Chapter 34
Riley didn’t return to the hospital. She went straight home instead.
She couldn’t face Nathaniel right now–or herself, for that matter.
Riley felt that while the Nathaniel from her previous life might have made mistakes, this lifetime’s Nathaniel had done nothing wrong, yet had become the real victim.
Thinking about Nathaniel lying in that hospital bed, Riley couldn’t stop her tears. Such a beautiful, vibrant young man, now confined to a bed, unable to move.
Every time she visited the hospital, she overheard the whispers: “Such a handsome guy, Wonder if he’ll ever recover fully.
What a shame.”
“I heard he did it to save his girlfriend…”
Yes, he’d done it to save her.
But the person who saved her knew nothing about their past. Everyone involved had some guilt–everyone except him. He
alone was innocent.
Maybe it was time to tell him the truth.
The next day.
Classes were over for Riley, so she arrived at the hospital early. Sophia was feeding Nathaniel breakfast when she walked in.
“Riley, you’re here!” Nathaniel smiled, beckoning her to sit beside the bed.
Riley sat down with her head lowered, clearly troubled. Nathaniel noticed and asked, “Riley, what’s wrong?”
After a moment, Riley looked up at him seriously and said with determination, “Nathaniel, there’s something I need to tell
you.”
Seeing her seriousness, Nathaniel nodded solemnly. “Go ahead.”
Sophia gathered up the breakfast things and stood. “I’ll leave you two to talk. I need to get to the office anyway.”
She left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
“Riley, you can tell me now. What’s so serious?” Nathaniel asked, studying her face. He guessed it had something to do with
Victoria.
“I’m trying to figure out where to begin…”
After thinking for a moment, Riley looked into Nathaniel’s eyes and slowly began to describe her experiences, explaining the changes in her behavior.
When she reached the part about jumping from the rooftop, Nathaniel closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face. “Stop,
16:14
I Died, He Cried, Now We’re Stuck in This Toxic Rebirth Loop
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Chapter 34
Riley… please stop,” he whispered shakily.
Riley’s eyes were equally filled with tears, her voice breaking, but she shook her head. “Nathaniel, let me finish.”
Continuing from where she left off, Riley told Nathaniel about Victoria’s involvement.
She expected him to be shocked or remorseful, but instead, Nathaniel said, “Riley, I already know all of this.”
“You know?!” This caught Riley by surprise. “Did Victoria tell you?”
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