Chapter 159: The Long-Awaited Call

Words : 1306 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 159: The Long-Awaited Call Easter~ I couldn’t breathe. The name on the screen stared back at me like a ghost I wasn’t ready to face. Melody. My twin sister. My breath caught in my throat, the air thick with disbelief. My fingers trembled as I held the phone, too stunned to move. No. This couldn’t be real. I blinked once, then twice, expecting the name to disappear like a mirage. But it didn’t. It stayed, bright and bold, vibrating in my palm like a second heartbeat. "Melody..." I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. I looked up, eyes wide, and locked onto Jacob’s gaze. He was still standing at the doorway, arms folded across his chest, but now his expression had changed. His brows furrowed, and concern creased his features. I turned toward Tiger, who stood silent beside me, his green eyes glowing with something unreadable. Then the phone stopped ringing. Just like that. Gone. As if I had imagined the whole thing. But before I could process the disappointment, it buzzed again. Melody. Again. The second time was worse—it made everything real. "Easter?" Jacob’s voice was suddenly at my ear. I flinched. He was standing right beside me now, though I hadn’t seen him move. One second he was at the door, and the next he was by my side, his warmth brushing against me, his hand gently hovering over mine but not touching it. "What is it? What’s wrong?" His voice was low and careful, like he didn’t want to spook me. I didn’t look at him—I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen. "My..." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "It’s my sister. It’s Melody. She’s calling me." Tiger let out a long breath beside me, his arms crossing slowly over his broad chest. "Finally," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to us. Jacob’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t name. "Pick up," he said softly. "Easter... answer it." But my body wouldn’t obey. My thumb hovered over the green icon, frozen. I hadn’t heard her voice in four years. Four years of silence. Four years of being cut off from my family—no calls, no texts, not even a letter. The last time I saw Melody, she had tears in her eyes, and I was standing on the front porch with a bag in my hand, heartbroken but too numb to cry. I left that house knowing my father had blocked my number, knowing I wasn’t welcome anymore—not even for a holiday, not even for a hello. I had tried. God, I had tried. I sent her emails. Messages through mutual friends. Letters she probably never received. But the silence had always screamed louder. And now... she was calling? "Easter," Jacob’s voice brought me back. His hand was on my shoulder now, grounding me. "She’s calling. Pick up." I pressed the green icon with a trembling hand and slowly brought the phone to my ear. For a second, there was nothing but silence. Then— "Easter?" Her voice. Her voice was exactly as I remembered it—soft and steady, but tinged with something fragile. Something broken. I gasped. "Melody?" "Oh my God," she whispered. "It’s really you..." I felt the tears come before I could stop them. My legs gave out beneath me, but Jacob caught me. I didn’t even know I was falling. He sank to the ground with me, his arms holding me steady as I clutched the phone like it was life itself. "I—I didn’t think you’d pick up," Melody whispered. "Why wouldn’t I?" I choked. "Why wouldn’t I, Melody? I’ve been waiting for you. Hoping for this. For you. For anything." "I wasn’t allowed to," she said, her voice cracking. "Dad... he threatened to send me away to boarding school if I ever tried to reach you. I didn’t even have your number until recently. I found an old phone. Your number was still saved. I just... I had to try." I covered my mouth with my hand, sobbing into my palm. Jacob rubbed circles on my back, grounding me in the moment, letting me fall apart. "I thought you forgot about me," I whispered. "You didn’t even say goodbye when I left." "I did!" she cried. "I tried! I was at the window, Easter! I watched you walk away. I was screaming your name, but he locked the door. I swear I never wanted to lose you." The ache in my chest swelled until I couldn’t bear it. "I needed you so badly," I whispered. "I needed my sister. I went through hell, Melody. I—" My voice broke. I couldn’t say it. Not yet. "I know," she said softly. "I heard rumors. From some of the girls at church. They said you got pregnant for that... that man. They said you looked miserable. I wanted to come for you. I begged Mom and Dad to let me go. They said no. They said you made your choice." "I didn’t choose anything," I hissed. "They gave me no choice. No one gave me a choice." She suddenly went silent. Tiger knelt beside Jacob, quiet but close, his presence a silent form of strength. Donut padded over and curled into my side, as if sensing the weight of my grief. I buried my face into Jacob’s shoulder, letting the tears fall freely. "You don’t have to explain it all now," Melody said gently. "I just wanted to hear your voice. I missed you so much." "I missed you too," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Every single day." "Where are you now?" I glanced up at Jacob, whose gaze met mine with unwavering warmth. He nodded slightly, silently encouraging me to speak freely. "I’m safe," I said, brushing my hair from my damp cheeks. "I’m with people who care about me. People who don’t see me as a mistake." There was silence on the line. Then— "I want to see you," she said, almost like a plea. "I need to see you, Easter." I hesitated. "Melody... it’s complicated." "I don’t care. I’ll come wherever you are. Just say the word." "Tell her you’ll get back to her shortly with a date," Jacob said softly beside me, though Melody couldn’t hear him. I nodded slowly, still in shock. "Okay. Okay... but not today. Let me... I need time to think. There’s a lot I need to tell you. I’ll get back to you shortly with a date." "I’ll wait," she said, her voice trembling. "I’ll wait as long as it takes." "I love you," I whispered. "I love you more," she whispered back. The line went silent. She had hung up. But her words lingered, echoing in my mind like a lullaby from the past. I stared at the phone in my lap, unable to move. Jacob gently tilted my chin, forcing me to look at him. His warm brown eyes searched mine. "You okay?" he asked. I shook my head slowly, the truth pouring from my lips. "No... but I think I will be." He nodded and gathered me into his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head. "You were never meant to carry this alone, Easter." For the first time in four years, I believed. Tiger stood and brushed off his pants. "Come. Let’s get you inside." As Jacob helped me to my feet and led me toward the house, I glanced back one last time at the woods we had emerged from. The place I had gagged and laughed and discovered Tiger was quite literally a tiger. The place where I had thrown up my morning sickness and spilled secrets I never thought I’d say out loud. And now... it was also the place I answered a call that could change everything. The long-awaited call. The beginning of something new.

Chapter 159: The Long-Awaited Call

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