sat in silence for a while, Kael's quiet presence comforting as Lily tried to gather herself.