Haunt Me (Heartbreaker Duet #2)

Eden’s Old Phone （continued）

F : I’m here, Eden. I haven’t left. I just let you talk nonsense for a while. Did you get it out of your system?

Eden : I think of getting out of here.

F : You could go to college, be a writer. Isn’t that your dream?

Eden : Don’t be silly. People like me don’t get to ‘be’ anything.

F : People like you? What are you? Have you ever seen anyone like you?

Eden : I have literally seen no one, remember? But I have watched a few movies. And read a lot of books. I pretty much can read any book I want, and I haven’t met anyone like me in them either.

F : So what are you?

Eden : I am nothing. Worthless.

F : What makes you say that?

Eden : Father—Dad—told me. That I am a product of my mother, who was stupid and worthless, and I am too.

F : You know that’s probably a lie.

Eden : It feels true. I was raised on that.

F : It’s probably a lie.

Eden : I can’t leave him.

F : Isaiah ?

Eden : Father. I can’t leave Father.

F : You would run away if you could.

Eden : That’s also not true, I can’t. I tried it today, and I almost died. I got as far as the highway, and I would have died there if it hadn’t been for Isaiah. Then he told me he loved me and I wished I had died.

F :Father?

Eden : Yeah, fat chance. No, not Father. Isaiah. Isaiah told me he loved me, and I just… panicked. I can’t believe I have done all… this. I can’t believe I let things go so far with him. He is forbidden. Getting out of my room is forbidden, getting out of the house is a major sin. I knew I would be condemned, yet I still did it. And I not only got out, but I saw a boy. I spoke to a boy.

F : I know you did.

Eden : What else do you know?

F : Whatever you tell me.

Eden : Well, I sinned. SO MUCH.

F : Why can’t you say the actual words?

Eden : I kissed him.

F : You did. You are irredeemable, according to your father.

F : Are you crying? If you are, stop crying. You did this to yourself.

Eden : And Isaiah doesn’t know it’s a sin, he… You should have seen his face, he was so confused when I told him. And now, he will be expecting me to… To keep doing it. I just can’t see any way out of this mess. It would have been my rightful punishment if I had died on that highway. I should have died. Father would have been relieved .

F : You’re in deep trouble as it is, but if your father even suspects that you have been sneaking out, you’re done for. Will you finally stop now?

Eden : I’m done. I am so done.

F : Good. Don’t go back to the woods, Eden.

Eden : I won’t.

* messages deleted *