Chapter 103: 103-Dear Oriana, What Have You Done?
Clementine:
I turned to look at him, noticing Valerie had fallen asleep next to the baby on the bench, with a bag under her head as a pillow. Oriana was also sleeping peacefully on the bench. We ate a few biscuits from the bags, then Troy and I sat quietly, staring at the sky.
"I’m not sure. I haven’t thought about it," I replied, trying to steer the conversation away, but he didn’t let it go.
"Do you not hate him for what he’s done to you?" he asked. "All the bullying he caused?"
"Let’s not forget all of you bullied me, Troy. So Haiden isn’t an exception. But it depends on who’s willing to make things right," I answered without thinking much. I only wanted to stop him from bringing up Haiden’s past when he had done the same to me.
"Wow. So you just found out he’s your mate and now you’re forgiving him? I think you should give him a hard time. Being mates shouldn’t be the reason you accept him. He was awful to you for years."
It was strange hearing this from Troy of all people, but I stayed quiet. I didn’t want an argument in a place where it would only make things worse.
"So you’re not going to talk with me about it?" he pressed.
His persistence annoyed me. He wasn’t my best friend anymore and had no right to know about my personal life. But since he was so eager, I decided to give him more truth.
"Well, it’s not just Haiden anymore," I said firmly, then looked down at Hardin to avoid his gaze.
"What do you mean by that?" Troy asked, turning toward me. We were sitting on the ground with our legs hanging over the track.
"I felt the mate-bond with Yorick last night." The moment I said it, Troy went silent. After five long minutes, he scoffed.
"Wow. First it was Haiden, now Yorick. Great. I don’t even know why I cared about you last night. I should’ve stayed in the mansion. I left to look for you, and then you end up feeling the mate-bond with Yorick." It wasn’t just what he said, it was how he said it. He made it sound like I chose to feel that bond, as if I had any control over it.
"You do realize I can’t decide who I’m bonded to. I’m confused myself. How can I have two mates? So don’t give me this attitude, Troy," I warned, pointing at him to make it clear there was no room for criticism.
"Oh, really? You’re upset? You’re shocked because you think you’re too special to have two mates. Everyone but me." The words slipped out, and we both went silent.
"Oh, my baby is awake." Valerie stirred at the sound of her crying child and quickly calmed the baby before any nearby monsters could hear.
Thankfully, that ended the conversation, though I knew it would come up again. I dreaded it, especially after what Troy had let slip. Did he want to be my mate? No, that was impossible. We were just friends, friends who became enemies. There was no way he wanted that.
Morning came, and we were ready to board the train. It was due in just a few minutes.
"Oh my god, I can’t hold it in," Valerie complained, stomping her feet.
"Well then go ahead. The woods are right there. Go take a shit and come back," Oriana said, arms folded. She didn’t seem to care at all about finding a baby. She looked too comfortable here, like she could stay for a week and call it a picnic.
"She doesn’t have to go to the woods. There’s a bathroom at the station," Troy said, correcting her and pointing to the back. Behind a wall stood a single large bathroom.
"Oh my god, I’ll just go quickly before the train comes," Valerie said in a rush. She set her baby down on the bench. "Can you watch him?"
Oriana nodded, while she hurried into the bathroom. The train arrived quickly.
"Oh my god, thank goodness," Oriana muttered, rolling her eyes.
Troy boarded first so he could return for Sadie. I followed him, and we placed both babies on the seats. I stayed between them so they wouldn’t fall while Troy came back with Sadie. We had to put her in a separate seat because her body was decomposing faster than we expected, and we now had newborns with us. It was awful even having to think about it.
Then something unthinkable happened. While we were busy with Sadie, I glanced toward the carriage in front of ours and saw Oriana boarding with Valerie’s baby in her arms. I frowned, knocked on the window to ask what she was doing. That’s when I saw Valerie rushing out of the bathroom.
The doors closed before she could reach us, and I am pretty sure it was Oriana who had pressed the button. Our door was already closed, so when Oriana shut hers, the train registered everyone on board. No one else was coming, so it began to move.
"Wait, one of us is still outside!" I shouted, rushing to the glass door.
Troy saw her too and ran to help me, watching Valerie wave her hands desperately.
"What the fuck?" he growled, trying to pry the door open. We couldn’t figure out the mechanism. The doors would shut on their own, even if someone was clearly left behind. That was the frightening part, after the first few minutes, they could close at any time, either automatically or by someone else. She could have boarded another carriage, but the train didn’t wait.
"No! Wait! One of us is still out there!" I screamed, slamming my hands on the glass.
Oriana started doing the same. "Hey! There’s a squadmate left behind!" she cried dramatically.
It hit me hard because I knew I was the only one who saw it happen. I saw what she did.
Moments later, Valerie’s figure faded into the distance, and I knew the train had left her behind.