Rebirth: Love me Again

Chapter 42: Feelings with No Answer

Cole pulled his hand back, as if the phone itself had burned him.

Why now?

Why did he suddenly feel this emptiness gnawing at him, this aching void where Eve's presence used to be?

He had always been indifferent, cold even, to the point where people thought he didn't feel anything at all.

But Eve . . . Eve had been different. She had lingered in the background of his life, always there, like the steady rhythm of his own heartbeat.

And now, without her, everything felt disjointed, like a song missing its melody.

But was that enough to act on?

Cole leaned back, staring up at the ceiling, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him. He wasn't sure. If he wasn't sure, then maybe leaving her be was the right choice.

Maybe this was how it was supposed to end—her drifting away, him staying locked in the safety of his solitude.

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, a pang of regret sliced through him. Leaving her be? Could he really do that? Could he just let her slip away without even trying to understand what this strange ache inside him meant?

His fingers clenched around the phone, his chest tight. He had never been the kind of person who allowed his emotions to control him.

But this—this feeling was different. It gnawed at him, clawing its way into his consciousness, refusing to let go.

A memory flashed through his mind—Eve, standing beside him as a child, her hand slipping into his, her smile warm and bright, even as he stood cold and distant.

She had always been there, hadn't she? Even when he didn't ask for her presence, even when he didn't deserve it.

And now she wasn't.

It was like something gnawing at the back of his mind, a relentless, nagging feeling he couldn't shake. If he didn't stop her this time, if he didn't reach out, he would regret it.

Deep down, Cole knew it with an unsettling certainty. The sensation wasn't new—it was like déjà vu, as if he had felt this exact moment slipping through his fingers before. Like Eve had already vanished from his life once.

But how? How could that be?

Cole couldn't place his finger on it, couldn't fully grasp why the thought of Eve disappearing now felt so hauntingly familiar.

It was irrational, maddening.

She was right there, still within his reach, yet the fear of losing her was paralyzing, almost as if this wasn't the first time.

It felt like some forgotten part of him knew that if he didn't do something—anything—right now, she would disappear, and this time it would be for good.

The past?

The thought crashed into him with unexpected force.

What past?

Cole paused, heart racing as his mind struggled to piece together fragmented memories. He tried to remember, but it was like chasing shadows. The harder he reached for it, the more elusive it became.

What past was he even talking about?

His brow furrowed as frustration swelled inside him. He had never been one to dwell on emotions or sentimentality, yet here he was, consumed by a feeling that he couldn't understand.

There was a weight to it, like a heavy fog hanging over his chest, suffocating him with the need to act before it was too late.

But what was he supposed to do?

Cole's thoughts raced, scrambling for clarity, but every answer slipped through his fingers like sand. And still, that gnawing feeling persisted, as if some part of him—buried deep within—knew exactly what he was afraid of but refused to reveal it.

He racked his brain, pushing himself to remember, to connect the dots, but it was as if a wall had been erected in his mind, blocking out a memory of the past.

Cole gritted his teeth, his hands trembling slightly. He was not one to lose control like this, to let emotions rule him.

Yet there was an undeniable sense of urgency pulsing through him, a voice inside his head screaming that this was his last chance. It was irrational, absurd even, but it was real—more real than any cold, calculated decision he had made in the past.

What was it about Eve?

His chest tightened as memories of her began to surface, little moments from their childhood together—her laughter, her warmth, the way she'd always found him, no matter how distant or cold he had been. She had clung to him like a lifeline, even when he pushed her away. Eve had always been there.

Until now.

For the first time, she wasn't reaching for him. She wasn't trying to close the distance he had so carefully maintained. She wasn't smiling at him the way she used to.

Instead, she was slipping away, retreating into a space he couldn't follow, and the realization hit him like a blow to the chest.

Why did it feel like he had already lost her once before? Like this wasn't just about today but about something far deeper, something that spanned beyond a mere memory?

The past . . . What past?

Cole shook his head, trying to shake off the fog that clouded his thoughts, but it remained. He was drowning in it, in this unfamiliar sensation of fear and regret that clung to him like a second skin. He had never cared about losing people before. He had lived his life alone, distant, detached.

But with Eve, it was different.

He couldn't lose her. Not again.

The thought startled him.

Again

?

His mind stumbled over the word. Had he already lost her once before? Was that why the fear felt so visceral, so real? As if he was reliving something buried deep in his subconscious, some pain he had locked away without ever acknowledging?

A flicker of a memory—faint and blurred—surfaced for a brief moment. Cole could see Eve's face, tears streaming down her cheeks, but it wasn't the Eve he knew now. It was her, but . . . older, different. The memory faded as quickly as it appeared, leaving him breathless and confused.

Cole's hands gripped the edge of the table in front of him, his knuckles white. He felt like he was on the brink of something important, something crucial that he couldn't quite reach.

He couldn't explain it. He didn't understand why it felt like Eve had already left him in some other life, some other time.

But he knew one thing for certain—if he didn't act now, if he didn't fight for her this time, the regret would follow him for the rest of his life.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Cole stood up, grabbing his phone again. This time, there was no hesitation. His fingers moved on their own, dialing her number for the first time ever.

'This number is out of service.'

Cole was stunned . . . did she . . . changed numbers?

He was ready to hack her information when his phone buzzed. The screen flashed

Lina

.

"Cole, where are you?" Lina's voice was sharp, edged with urgency.

"Home." His voice came out steady, but his pulse quickened.

"Get to Angel's Hospital. Now."

Cole's heart pounded, a cold dread seizing his chest. "What happened?"

There was a long pause, each second stretching unbearably before Lina spoke again.

"It's Eve . . ."