Jeremy didn't know how he got under her window. Everything felt like a dream — fog, the echo of his own footsteps, a heartbeat that was no longer just his.
He knew she was inside.
He could feel it.
But it wasn't the same energy. Something was distorted. As if her soul... was breaking.
Before he could knock, the door opened on its own.
Julie stood in the middle of the room, in the shadow — barefoot, pale, with dilated pupils. She looked at him, and for a brief moment, her gaze was completely foreign. Cold. Empty.
"Julie?" he whispered, stepping in cautiously.
She didn't answer. She took a step back.
But then something broke.
She twitched. She gasped sharply, as if surfacing from deep underwater.
"Jeremy..." Her voice trembled. "She… is doing something to me. I… sometimes I'm not myself."
Jeremy stepped closer. Her body shivered, but she didn't pull away. His hand reached for her cheek. Her skin was ice-cold.
"I know. I feel it. But you're here. Still. And as long as you are... I'll fight for every part of you."
"Sometimes... I hear her voice. She tells me to do things. I know it's Rosalie. But when I look at you, when you're near… it's quieter."
"That means she hasn't won yet."
Jeremy wrapped his arms around her. She trembled. She didn't know how much longer she would remain herself. But in this one moment — she was. Completely.
"I swear," he whispered into her ear, "I won't let you go."
But somewhere beneath their feet, the ground shifted again.
Rosalie knew they were together.
And she knew what to do to destroy it.
Jeremy pulled her closer, her body shaking in his arms, but she didn't pull away. She leaned in, as if this was her last chance to receive warmth, to feel safe. Their breaths quickened, joining in one rhythm, as if nothing could separate them.
"I don't know what's happening to me..." Julie whispered, her voice muffled, crushed by the weight of fear. "Every day is a fight. Like I'm losing myself. And then you appear... and everything becomes... brighter."
Jeremy felt something warm settle on his chest. It was love. True, innocent, the kind he hadn't wanted to admit but now couldn't ignore.
"You're strong. Remember that when it gets hardest," he said, pulling her hand from his chest and pressing it against his heart. "I won't let her destroy you."
Julie lifted her head, looking into his eyes — intensely, as if she was piercing through him. She saw in them something she hadn't noticed before. Protection. Understanding. And something more… something she couldn't name herself.
"You'll fight for me?" she asked, almost shyly.
Jeremy nodded. There was a fire in his eyes that had never been there before. A destiny that refused to let them be apart.
"To the end, Julie. To the end."
She closed her eyes, feeling all her doubts vanish for a moment. For a moment, nothing else mattered but that she was here, with him. Without Rosalie. Without fear. Just them.
She felt her heart beating louder inside her. But somewhere in the distance, in the darkness, her mind still followed a troubling feeling... Rosalie was just around the corner. She was everywhere.
Jeremy gently stroked her back, as if trying to press strength into her. Strength he had — that he didn't fully understand, but felt he had to give her to survive.
"Rosalie won't defeat you. Not that easily. You will always be in my arms, Julie. Always."
Their bodies were close, almost merging into one, but something in that moment couldn't be stopped. Their hearts, their souls were one, and yet something outside, somewhere beyond them, began again to strive for their separation.
Julie knew there was no turning back. That what was happening now would change them both forever. But she also felt that only together could they overcome what was coming.
And then something inside her broke. The feeling that she had to give Jeremy something in return. Something that would bind them forever.
Before she could reach for the words, Jeremy leaned toward her, and his lips found her neck.
It was gentle, tender, but at the same time full of tension. As if they were waiting for this moment to explode.
Their breaths quickened, and their hearts beat faster at the same pace. They knew something was changing.
And then, with a slight smile, Jeremy whispered:
"We will fight together."
Julie trembled. Her fingers clenched on his shoulder. She felt her heart racing wildly, and her hands didn't dare touch him any further yet.
But in her eyes, there was something. Determination. Strength that came not only from her love for him but also from her faith that together they could overcome anything.
Jeremy lifted her face, placing his hands on her cheeks. He looked at her, feeling the weight of her fear and anxiety, but also the trust she gave him. He was no longer afraid of what he felt. He simply loved her.
Before Julie could respond, something sparkled in her eyes. It was hope.
For a moment they both stood in silence, their bodies so close that in that quiet they could only hear their beating hearts.
"You are my world, Julie," Jeremy finally said.
And then he felt something in her break again. This time with a force neither of them expected.