Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning - Chapter 10: Chapter 10
You are reading Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning, Chapter 10: Chapter 10. Read more chapters of Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning.
"I can't erase the pain they caused you. I won't force you to come back—I respect your choice. But… will you let me visit when I miss you?"
Her words were raw, her presence like the first crack of dawn after a long, endless night. I clung to her, silent, my tears speaking for me.
There had been a time—poisoned by the fake Alyssa's lies—when I wondered if my sister's love for me had faded. The thought alone made me sick.
She had always been my anchor. In a family where loyalty was fickle, she never wavered. When I stumbled, she steadied me. When I shattered, she pieced me back together. Her love was the one thing in my life that never dimmed.
That evening, in the Coles' grand sitting room, bathed in the golden haze of sunset and the faint perfume of lavender, she told me about the decade we'd lost. Her voice shook as she spoke, her fingers gripping mine like she was afraid I'd vanish again.
Every word was a knife to my chest. She painted her pain in vivid strokes—the agony of our separation, the helpless rage of knowing I'd suffered alone.
Yet through it all, her smile remained the same—warm, familiar. "Sis," she whispered, voice thick, "I'll never forgive what they did to you. But you have to know… I never stopped thinking about you. Not for a single day. You're my sister. That will never change."
She pulled a neatly folded envelope from her bag and pressed it into my hands. "Take this. It's everything I've saved. You need it more than I do."
I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. "No. You've already given me enough."
We held each other tightly, neither willing to let go. Her embrace was a salve, soothing wounds I'd thought would never close.
When it was time to leave, I stepped out of the manor with heavy but certain steps. My parents clung to me, their faces streaked with tears.
"Mia, please," my mother begged, her grip desperate. "We were blind, we were wrong! Give us a chance to fix this!"
My father, usually so unshakable, looked broken. "We failed you. We'll do anything—just come home."
Their pleas hung in the cool evening air, but my heart stayed cold. Regret came too late. Their tears couldn't undo years of neglect.
Gently, I pried their hands away. "I've made my choice. I don't belong here anymore."
As I walked toward the waiting car, a commotion erupted behind me. I turned—Dillon was there, his face lighting up at the sight of me. "Mia! I knew you'd—"
My parents cut him off, their grief twisting into fury.
"Get out!" my father snarled. "You lost the right to be near her the moment you destroyed her life!"
My mother's voice was razor-sharp. "Don't think we'll let you hurt her again!"
I watched, silent. The irony wasn't lost on me—these were the same people who had once handed Dillon and the fake Alyssa everything they'd denied me.
Without a backward glance, I slid into the car and shut the door. The engine roared, and as we pulled away, I didn't look back.
Green Ridge welcomed me like an old friend—rolling hills, the sweet scent of wildflowers, and the laughter of children. My elderly neighbor stood at the entrance with her grandkids, their faces brightening the second they saw me.
I handed them the treats I'd brought, their excited squeals filling the air. To my neighbor, I gave the supplies she'd longed for but couldn't afford. She squeezed my hand, eyes glistening. "You're too good to us, Mia."
I smiled. "You've given me more than you know."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the village in gold, I felt something I hadn't in years—peace.
Life in Green Ridge settled into a quiet rhythm. Mornings in the garden, afternoons teaching the village children, evenings sharing meals under a sky full of stars.
It wasn't grand. But it was real.
And for the first time in a long time, I was whole.
(The End)
Her words were raw, her presence like the first crack of dawn after a long, endless night. I clung to her, silent, my tears speaking for me.
There had been a time—poisoned by the fake Alyssa's lies—when I wondered if my sister's love for me had faded. The thought alone made me sick.
She had always been my anchor. In a family where loyalty was fickle, she never wavered. When I stumbled, she steadied me. When I shattered, she pieced me back together. Her love was the one thing in my life that never dimmed.
That evening, in the Coles' grand sitting room, bathed in the golden haze of sunset and the faint perfume of lavender, she told me about the decade we'd lost. Her voice shook as she spoke, her fingers gripping mine like she was afraid I'd vanish again.
Every word was a knife to my chest. She painted her pain in vivid strokes—the agony of our separation, the helpless rage of knowing I'd suffered alone.
Yet through it all, her smile remained the same—warm, familiar. "Sis," she whispered, voice thick, "I'll never forgive what they did to you. But you have to know… I never stopped thinking about you. Not for a single day. You're my sister. That will never change."
She pulled a neatly folded envelope from her bag and pressed it into my hands. "Take this. It's everything I've saved. You need it more than I do."
I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. "No. You've already given me enough."
We held each other tightly, neither willing to let go. Her embrace was a salve, soothing wounds I'd thought would never close.
When it was time to leave, I stepped out of the manor with heavy but certain steps. My parents clung to me, their faces streaked with tears.
"Mia, please," my mother begged, her grip desperate. "We were blind, we were wrong! Give us a chance to fix this!"
My father, usually so unshakable, looked broken. "We failed you. We'll do anything—just come home."
Their pleas hung in the cool evening air, but my heart stayed cold. Regret came too late. Their tears couldn't undo years of neglect.
Gently, I pried their hands away. "I've made my choice. I don't belong here anymore."
As I walked toward the waiting car, a commotion erupted behind me. I turned—Dillon was there, his face lighting up at the sight of me. "Mia! I knew you'd—"
My parents cut him off, their grief twisting into fury.
"Get out!" my father snarled. "You lost the right to be near her the moment you destroyed her life!"
My mother's voice was razor-sharp. "Don't think we'll let you hurt her again!"
I watched, silent. The irony wasn't lost on me—these were the same people who had once handed Dillon and the fake Alyssa everything they'd denied me.
Without a backward glance, I slid into the car and shut the door. The engine roared, and as we pulled away, I didn't look back.
Green Ridge welcomed me like an old friend—rolling hills, the sweet scent of wildflowers, and the laughter of children. My elderly neighbor stood at the entrance with her grandkids, their faces brightening the second they saw me.
I handed them the treats I'd brought, their excited squeals filling the air. To my neighbor, I gave the supplies she'd longed for but couldn't afford. She squeezed my hand, eyes glistening. "You're too good to us, Mia."
I smiled. "You've given me more than you know."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the village in gold, I felt something I hadn't in years—peace.
Life in Green Ridge settled into a quiet rhythm. Mornings in the garden, afternoons teaching the village children, evenings sharing meals under a sky full of stars.
It wasn't grand. But it was real.
And for the first time in a long time, I was whole.
(The End)
End of Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning Chapter 10. View all chapters or return to Save Your Breath, I'm Done Drowning book page.