Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Jason's hands were on fire, and his grip was anything but gentle.

My heart did a little flip.

"Chill with me for a bit," Jason said, his voice all deep and serious.

I nodded, and he let go. I slid into the passenger seat.

Both windows were down, and the breeze was kinda chilly; no booze smell or anything.

Jason just sat there, leaning back, puffing on a cigarette, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The only thing moving in the car was the smoke, swirling around in the moonlight.

"You dropped Lacey off, right?" I finally broke the silence. "Yeah."

I thought for a sec and then said, "You know, Lacey's pretty cool. She's hot, smart, straight-up, and sweet. Even though her family's kinda messed up, you can tell she got a good upbringing; probably 'cause her dad's a teacher. You two are both awesome and single, so maybe..."

"Enough!" Jason cut me off, his voice sharp.

He was usually so chill, but his shout made me jump.

He must've realized he freaked me out 'cause he softened his tone, "You just know when it's right. The best person isn't always the right one for you."

I figured he was thinking about his first love, the one he never got over. Dude's got some deep feelings.

I whispered, "Sorry."

He gave a helpless smile. "I should be the one saying sorry. Didn't mean to snap at you. Don't sweat it."

I said, "It's cool."

A gust of wind blew in, and I shivered, rubbing my arms.

Jason noticed and rolled up my window.

He casually turned on the music, and "Happen To Meet" started playing.

"As winter said goodbye, I woke in a moment lost in time..."

The soft music filled the car, and we just sat there, listening.

The first time I heard this song was in a movie theater, and I bawled my eyes out.

"The saddest part of love is meeting at the wrong time, and missing the right one.."

Jason's voice was tinged with sadness as he spoke along with the song.

I felt a pang in my chest and tried to cheer him up. "Let the past be the past. Move on and start fresh. She'd want you to be happy."

Jason turned to look at me, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Really?" His smile was kinda goofy and innocent.

I nodded seriously. "Yeah."

"Actually, the rarest thing in this world is not meeting but reuniting." He said this while staring at me, his gaze intense.

In the cramped space of the car, it suddenly felt warmer.

"Emily, actually..."

Jason was cut off by his phone ringing.

He picked it up, and I saw the name "Ethan" on the screen.

I suddenly felt a bit jittery.

Jason killed the music and picked up the call.

In the quiet car, I could hear Ethan's voice loud and clear.

"Jason, did my wife go missing?" Ethan joked.

Jason glanced at me, a faint smile in his eyes, all calm and chill.

"She's downstairs. We're just chatting."

After the call, we got out of the car and headed inside, each going to our rooms.

The bedroom lights were off, but I knew Ethan was awake.

As I walked to the bed, Ethan suddenly yanked me into his arms, and I banged my chin.

"Not seeing you in the middle of the night, are you sleepwalking?" His tone was playful, but there was a hint of annoyance.

I pulled away from him, lay down beside him, and explained, "I heard a car and didn't see Jason come up, so I went down to check." Ethan grunted and pulled me closer.

"I called you. But your phone was ringing on the nightstand. I thought you sleepwalked into the wrong room."

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see it.

"Wrong room? Do you think I'm you? I'm not that clueless."

Ethan laughed and ruffled my hair, hugging me tight before I could get mad.

"Yeah, you're the reliable one, I'm not. We balance each other out, right?"

The next morning, at breakfast, Jason grabbed some bread and said, "I've been looking for a place lately. Found a good one a few days ago. If it works out, I'll move." His words came out of nowhere, and I couldn't help but look at him in surprise.

"It's not like we don't have room for you here."

Ethan added with a teasing grin, "But this isn't a long-term gig. If you get a girlfriend, it'd be awkward bringing her here. You'd have to get a hotel room." Jason smiled lightly. "Mainly, I don't want to see you two flaunting your love in front of me every day." Two days later, Jason moved out.

He bought a fully furnished three-bedroom apartment downtown, ready to go.

That evening, Oliver treated us at Blue Ocean Bar to celebrate Jason's new residence.

Bella showed up too, her hair now shoulder-length. If it were before, she would've chopped it off already.

I sat next to her and said curiously, "You've never let your hair grow this long before."

Bella tilted her head and whispered, "I want to grow it out. As my best friend, what do you think?"

I smiled and said, "I'm excited to see it. You're gorgeous, so any hairstyle suits you."

They say a person's change often starts with someone coming into or leaving their life.

Like a tomboy suddenly trying on dresses, or a short-haired girl wanting to grow her hair long.

I thought this time, Bella had truly fallen for Oliver.

Ethan had a sensitive stomach, so I didn't let him drink. I stopped him from accepting any toasts.

He probably thought I was being extra, but I was dead serious, and he just smiled and gave in. "Alright, I'll listen to you." One of his buddies cracked a joke about Ethan being a henpecked husband, but he just shrugged it off.

"Being a henpecked husband is a badge of honor. You guys don't get it. A real man takes care of his wife."

My heart did a little happy dance at his words. Bella nudged me and whispered, "Emily, you're lucky to have Ethan."

I used to think Ethan's kindness was the best thing ever. Back then, I never imagined I'd one day wish I'd never met him.

Connie was up on stage singing. I took the chance to hit the restroom and stopped a waiter to have a quick word. When I got back, Connie was singing one of Fiona's songs.

The vibe at our table got real tense. I casually grabbed some fruit to munch on.

The song had barely started when Ethan suddenly stood up, making my heart skip a beat. I grabbed his hand. "What's up?"

He leaned down and gave me a cheeky grin. "Just hitting the bathroom. Wanna come with?"

I let go of his hand, blushing.

After Ethan left, I noticed Jason sitting quietly on the side, so I went over to him.

I asked straight up, "Jason, do you know where Fiona is buried?"

Jason swirled the wine in his glass. "Her remains were taken back to her hometown for burial."

So, they never saw her body.

"Is there any chance she might still be alive?" I voiced my suspicion.

Jason looked stunned, then laughed.

"No way," he said firmly. "When that happened, her family was blindsided. Her body was in the funeral home for a week before they took her. How could she still be alive?" Her body was in the funeral home for a week. If she were still alive, she'd have to be a ghost.

If Fiona wasn't alive, that text message seemed even creepier.

Connie finished her song, and Ethan came back. I wrapped up my chat with Jason.

Connie walked over to us.

She said, "Oliver, I've signed up for the 'Youth Sings Loudly' competition. I might need some time off work here."

Oliver waved it off. "No problem, dreams are important. If you make it big, just don't forget about Blue Ocean Bar. Come back and do a couple of shows to boost our place." Everyone was in high spirits, clinking glasses and laughing.

Under my watchful eye, Ethan stuck to water the whole time.

After a bit, I noticed Jason was missing.

I looked around and found him on stage.

Jason, a drummer with a special bond to his instrument, gently touched the drum surface as he sat behind the set.

After years of not playing, the memories came rushing back. He picked up the drumsticks, tapping lightly at first, then gradually found his groove and got more into it.

I once told him drummers should be wilder. He laughed, saying he might have a wild side I hadn't seen.

Now, I believed him. He played effortlessly, like a natural, his powerful rhythm electrifying the room. As he hit the final note, the bar erupted in applause and cheers. Jason came back, and Oliver praised him. "Not bad, Jason. Your skills haven't faded at all."

Jason patted Oliver's shoulder and joked, "Don't forget to pay me for the performance. Give you a buddy discount."

Everyone laughed.

Bella, however, said, "Everyone seems so capable. Why do you seem so useless?"

Hearing this, Oliver immediately got defensive.

"That's because you haven't seen my skills."

Bella snorted. "What skills? Your womanizing skills?"

I knew Bella was deliberately provoking Oliver, and he took the bait. He stood up immediately.

"Alright, I'll show you today. I'll sing a song for you. If I do well, you have to give me a kiss. Deal?"

Bella raised an eyebrow. "If you have the guts, get on stage first."

Oliver downed a full glass of wine, rolled up his sleeves, and headed to the stage.

He picked up the microphone and cleared his throat, still a bit embarrassed. "I'm going to sing a song for the woman I like. My skills are limited, so bear with me." Everyone in the bar knew he was the owner, and they clapped and cheered him on.

"Come on."

Soon, a familiar rhythm started, and Oliver began to sing.

"There is a beautiful little girl, her name is Bella. She has gentle eyes, and she quietly stole my heart."

Oliver's voice was surprisingly good, which caught me off guard. I glanced at Bella, and she seemed quite surprised too.

He sang the entire song looking at Bella, and everyone in the bar followed his gaze. Even Bella, with her strong heart, felt a bit uncomfortable.

We were all listening to Oliver sing, so no one noticed how that woman rushed up.

She suddenly grabbed Bella's hair and slapped her.

I recognized her as Oliver's ex-girlfriend, Giselle.

Bella stood up immediately.

I grabbed Bella, afraid she would retaliate. She was strong, and Giselle was pregnant.

Bella probably considered this too. She clenched her fists but didn't swing.

The singing stopped, and Oliver must have seen the commotion. He dropped the microphone and rushed over.

Giselle stepped back, tripping over a bottle. One foot slipped, and before I could reach out, she fell heavily backward.

As she hit the ground, Giselle screamed, clutching her abdomen.

Soon, blood started to seep through her dress.