It's Monday. Another week is starting I still have so much work to do. But I'm taking these few minutes to cool my brain down. The girls and I are, having lunch under the willow tree. The air is warm, and the shade provides a pleasant escape from the midday sun. Sadie is lying on the grass, using her backpack as a pillow, while Tamrin leans against the tree trunk, picking at her salad. I sit cross-legged, a sandwich in my lap, trying to focus on anything but Presley’s voice.I'm trying not to picture her naked with Liam and I am failing. And the fact that she's talking about him is making it even worse. "So, Liam and I are planning to go to the beach this weekend," Presley says, her voice full of excitement. "He said he knows a perfect spot where we can watch the sunset." I stare at my lunchbox trying not to make eye contact with her. She stops talking and I can feel her staring at me. When I look up she's looking at me for a reaction. I force a smile and nod, pretending to be in
I push my cart down the aisle, trying to remember what else I need to pick up. My mother did say I should take the list she wrote for me but I said no because I'm smart right? My mind is occupied by the fact that I have to take Presley to the beach over the weekend. I couldn't tell you how this happened but shes been texting me about it the whole day. I grab a carton of milk and a box of cereal, hoping I haven’t forgotten anything important.As I turn the corner, I smile when I see the one person I've been fiending to see. all day. My heart skips a beat when I see Celeste standing there, staring at a shelf of pasta. She’s wearing the baggiest pants I've ever seen, Iwould love to take off all those layers to see what she's hiding. Better yet I would love to take her to the beach. Her hair pulled back in a messy bun. She looks lost in thought, and for a moment, I hesitate to approach her.I don't know how she'll react.“Celeste?” I ca
The weekend arrives, and I find myself on the beach with Presley. The sun is high, and the waves crash rhythmically against the shore. Presley chatters away about her latest shopping spree, but my mind drifts back to Celeste.I can't stop thinking about her and this is my opportunity find out everything about her that I can.“So, you and Celeste are friends?” I ask casually, trying to steer the conversation where I want it to go.Presley raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the question. “No. Why are you asking about Celeste?” She says and I can already heaar the jealousy in her voice. She rolls her eyes at me as she asks her question.I shrug, keeping my tone light. “Just curious. She seems different.” I say and she pouts.Presley smirks. “She’s fine, I guess. She's a little stuck up. I don't see anything interesting about her. So don't waste your breath on her." She
I'm back in my favorite place! The library.It’s quiet hum returns makes me want to scream because I need help!I push my physics assignment aside for a moment, rubbing my temples to fend off the growing headache. I look up at the ceiling hoping it will fix the pain but it doesn't.When I look ahead I see Ethan looking at me. He smiles at me and I nod wondering how he's always in here. I know he's smart and has the best grades in the school but how does he not lose his mind?I pull my assignment back and try it again. After a few more attempts at focusing, I concede defeat. I’m going to need help with this physics assignment, whether I like it or not. Swallowing my pride, I gather my notebook and textbook and make my way over to him. He looks up as I approach, a surprised but warm smile spreading across his face.“Hey, Ethan. Can I ask you for a favor?” I say getting the words out before I change my mind, trying to keep my tone casual I let the words flow.“Of course. What’s up?”
The next day, the walls of my room feel like they’re closing in on me. I decide I need a change of scenery and grab my books, heading to the nearby park. The fresh air and open space might help clear my mind and give me a fresh perspective on my studies.The park is a welcome escape from the confines of my room. I find a quiet spot under a large tree, its branches providing just enough shade. The sound of birds chirping and the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze create a soothing backdrop. I spread out my books and notebooks, ready to tackle my history reading.I take my headphones out and plaster them on my ears to drown out the sund of the world. I take a deep breath in and start on my work.I’m halfway through a particularly dense chapter when I see footsteps approaching. I looking up, and frown at the face looking at back at me. I’ts Liam walking toward me. He’s wearing his usual confident smile, but there&r
I stare at Liam after he dropped that bomb. He has the nerve to close his eyes and settle into a comfortable position on the blanket, I’m left with the weight of his words. The sun filters through the leaves of the tree above us, casting patterns on the ground. I try to refocus on my history textbook, but the words blur together as I replay Liam’s confession in my mind.Did he really just say that he likes me and wants to be with me? The mere thought of it sends my heart racing again.
"This is not the way home," I say, looking at Liam, who is driving away from our neighborhood."I know," he says simply and keeps on driving."You said we were going home," I state, and he nods. "Then why are we pulling into a coffee shop parking lot?" I ask when the car comes to a stop."Because we're going to get some food first," he says, opening the door. He gets out, walks to my side of the car, and then opens the door."I don't want to have coffee with you," I say, taking my book bag and getting out of the car. He swiftly takes the bag from me and then starts walking away.I stand there for a moment, watching him stride towards the entrance of the coffee shop with my bag slung over his shoulder. There's a stubborn set to his jaw, a look I’ve come to recognize over the years. Sighing, I follow him, my feet dragging as I go.Inside, the air is cool, and the rich aroma of coffee beans fills the space. It's cozy, with warm lighting and plush chairs that invite you to stay a while. L
"What?" he says, bringing the question back to me. I raise my brows at him in question, and he smiles this devastatingly beautiful smile at me. I place my coffee down because my heart skips so hard I can feel my hand start to shake."Why are you staring at me like that?" I ask, and his face gets serious."I'm taking in your beauty," he says, and I immediately roll my eyes at him."Don't roll your eyes at me" He says looking me in my eyes"Seriously, Liam?" I scoff, trying to mask the fluttering sensation in my chest. "You're ridiculous.""I'm serious," he insists, leaning forward, his eyes locking onto mine. "You're breathtaking." hE says his voice low. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, unsure of how to respond. His words, as sweet as they are, make me feel exposed like he's seeing straight through the walls I've built around myself. Why is he saying these things? I'm not ugly but I'm not breathtaking. "Stop it," I mutter, taking a sip of my drink to avoid his gaze."Stop what?" he
The sound of gunfire explodes through the night, deafening and relentless. A machine gun—no, multiple—rips through the air outside, drowning everything else out. I hear men shouting, screaming, and then the screaming turns into something else. Agony. Terror.I clamp my hands over my ears, pressing myself further into the corner of the closet, trying to disappear. My body shakes violently, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I rock back and forth. I squeeze my eyes shut and whisper a prayer under my breath, over and over."Please, God. Please, God. Please, God."The walls tremble with the force of the fight happening outside. Glass shatters somewhere. Heavy footsteps storm through the house. More gunshots. More yelling. I don’t kn
I wake up with a start, my heart thundering in my chest. My breath comes in ragged gasps, and for a moment, I can’t place where I am. I sit up quickly, expecting to see someone in the room with me—someone coming to hurt me, to take me again—but when my eyes adjust to the dim light, the room is empty.Just the silence.I look around, the weight of everything pressing down on me. This place—the house where Trevor has kept me locked up for weeks—has become a prison. It’s always quiet, too quiet. The only sounds are the distant hum of the outside world that I can’t reach, the creaks of the house settling, and my own restless thoughts.The darkness beyond the window is thick and consuming, the kind of darkness that swallows up the last remnants of hope. But tonight, something is different. Something feels off.I strain my ears, listening closely. There’s a faint sound, like the whisper of something moving through
The air is cold, but I barely feel it. My fingers flex at my sides, itching for the moment I get to wrap them around Trevor’s throat.A few meters away, the house stands in the darkness, barely lit by the moon. Celeste is in there. I can feel it, like some invisible tether between us. She’s so close I can almost smell her—vanilla and something soft, something warm.Nathan steps up beside me. I don’t have to look at him to know what he’s thinking. We’ve run through this plan a hundred times. We both breathe slowly, measured, in sync. If we let the rage take over now, we’ll lose. We need to do this right.Behind us, the rest of my men are waiting, silent shadows in the night. Five hundred of them. A small army, but that’s what it takes when yo
Nathan and I are staring at the screen, watching the dot move. Every second it inches closer to its destination, my pulse beats harder, my hands clench tighter. I should be in my car already, speeding toward her. I should be ending this.But I can’t rush this.One mistake, and Celeste might never make it out alive.I take a slow breath, forcing myself to think. Trevor’s still pissed about today—I saw it in his eyes, the way his mask slipped for just a second. He’s getting sloppy. That’s why Tamrin was able to slip one on him, why he hasn’t even realized she did. He thinks he still has control, but we’re the ones pulling the strings now."One more day," I say, more to myself than to Nathan.
My hands are trembling so hard I can barely hold the phone. My chest feels tight, like there isn’t enough air in the room, but I force myself to breathe. In and out. In and out. I can’t fall apart now. Not when I finally made a move.Sadie sits next to me, watching silently. She hasn’t asked a single question since I took her phone, but she doesn’t have to. I know she’s thinking them. I know she wants to yell at me, shake me, demand answers. But she doesn’t. Maybe she knows I don’t have the strength to explain right now.Nathan answers on the second ring. His voice is sharp, alert. “Who’s this?”“It’s Tamrin.” My voice barely comes out, but I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to continue. “I hid my phone in Trevor’s car so you can track him. I’ll send you the details now.”Silence. Then a sharp breath on the other end. “You—” he starts, but I don’t give him a chance to question me. I end the call and immediately go to the tracking app on my phone, sending the location str
The drive back feels like it lasts forever, and every minute of it makes my stomach churn with dread. Trevor’s words hang in the air, thick and suffocating. He doesn’t stop talking, doesn’t stop reminding me of everything he’s capable of, and how easily he could ruin my life if I even think about crossing him. Every threat is sharp, like a blade cutting through my chest. He tells me he will kill me, kill my family, that no one would ever know what happened to Celeste or that I was involved.The fear grips me harder with each passing second. It feels like I’m suffocating in this car, trapped in this nightmare I can’t escape. I can’t say anything. I just nod, keep my eyes on the road, my breath shallow, praying he’ll just let me go. But it never comes. The torment doesn’t stop.Finally, when the car pulls up in front of my house, I feel my body go stiff. Trevor grabs my thigh, his fingers digging in deep, hard enough to bruise. The pain flares up immediately, sharp and relentless, and I
I’m sitting in Trevor’s car, my hands trembling so badly I can barely keep them on my lap. My head is pounding, each beat of my heart sending sharp pangs of pain through my chest. I don’t know what he’s going to do to me. I can barely look him in the eye, even though he’s sitting right next to me, his cold presence suffocating me in this small space.How did I end up here? I can’t even remember when it started to go so wrong. I thought he was different. I thought he was charming, charismatic, someone who could make me feel like I mattered. I let myself believe he cared. I even slept with him—let him do things to me that I’m ashamed of now. I wish I could take it all back. I wish I could somehow erase the last few months of my life.But I can’t. I’m trapped.I don’t know when I started to see the darkness in him, when it became clear that Trevor was a monster. I was too blind, too naïve to see
The car rolls to a stop in front of the abandoned building. The windows are boarded up, and the air around here smells stale, like no one’s been within a hundred miles for years. I park with precision, the crunch of gravel beneath the tires settling in my ears. Tamrin doesn’t say anything, but I can see her eyes darting around, her body stiffening with every passing second. She’s terrified, and it’s exactly what I want.I turn to look at her, my gaze dark and unrelenting. There’s a moment of silence, thick and suffocating, before I speak.“Tamrin,” I say, my voice low and commanding. “What happened when you came back?”She looks at me, trying to hide the fear behind her eyes, but I see through it. “What do you mean?” she says, trying to play dumb, but I can hear the tremor in her
I pull up to Tamrin’s place, the tires crunching softly as I stop in the driveway. My hands tighten on the steering wheel for a moment, the anger from my conversation with Liam still simmering beneath my skin. The asshole had the nerve to think he could intimidate me. It’s all a game to him, but he doesn't understand what I’m capable of.I pick up my phone, dialing Tamrin’s number. It rings a few times before she picks up.“Yeah?” Her voice is tentative, like she already knows something's wrong.“Come outside,” I tell her, making sure my voice is low and controlled.There’s a long pause on the other end, but I wait. I know she’ll come.