Chapter 6: The One Who Still Knew Her

Evelyn walked the familiar route home with her hood up and her thoughts unraveling.

The confrontation with Nathaniel had left her emotionally drained. Not because she doubted her decision—but because her memories made it heavier. Knowing what he would become, how far he would go, made every word he said feel like the ghost of something darker.

And then there was Lucien. Always watching. Always unreadable.

She wasn’t sure if he was a threat, a puzzle, or a lifeline. Maybe all three.

But right now, she needed something simple. Something that hadn’t changed. Someone who still felt real.

So she took a sharp turn off the usual path and headed three blocks south—straight to the old white house with the peeling mint shutters and the garden that always smelled like honeysuckle.

Clara Callahan’s house.

The girl who used to sneak cookies into Evelyn’s backpack in fourth grade. The one who made mix tapes and left them in Evelyn’s locker labeled “FOR BAD DAYS.” The one who slowly drifted away when Evelyn got wrapped in Nathaniel’s world.

Not because Clara stopped caring. But because Evelyn had stopped listening.

Her heart pounded as she rang the bell.

Please be home.

Please still care.

The door creaked open, and there she was.

Clara.

Same honey-brown curls. Same freckles. Same skeptical smile.

“Evie?” she blinked. “You okay?”

And just like that, Evelyn broke.

They sat on Clara’s bed, surrounded by old throw pillows and the faint scent of vanilla candles. Clara had thrown her a hoodie and a soft pair of joggers, like she knew Evelyn needed to shed the outside world.

Clara handed her a cup of peppermint tea and crossed her legs, studying her quietly. “Okay. You showed up looking like a ghost. You haven’t called me in months. And you’re definitely not fine.”

Evelyn wrapped her fingers around the mug, staring into it like it could explain everything.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “For disappearing.”

Clara softened. “You kind of got swept away.”

“I let myself.”

Silence settled between them for a moment. Then Evelyn looked up, her eyes glassy.

“I need to tell you something, Clara. And it’s going to sound... crazy.”

Clara gave a little smile. “You once convinced me our neighbor was a vampire for three weeks. I can handle crazy.”

Evelyn laughed, short and surprised. Then the tears came. Not in sobs, but quietly—tears that rolled down her cheeks without asking for permission.

“I died,” she whispered.

Clara’s smile faltered. “What?”

Evelyn looked at her, steady now. “I died. On my wedding day. Two years from now.”

Clara didn’t laugh. She didn’t brush it off. She just stared.

“I was engaged to Nathaniel Hawthorne. He and Mia... they were behind it. They wanted me gone. And they got what they wanted.”

“Evie...” Clara whispered, blinking hard. “Are you okay? Like, really okay?”

“I know it sounds insane. I thought I was dreaming too. But I remember everything. And then... I woke up. Back here. Sixteen. Like the universe hit reset. But I still have it all in my head. Every memory. Every mistake.”

Clara was silent.

Evelyn leaned in, voice trembling. “I don’t know why it happened. But I know I’m not going to waste it. I already ended things with Nathaniel.”

Clara’s brows shot up. “Wait—you were dating him?”

“I would have been,” Evelyn said. “He starts charming me in a few weeks. Pulling me in. But this time, I stopped it.”

“Okay... that’s wild. But honestly?” Clara set her mug down. “It sounds like you finally woke up.”

Evelyn let out a shaky breath. “You believe me?”

“I don’t know if I understand it,” Clara said carefully. “But I believe you believe it. And I trust you.”

Evelyn swallowed a lump in her throat. “I thought you’d push me away.”

Clara snorted. “You’re crying in my bed, talking about death and drama. That’s vintage us.”

They both laughed. And Evelyn felt something loosen in her chest. Like a weight she didn’t know she was carrying had been cut free.

Clara leaned forward. “So... what’s the plan?”

Evelyn blinked. “Plan?”

“You don’t just come back from the dead without a plan, right?”

Evelyn hesitated. “I don’t know. I didn’t get a manual. Just... pain. And memories.”

Clara reached over and took her hand. “Then we make one.”

“I want to take back my life. I want to expose them. Stop them. Maybe help other girls like me who don’t see it coming.”

Clara nodded. “Good. Because you’re not alone this time.”

A small smile bloomed across Evelyn’s lips.

No, she wasn’t.

This time, she had someone who remembered who she was before the heartbreak. Before the poison.

This time, she had Clara.