SHE WHO HAUNTS MY BONES (ᴏɴ ʜᴏʟᴅ)
Epilogue
They say every soul you love leaves an echo inside you.
But no one warned Jerusha what it feels like when the echo arrives in the flesh.
The first time she saw Kashvi, she felt it.
A jolt.
A memory without images.
A wound without a past.
A pull so violent it terrified her.
She pushed back.
Hard.
With sharp words, colder stares, and an anger she couldn’t name.
But even when Jerusha rejected her…
even when Kashvi walked away in quiet heartbreak…
the pull didn’t fade.
Until one night, Jerusha found herself standing in front of the one girl she swore she never wanted—
hands trembling, heart thundering,
and a truth heavy on her tongue:
Jerusha
Why do you feel like something I’ve lost…
and something I’ve been searching for?
Kashvi didn’t have the answer.
And some connections—no matter how hard you try to ruin them—
always find their way back home.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ʜᴏᴘᴇ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀᴀʙʟᴇ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀs ɪᴛ ɪs ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ 😘
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ɪᴛ's ᴊᴜsᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ʟᴇᴛ's sᴇᴇ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜɪs sᴛᴏʀʏ ɢᴏᴇs
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ɪᴛ's ᴀ ɢʟ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴜɴᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ɴᴏ ɴᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛs, ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴄs sʜᴀʀᴇ, ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴀs ɪ'ᴍ ʟᴀᴢʏ 😪
ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 1 — ᴛʜᴇ ɢɪʀʟ ᴡʜᴏ ғᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀʏ
Jerusha didn’t believe in fate.
Or destiny.
Or soul-ties.
Or any of those soft, poetic words people used to excuse bad decisions.
She believed in two things:
Everything else was irrelevant.
The world outside her sisters was a battlefield she refused to walk into unarmed. One wrong smile, one misplaced softness, one naïve moment of trust—those were the things that destroyed people. And Jerusha refused to be destroyed.
People called her cold.
People called her cruel.
People said she was born with ice in her blood and arrogance in her bones.
People’s opinions were like dust—easy to wipe off.
What she didn’t expect, on a humid, ordinary evening, was for one person to walk into her home and turn the ground under her feet into quicksand.
It began with Aaravi calling her name.
Aaravi
Jeruu! Come downstairs!
Jerusha hated the nickname. Only her sisters were allowed to use it. Anyone else who tried wouldn’t have a tongue for long. She rolled her eyes from her bed and didn’t bother responding.
Vivian poked her head into the room.
Vivian
Aaravi wants all of us in the living room. She brought someone.
The moment Vivian spoke, Opal—Jerusha’s twin—looked up from her sketchbook. Opal was the softer twin, the warmer twin, the twin who balanced out Jerusha’s thunder.
Vivian
A girl from her university.
Vivian
Maybe because she’s normal, and normal people have friends?
Jerusha shot her a glare.
Jerusha
We’re all she needs.
Vivian laughed under her breath, but Opal nudged Jerusha gently.
Opal
Come on. At least pretend to be civil.
Jerusha muttered as she stood.
The three sisters walked downstairs, their footsteps soft on the wooden steps. Pavika was already there, sprawled on the couch, grinning like she had been waiting for a show.
And then Jerusha saw her.
A girl with warm honey eyes that flicked up at the noise.
A soft, gentle smile that didn’t feel forced.
A posture that was polite, respectful, almost too careful.
And a presence—God, a presence that hit Jerusha like déjà vu wrapped in a punch to the stomach.
Her jaw tightened without warning.
For a moment—just a second—she felt she knew that face.
Like she’d seen it before.
In the quiet space between memories she didn’t remember having?
But her bones reacted first.
Aaravi stood beside Kashvi, smiling proudly.
Aaravi
Guys, this is Kashvi. She’s helping me with a project, so I brought her over.
Kashvi stood politely, giving a small bow.
Kashvi
It’s really nice to meet you all.
Her voice was soft—gentle waves brushing the shore.
Something in Jerusha twisted painfully.
She didn’t like gentleness.
She didn’t trust softness.
Soft people were fragile. Fragile people broke.
And Jerusha hated breakage.
She hated the way Kashvi’s smile made her chest feel tight.
So she did what Jerusha always did with things she didn’t understand:
Aaravi
Jerusha—don’t be rude.
Jerusha
I’m not being rude
Jerusha
I’m asking a question.
Kashvi blinked, taken aback but still polite.
Kashvi
I—I can leave if it’s a problem. I didn’t know—
Jerusha
You didn’t need to know
Jerusha
Aaravi should’ve told us.
Opal shot Jerusha a warning look.
Pavika whispered a delighted
Aaravi
Jerusha, what’s your problem? She’s my friend.
Jerusha
She doesn’t need to be
Kashvi looked down, smile dimming just a little. Not fully. Just… wounded in a quiet way.
Jerusha hated how that hurt her.
She justified it quickly in her mind:
Jerusha
(ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴡᴇᴀᴋɴᴇss ɪʀʀɪᴛᴀᴛᴇs ᴍᴇ. ʀɪɢʜᴛ? ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ’s ᴀʟʟ it ɪs.)
But even she didn’t believe that.
Aaravi
Kashvi, ignore her. She’s having a day.
Kashvi whispered, her voice small.
Jerusha didn’t know why, but seeing Kashvi accept blame, accept disrespect, accept ʜᴜʀᴛ—
it made something ugly flare inside her.
Anger.
Guilt.
Recognition.
Fear.
A mix too tangled to untie.
She turned and walked away before anyone could say another word.
But as she reached the staircase, she heard Kashvi laugh softly.
Gentle.
Kind.
Trying to lighten the atmosphere.
The sound hit Jerusha’s spine like a memory she didn’t have.
She froze for a fraction of a second.
Then climbed the stairs faster than she ever had in her life.
Upstairs, behind the safety of her closed bedroom door, Jerusha paced—something she almost never did.
Her chest was tight.
Her jaw ached from clenching.
Her palms were cold.
What the hell was wrong with her?
She didn’t know this girl.
She had never met her.
And yet—
Like Kashvi was a shadow carved into her bones long before this moment.
Like something unfinished between them had snapped awake.
Jerusha hated the feeling.
She hated it so much it made her hands shake.
She heard footsteps outside.
Opal
You looked… startled. I’ve never seen you react to someone like that.
Her voice came out too sharp.
Opal
Does she feel familiar?
Her heart dropped to her stomach.
So it wasn’t just her imagination.
Something Jerusha didn’t want anyone seeing.
Jerusha
You’re overthinking,
Opal studied her carefully—soft eyes mirroring Jerusha’s same features, same soul, but drenched in warmth.
Jerusha hated how easy Opal saw through her.
Jerusha said, mostly convincing herself.
Jerusha
Aaravi’s stupid friend.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏᴏ ʀᴇᴀʟ.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇᴅ sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ᴍʏ ᴍɪɴᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ʟᴀᴢʏ 😪 ᴀɢᴀɪɴ
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ʟɪᴋᴇ, ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴀʀᴇ.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɪᴅs sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴅᴀʀʟɪɴɢs 😉
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ʟᴀᴢʏ 😪 ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ
ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 2 — ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴜᴅɢᴇ sʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ɴᴀᴍᴇ
Downstairs, Kashvi helped Aaravi set the table.
Her smile returned, but a small crack remained—one only Jerusha noticed.
Why did she notice?
Why did she care?
She sat on the landing of the stairs, unseen, listening.
Aaravi
Sorry about my sister. She’s… complicated.
Kashvi
She’s not complicated. Just guarded.
Jerusha’s breath hitched.
Kashvi
People who build walls aren’t dangerous. They’re hurting. Or protecting something precious.
Aaravi
You understood her more in five minutes than most people did in years.
Kashvi
I guess I’m good with difficult people.
Jerusha gripped the railing.
She didn’t know whether she wanted to laugh, scream, or drag Kashvi outside just to tell her to sᴛᴏᴘ ʙᴇɪɴɢ sᴏ ᴄᴀʟᴍ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀ.
Stop being so nice.
Stop making her heart feel things it shouldn’t.
This girl—this stranger—was getting under her skin without trying.
Jerusha hated her instantly.
Jerusha noticed her instantly.
Jerusha felt her instantly.
And that scared her more than anything.
She got up abruptly and walked downstairs, expression cold, controlled, cruelly calm.
Pavika
Are you joining us?
Jerusha’s eyes locked onto Kashvi.
Jerusha
But she’s leaving soon, right?
Kashvi’s face fell so subtly that no one else saw it.
And her stomach twisted painfully.
Why?
Why did that tiny heartbreak slice through her?
Aaravi
Jerusha—don’t be like this.
She only looked at Kashvi and said
Jerusha
Don’t get too comfortable.
Kashvi
I never intended to.
That should have satisfied her.
And Jerusha hated—for the first time in her life—being the one who caused the hurt she couldn’t bear seeing.
Later that night, when Kashvi left, Jerusha stood by the window watching her walk away.
The warm glow of streetlights painted her silhouette gold.
Her steps were quiet, her shoulders slightly slouched.
And the strangest thing happened:
Deep, sharp, unreasonable loss.
As if someone she wasn’t supposed to lose was walking out of her life before the story even began.
Her heart beat too loud.
Her hands curled into fists.
This was wrong.
This was absurd.
She didn’t know this girl.
Then why did her entire chest ache?
Why did her eyes follow Kashvi like they were remembering something her brain couldn’t?
Why did her soul whisper—
And worse—
why did her bones whisper back—
Jerusha exhaled shakily, pressing her forehead against the cool glass.
Jerusha
Who the fuck are you, Kashvi?
She whispered to the empty street.
But somewhere deep inside her ribcage, something already knew:
Whatever Kashvi was going to be in her life…
it wouldn’t be simple.
It wouldn’t be soft.
It wouldn’t be anything she could control.
It would be devastating.
Consuming.
Inevitable.
Jerusha didn’t believe in fate.
But fate believed in her—
and fate had just walked out the door with honey eyes and a soft smile.
Jerusha barely slept that night.
She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, one arm thrown over her forehead, breathing uneven, irritated at herself for feeling anything at all. And every time she closed her eyes, she saw ʜᴇʀ.
Her careful, gentle way of existing.
But she hated this ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ more.
A pull.
A memoryless familiarity.
A grudge without a reason.
It was ridiculous.
Absurd.
Unacceptable.
Jerusha did not feel things she couldn’t explain.
By morning, she was already edgy.
Pavika glanced at her while making pancakes.
Pavika
You look like you didn’t sleep.
Opal
Or like you fought three demons in your dreams.
Vivian
Oh? What’s worse than demons?
Her sisters exchanged amused looks.
Aaravi walked in last, humming as she set her bag on the table.
Aaravi
Okay, calm down. Kashvi isn’t coming today.
Jerusha stiffened before she could stop herself.
Aaravi
Because I’m allowed to have a friend?
Jerusha repeated, tone flat.
Aaravi narrowed her eyes.
Aaravi
Jerusha… don’t start.
Jerusha didn’t respond. She stood abruptly, grabbed her coffee, and left the kitchen without another word.
The others watched her go.
Vivian
What’s her problem?
Opal
Something’s wrong. She won’t say it… but something about Kashvi triggered her.
Pavika
More like someone finally challenged Queen Ice’s emotional dictatorship.
Aaravi’s expression softened with a hint of guilt.
Aaravi
I shouldn’t have brought her without warning.
Opal
Jeru’s not angry about that. She’s… confused.
Opal was the only one who truly understood Jerusha on a soul-deep level.
Opal
There’s something pulling her
Aaravi
Pulling her? Towards Kashvi?
Vivian burst out laughing.
Vivian
Don’t joke. Jerusha getting pulled toward someone? Impossible
And that silence spoke more than any words could.
Jerusha skipped breakfast and sat alone on the backyard steps, sipping her coffee mechanically, as if hoping bitterness would drown the mess inside her chest.
Why did she feel this irrational hostility toward Kashvi?
This deep, simmering resentment she couldn’t name?
Kashvi did nothing wrong.
She was sweet. Too sweet. Too soft.
Maybe Jerusha hated how her softness made her feel exposed.
Maybe she hated how Kashvi’s presence cracked open parts of her she’d buried for years.
Jerusha had sharp corners for a reason.
She didn’t want anyone smoothing them out.
She didn’t want to be seen.
Kashvi had looked at her as if she already saw through the ice.
That alone made Jerusha feel cornered.
Opal came out quietly and sat beside her.
Opal
You’re avoiding everyone.
Jerusha finally muttered,
Jerusha
Something about her feels wrong.
Jerusha ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
Jerusha
It’s like I know her. But I don’t.
Jerusha’s grip tightened around the coffee cup.
Jerusha
It’s like… the moment she looked at me, I felt—
Jerusha
Anger. Like she’d hurt me before.
Jerusha
“That’s the problem, Opal!
Jerusha snapped, louder than intended.
Jerusha
I don’t know why I feel this. I don’t know why that girl makes my chest feel tight. I don’t know why I want her gone but I can’t stop thinking about her!
Her voice cracked on the last word.
Jerusha
My soul remembers something my mind doesn’t.
Jerusha
Don’t be ridiculous.
Jerusha wasn’t rejecting the idea because it sounded ridiculous—
she was rejecting it because it felt ᴛʀᴜᴇ.
Opal
Sometimes we feel people before we understand them.
Jerusha’s throat tightened painfully.
She didn’t want to feel Kashvi.
But she did.
She didn’t want to be pulled toward her.
But she was.
She didn’t want to hurt her.
But she already did.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ʟᴀᴜɢʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀʏ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ɪ ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴜʀᴛᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ sʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ, sʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪᴛ ᴛʜᴏ ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡs ʜᴏᴡ ɪᴛ ʜᴜʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡs ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ sʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍʏ sᴏᴜʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴏ ɪs sᴀᴍᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ʟɪɴᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ.
ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀᴢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏs ʟɪᴋᴇ, ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴀʀᴇ.
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