As I take another sip of my coffee, the peaceful silence wraps around me, but it’s fleeting. The memory of that man from earlier creeps back into my mind, sharp and unsettling. I try to push it away, but the way he looked at me—the mixture of lust and something darker, something dangerous—won’t leave me alone. His words echo in my head, sending chills down my spine.
"I see why Liam likes you so much, you're gorgeous."
I freeze, my hand gripping the cup a little too tightly. Nathan’s sitting across from me, gazing out at the view, completely unaware of the storm building in my head. He’s calm, like always, just enjoying the moment. But I’m not. I can’t be.
My eyes drift over to him, and it’s like he senses something. He turns his head slightly, his brow furrowing. Nathan’s quiet, patient, but I can see the question in his eyes. He knows I have something to say, but like always, he doesn’t
Nathan's standing in my doorway, looking tense. It's not like him. Usually, he’s calm, doesn’t let much get to him. But tonight? His whole vibe’s off. I shut the door behind him and lean against the wall, waiting for him to speak.“What’s up?” I ask, though I can already sense it’s something serious. I just don’t know how deep it goes yet.He rubs a hand over his face, exhaling slowly. “We need to talk about Celeste.”My chest
I pull up outside Celeste’s house and kill the engine, my fingers drumming against the steering wheel as I wait. The street’s quiet, a couple of lights flickering in the houses around me. I’ve been here a hundred times before, but tonight everything feels different. There’s a tension in the air that wasn’t there before, like everything’s about to shift.I see her coming down the driveway, her bag slung over one shoulder, her steps slow and hesitant. She looks like she’s been through hell these past few days. I want to tell her she doesn’t have to look at me like I’m the problem. But I guess right now, to her, I am.She stops a few feet away from the car, crossing her arms over her chest like a shield. I step out, leaning against the door, trying to keep my tone calm. “Get in the car, Celeste.”Her eyes narrow, that familiar fire sparking behind them. “No, Liam. I’m not getting into the
I can’t breathe. My fingers fumble with the door handle as I push it open and step out of the car. The cold air hits me like a slap, and for a second, I just stand there, staring at the view. The concert lights below shimmer in the distance, but all I see is the mess my life has become. How did I get here? How did any of this become my reality?I hear Liam’s door slam behind me, and before I can take a full breath, he’s standing next to me, his presence overpowering. "Celeste," he starts, his voice hard but controlled, "I need to pick you up after school every day now. It's not safe."I whip around to face him, disbelief rushing through me like fire. "You think I’m going to be seen with you? At school? No way, Liam. Especially with Presley around."His jaw clenches at her name, and for a second, I see something flicker in his eyes—something like guilt. But it’s gone before I can figure it out. "This isn’t about Presley," he snaps, stepping closer. "It’s about ke
Liam moves closer, his footsteps crunching against the gravel, but I don’t budge. My body is rigid, like if I stand still enough, I can keep it all together. He’s reaching out for me, his arms extending, and I know what’s coming. He’s going to try to hold me, like it will fix everything.But I won’t let him."Liam, don’t," I say, my voice sharper than I intend, but I don’t care. I can’t care right now. I step back, my arms pulling tighter around myself like a shield. His hands hover in the air for a moment before he drops them to his sides, but he doesn’t stop moving closer."I just want to..." he murmurs, his eyes searching mine like he's looking for a crack in my defenses. "I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. "I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak just yet. My throat feels tight, like there’s a lump lodged there that I can’t swallow. The memory of last night, of everything we’ve been through, flares up inside me, and I feel the sting of it
It’s Monday morning, and I barely slept. My body is buzzing with so much feeling. Liam and I made love the whole weekend, I snuck into the house a few hours ago and I am exhausted but I have to get to school. I shouldn't have stayed with him for so many hours in he night. I get out of my room dragging myself out of the house, my backpack slung over one shoulder. The sun is barely up, casting long shadows on the ground, and the air is cool, a slight breeze brushing against my skin.As I make my way to the driveway, I f
When we pull into the school parking lot, I instantly feel a pit form in my stomach. Nathan drives in like it’s any other day, but I already know what’s coming. The moment he parks and steps out of the car, I can feel the eyes on us, like a spotlight I never asked for.Nathan walks around to my side of the car, casually opening the door for me. He’s so relaxed, so unconcerned, and for a split second, I wish I could be like him—completely unfazed. But the second I step out, the whispering starts. It’s subtle at first, a few curious glances, a few people looking and then turning to their friends. But soon, it’s obvious. The whispers turn into full-on staring. I catch the not-so-subtle looks, the way people nudge each other and nod in our direction.I can hear them. I can hear everything.“Isn’t that Celeste? With Nathan?”“What is she doing with him?”“Didn’t she use to hang out with Tamrin and Sadie?”“Look who’s trying to make a sta
Nathan and I sit across from each other in the small café on the corner of campus, away from the prying eyes of everyone at school. It’s one of the few places where I feel like I can breathe. After everything that’s happened—especially this morning in the parking lot—I need some sort of escape, something to take my mind off the whispers and the stares.Nathan, for all his calm and easygoing nature, has become something of an anchor for me, even though I’ve never really understood why he’s so… different. Different from Liam, different from all of them. And today, I feel like I need answers. I’ve been dodging too much of my own fear and curiosity.He’s picking at his food, a half-smile playing on his lips like he's got all the time in the world. Meanwhile, my thoughts are racing a mile a minute, swirling around everything I know—and don’t know—about his world. Liam’s world. The other world that I’m somehow tangled up in now.I lean forward, propp
Nathan pulls up in front of my house, and I’m just about to thank him when I see Liam leaning against his car across the street. His hands are shoved deep into his pockets, head down, but as soon as we pull in, he looks up, eyes narrowing with a determination that makes my stomach flip. I’m still caught off guard by his presence, despite knowing it’s only a matter of time before he shows up again, demanding something I can’t give.“Looks like you have company,” Nathan mutters, eyeing his brother with a mixture of annoyance and caution. I give him a nod, hoping he doesn’t sense the dread tightening my chest.“Thanks, Nathan,” I say, giving him a small, grateful smile as I reach for the door handle. I don’t want him to see how rattled I am, so I do my best to seem calm as I step out of the car.Liam’s already crossing the street, his stride brisk, purposeful. He doesn’t even greet me, just looks from me to Nathan, and then back again.“Can I talk to you, Celeste?” His voice is low, but
I wake up with a feeling of something being… off.Then I see him.Trevor.Sitting at the edge of the bed, watching me.A wave of disgust rolls through me so fast I nearly gag. My entire body tenses, my muscles locking in place. I don't move. I don't speak. I just stare at him, waiting, daring him to say something. If he thinks I’m going to cower, he has another thing coming.His lips curl into a slow, unsettling smile. "You're very beautiful when you're asleep."I frown at him, and his smile widens. The kind of smile that says he’s enjoying this—enjoying getting under my skin.I don’t react. I refuse to give him that satisfaction.
I should not be here.As soon as Nathan pulls up to the house and I see
I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.Maybe it’s the look on Nathan’s face—tight jaw, unreadable eyes, the kind of expression that makes it clear he knows something the rest of us don’t. Maybe it’s the way Tamrin has been acting, the way she flinches at everything and refuses to answer when I ask about Celeste.Or maybe it’s just the fact that Celeste isn’t here, and no one seems to have a real answer for why.So yeah, I might be crazy for chasing down Nathan Miller in the middle of a crowded hallway, calling his name like I’ve lost my damn mind. But I don’t care.He looks back at me when I call him, but he doesn’t stop walking. He just slows down slightly, like he’s debating whether I’m worth his tim
Trevor thinks he’s won.He leans against the desk, arms crossed, his mouth curled into that smug smile that makes my skin crawl. He thinks he has me right where he wants me. Weak. Hopeless. Dependent on his mercy.But he doesn’t know me at all.I keep my breathing steady, my expression blank, as I listen to Liam’s voice crackle through the phone. He knows. He knows I’m missing. And if Nathan spoke to Tamrin, it means they’re looking for me.That thought should terrify me—Trevor will hurt them if they get too close—but instead, it gives me hope.I knew Liam would come for me.The question
The second I step onto my front lawn, I see it.Another damn box.
I know something is wrong with Tamrin.She hasn’t said a word all period, hasn’t even pretended to listen when Presley started complaining about her nails breaking during warm-ups. And when I asked her about Trevor—just casually, just to see her reaction—she practically bit my head off before storming off.That’s not normal.Tamrin was obsessed with Trevor. Just last week, she couldn’t shut up about him. And now she won’t even say his name.And then there’s Celeste.She’s not here.Celeste hasn't missed school in a long time and I didn't think she would. And if she was sick, our homeroom teacher would have announced in the morning.
I lean against the fence, hands in my pockets, watching as Tamrin walks into the schoolyard. She moves like a ghost, like she’s here, but not really. She’s trying to act normal—shoulders squared, head up—but I see the cracks in the performance.Her fingers grip the straps of her book bag so tight her knuckles turn white. Every time someone brushes past her, she flinches, catches herself, then forces that mask back on.Guilt. Fear.I recognize it. I’ve seen it in men who know they’ve done something they can’t undo.She knows.And that means I know.Trevor has her wrapped around his finger. Maybe he threatened her, maybe he promised her safety if she stayed quiet. Either way, she’s playing along.I clench my jaw and force myself to breathe through my nose. I want to grab her right now, demand answers, shake her until she tells me where Celeste is.But Trevor is counting on that.
I wake up gasping. My sheets are drenched in sweat, my body shaking so hard my teeth chatter. The room is dark, but I swear I can still see it—the blood, the bodies, Celeste’s terrified eyes disappearing into that box.I squeeze my eyes shut, but it doesn’t help. The images are burned into my mind, playing on repeat, a nightmare that won’t end just because I’ve woken up.Celeste is gone.And I helped make it happen.My stomach twists violently, and I barely make it to the bathroom before I’m throwing up. My whole body convulses as if trying to rid itself of the horror, but it’s useless. No amount of dry heaving will erase what I did.I kneel there on the cold tile, breathing heavily, gripping the s
I stare at Tamrin, my throat tightening, my stomach twisting into knots so painful I feel like I might be sick. She won&rs