The days in Willow Bay blurred into a lonely rhythm.
I worked part-time at the bookstore downstairs under the name "Mia Salt." The owner, an older woman named Eleanor, didn't ask many questions. She let me stock shelves, read in the back room during slow hours, and paid me in cash. It was enough to cover rent and the prenatal vitamins I'd ordered online.
My belly had finally started to show — a small, firm swell that I protected with oversized hoodies and my hands. At night, I'd lie in bed talking to the baby, telling it stories about its father. How kind he was. How gentle. How much he would love it.
But the hatred simmering inside me toward Elena had only grown.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them. Stefan's arms around her. Her face pressed against his chest. The easy comfort between them. His ex. The girl he once said he would die for. The girl who still had a piece of his heart, no matter what he claimed.
I hated her for being the reason he came to Mystic Falls.
I hated her for looking like Katherine.
I hated her for being the "safe," human choice.
And most of all, I hated myself for letting that hatred fester while carrying Stefan's child.
▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️
One rainy afternoon, a package arrived from Bonnie.
Inside were prenatal books, more grimoires, a bundle of herbs for morning sickness, and a sealed letter.
I opened the letter with trembling hands.
Myra,
Stefan is losing it. He barely sleeps. He's tearing the town apart looking for you. Elena's worried sick too — she cries every time your name comes up. Your dad is getting worse. The ring is changing him faster now. Please… come home. Or at least let me tell Stefan where you are. He deserves to know about the baby.
— Bonnie
I stared at the words until they blurred.
Elena's worried sick.
The rage that surged through me was sudden and violent. A glass on the counter shattered without me touching it. My magic flared wildly around the pregnancy hormones.
"She's worried?" I laughed bitterly, voice echoing in the empty apartment. "Of course she is. Saint Elena, always the victim, always the one everyone runs to comfort. While I'm out here pregnant and alone because I can't stand watching her take him away from me again."
I crumpled the letter and threw it across the room.
That night, the loneliness hit harder than ever.
I lay in bed, one hand on my growing belly, the other slipping between my thighs as memories of Stefan consumed me.
Flashback
Stefan had me bent over the desk in his room, skirt pushed up around my waist. He was fucking me hard from behind, one hand tangled in my hair, the other rubbing tight circles on my clit.
"You feel so good," he groaned, thrusting deep. "So fucking tight, Myra."
I moaned loudly, pushing back against him. "Harder, Stefan—please—"
He gave me what I wanted, pounding into me until I came with a scream, clenching around him. He followed right after, spilling deep inside me with a guttural moan of my name.
End of Flashback
I came quietly in the dark, tears streaming down my face, whispering his name like a broken prayer.
It wasn't enough. It would never be enough.
▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️
Three days later, I was closing the bookstore when the bell above the door rang.
I looked up — and froze.
Stefan stood in the doorway, rain dripping from his dark hair, eyes red-rimmed and desperate. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.
"Myra…"
My heart slammed against my ribs. I backed up instinctively, one hand flying to my stomach.
"How did you find me?"
"Bonnie finally cracked," he said, voice hoarse. He took a slow step forward. "Why didn't you tell me? About the baby?"
I felt the blood drain from my face. "She wasn't supposed to tell you."
"I had a right to know!" His voice cracked. "That's our child, Myra. You ran away from me — from us — because you saw me comforting Elena? That's what this is about?"
The pain and anger exploded out of me.
"Yes!" I shouted. "Because she's always going to be there, Stefan! Your ex. The love of your life. The girl you chose first. Every time she cries, you run to her. Every time she needs saving, you're there. And now I'm supposed to bring a baby into that? Into a world where my own father wants to kill you and everyone like you?"
Stefan looked devastated. "Myra… I love you. Elena and I are over. We've been over for a long time. You're carrying my child. Please… come home."
I shook my head, tears falling fast. "I can't. Not yet. Not while everything is falling apart. Not while I feel like I'm always going to be second place."
He stepped closer, eyes pleading. "You're not second. You're everything. Let me prove it."
For one weak moment, I almost gave in.
Then my phone buzzed on the counter. A text from Elena:
Elena:Myra, please come back. Stefan needs you. I need my sister. We'll figure everything out together.
The hatred burned hotter.
I looked at Stefan, voice cold. "Tell Elena to stop texting me. I don't want her 'help.' And I don't want to see her face right now."
Stefan looked heartbroken. "Myra…"
"Go, Stefan," I whispered, turning away. "I need more time."
He didn't leave immediately. I heard him breathing behind me, fighting every instinct to stay. Finally, the bell above the door rang as he stepped back into the rain.
The moment he was gone, I sank to the floor behind the counter, sobbing uncontrollably, both hands cradling my belly.
"I'm sorry, baby," I cried. "I'm so sorry…"
I didn't know how much longer I could keep running.
But with my hatred for Elena growing stronger every day, and my fear for the future even bigger, running still felt like the only choice I had left.