All Chapters of Mesmerize Me: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The week passed with a routine that felt only half rebuilt. Between school, homework, and afternoons at home, I tried to bring everything back to a recognizable rhythm—even though nothing truly was. At breakfast, Dad kept making pancakes as if it were a sacred ritual meant to keep us standing. He drove me to school whenever he could, and some nights, when he thought I couldn’t hear him, he spoke on the phone in a low voice, the study door closed, and the lights on until late. Once, I caught the word ‘custody’, and without needing any further explanation, I understood he was moving forward with the lawyer. We didn’t talk about it. It was a silent pact: he took care of me, and I let him. At school, the comments—though more discreet—hadn’t completely stopped. Christine, with her venom disguised as friendliness, never missed the chance to remind me that “the whole neighborhood was talking about the return of the lost father.” It wasn’t the whole neighborh

Two hours later, slightly delirious from Kate’s music, we arrived at the lake house. She was clearly having the time of her life in a parallel universe where she sang on stage while the guitarist smiled at her every ten seconds. I knew this because she narrated it out loud, choreography included. Neither Jacob nor I had the heart to tell her she was off-key and that her music had already made us dizzy. We unloaded the cars and began organizing inside. The three of us followed Kate’s mom into the kitchen. “Kate, please show them the rooms and then come back to help me put the groceries away. The others went straight to the grill. Apparently, that requires many men,” she said with amused sarcasm. “Jacob, feel free to join them whenever you like,” Mrs. Cooper added with a smile. “Of course, Mom. Come on, I’ll give you a brief tour of your accommodations for the next few days,” Kate replied ceremoniously, like a museum guid

The night air began to creep in little by little, stealthily, as if the forest were reclaiming its space once the fire died down. After cleaning everything up and making sure the pit was reduced to ashes, we went back inside, dragging laughter, blankets, and that pleasant exhaustion that only comes after a well-lived day. That was when Kevin, incapable of tolerating more than three seconds of silence, made a suggestion: “What if we watch a movie?” “We could put on a horror movie,” Michael added with genuine enthusiasm, as if it were the best idea of the night. “I think I’ll pass. Horror isn’t really my thing,” I said, trying to sound casual, as if admitting it didn’t give me away. “Don’t worry, Camimi. I’ll check under your bed,” Kevin replied, winking at me. «Gooood grief, Kevin and his winks.» “Very funny…” I said, laughing. “No, seriously. I’m an expert.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I murmured, taking in the trees, the sky, the birds. “Yes, it is,” he answered—but Jacob wasn’t looking at the forest. He was looking at me. I smiled at his response. I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the rising sun, letting the light and the wind pass through me, as if they could carry away some of the sadness that still clung to me. I took a few photos, not searching for perfect angles; I wanted to preserve the feeling more than the image. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jacob holding his phone, taking pictures as well. We stayed silent, sharing the calm. I could hear the steady rhythm of his breathing—so close, so peaceful. “We should head back,” I said after checking the time. “It’s almost ten. They might not be waiting for us, but better not tempt fate.” He stood first and extended his hand to me. “Maybe it’s bet

The rest of the weekend felt like I was floating through clouds, as if everything revolved around that moment on the mountain. We were never alone again, and neither of us mentioned what had happened, but the way we looked at each other told me something had changed. It was like a secret wrapped around us, a silent complicity that made me wonder whether what I felt was the memory of what had already happened… or the desire for it to happen again. The hours passed lightly, filled with laughter and games. We played charades until our faces hurt from overacting, watched the sunset by the lake, and saw a movie that—to my relief—wasn’t a horror film. Between jokes, Kevin and his friends seemed to compete to see who could make me laugh the hardest; sometimes they succeeded so well that my stomach hurt. And while I found it funny on the inside, outwardly, I made sure not to let those interactions linger too long. It wasn’t h