I pace back and forth in my room, phone pressed tightly to my ear. The ringing feels endless, but I keep waiting. Sadie always takes forever to answer, but I need her right now. My heart is buzzing, and I’m practically bursting with excitement. Finally, the ringing stops, and her voice comes through, flat and uninterested.
"Hello?"
"Sadie!" I say, trying to keep my voice from sounding too desperate. "I have a date. I need your help. Please, can you come over?"
There’s a pause, and I can practically hear her rolling her eyes on the other end. "A date, huh?" she says. "And you want my help?"
"Yes!" I say, ignoring the edge in her tone. "I need your magic touch. You’re the best at this kind of thing, Sadie. Please."
Another long pause. Then she sighs. "Fine. I’ll be there in an hour."
By the time she arrives, I’m practically vibrating with energy. The second I see her walk through the door, I let out an excited squ
I wake up with a heaviness in my chest that I can’t shake. Last night, I couldn’t stop replaying Trevor’s smug face and the way Tamrin laughed off his disgusting comment. Every instinct in me is screaming that this guy isn’t just bad news—he’s dangerous.And then there’s Tamrin. How do I even begin to help someone who doesn’t want to see the truth? It’s not like she’d listen to me. Not now. But someone has to know, someone who might have a
The second Sadie says his name—Trevor—I feel my stomach drop, like I’ve been yanked into some icy abyss. My blood feels like it’s turned to sludge, my feet rooted to the floor, frozen in place. I know who she’s talking about. I know. And I also know I can’t let her see even a flicker of recognition on my face.I take a deep, quiet breath, trying to calm the panic threatening to bubble over. Sadie is sitting across from me, her face etched with concern, and she k
I can’t believe how different tonight feels. From the moment I step out of the car, Trevor is standing there, waiting, looking sharp and giving me this heart-melting smile. He opens the car door for me like some scene out of a romance movie, and for a second, I can’t help but wonder if this is the same guy from our first date.“You look stunning,” he says, his voice soft but sincere, and I can feel my cheeks heat up.The restaurant he’s chosen this time is
Nathan is sitting across from me, his brows knitted together in that way they always are when he’s worried about me. His concern feels like a weight pressing against my chest, adding to the suffocating anxiety that’s been building since I found out about Tamrin and Trevor.I’m trying to act normal, like everything is fine, but I can feel my hands trembling in my lap. I don’t think Nathan buys it. He’s been watching me too closely for the past twenty minutes while I pr
The night started off perfectly. Trevor showed up with a dozen roses—deep red, the kind that makes you feel like you’re the most special girl in the world. He even brought my favorite iced coffee, the way I like it—extra caramel, extra cream.I was glowing. Floating. Five dates in, and Trevor had been everything I could’ve asked for. Sweet, thoughtful, affectionate. It was almost enough to make me forget the disaster of our first date. Almost.We’re sitting
I messed up.I could see it the second Tamrin’s lips pressed into a thin line, her arms folding across her chest in that way girls do when they’re deciding if they’re really mad or just annoyed. I had gotten cocky—too many questions about Celeste, too fast. Tamrin might stop talking, and I can’t have that.I force a slow smile, keeping my expression soft. “You’re mad.”Tamrin doesn’t say anything. Just stabs at the last bi
I can see it all from up here.The city stretches out beneath us, glittering under the night sky like it was made for me. The streets, the buildings, the people—they don’t know it yet, but one day, they’ll all be mine. When I take Liam’s territory, I won’t be in the shadows anymore. I’ll be the king of this whole damn city.I smirk to myself, chest swelling with anticipation. The thought sends a rush of adrenaline through me, a feeling so strong it makes me chuckle out loud.Tamrin, who’s been staring at the view in awe, turns her head toward me. “What’s so funny?”I glance at her, still smiling. She looks beautiful in the soft glow of the city lights, her expression open, innocent. She has no idea who I really am. No idea what I’m planning.I tilt my head slightly, keeping my tone light. “Just thinking.”She gives me a curious look. “About what?”
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