I march through the crowded halls, my mind racing with a mix of frustration and anxiety. How could Tamrin make this about me? She knows Presley doesn't like me. I bet she hates the fact that Tamrin hates the fact that she's being strong armed into inviting me. She should have asked me about this first.
I finally spot Tamrin by her locker, chatting animatedly with Sadie. As I approach, Sadie waves enthusiastically. "Hey, Celeste!"I manage a weak smile. "Hey, Sadie. Can we talk for a second?"Sadie nods, looking from me to Tamrin. She raises her brows at me in question. Tamrin looks at me, her expression puzzled. "What's up?"I don't waste any time. "Why was Presley harassing me about her party? I say not in the mood to explain any further because she knows exactly what I'm on about."Tamrin's eyes widen. "Oh, I was going to tell you! I just...I thought it might be fun. And Presley isn't that bad once you get to know her." She saysWe're in Tamrin's car on our way to Presley's party.I tried so hard to get out of this and failed miserably. Sadie and Tamrin wouldn't take on for an answer so here I am in the backseet hoping the world ends. I could have been getting some work done right now or better yet. I could have been sleeping."Where is this party anyway?" I ask after a silent 20-minute ride."At some house," Sadie says looking back at me."Is it at Presley's house?"I ask looking for more clarity. What does she mean it's at some house? Who's house is it?"No, it's her boyfriend's house. Apparently, he has a mansion on the beach." Tamrin says and I suddenly find it hard to breathe, blink or swallow. We're going to where Liam is? I've been ignoring him and his endless texts for a week now."So, Liam is having a party and we're going?"I ask and the fear in my voice unsettles me."Would you relax. He won't kill us and sell us for parts. Other people from school are going to be there." Sadie says a look of concer
"Hy, kid" A voice says behind me and I gasp in surprise at the sound.I turn and see Liam standing at the door.The truth is I ran away from the party, We walked into to this house and I lost all sense of reality. Between the loud music, cheering and people making in every corner. I was drowning in sensation overload. So I found the first and headed outside.So here I am in Lia's backyard, lounging on his lawn chair. I can't really see anything beyond the green lawn in front of me because its so dark but I can hear the ocean ahead of me I bet the view during the day is incredible.The quiet is calming, compared to the chaos in the house.I meant it when I said I hate parties. I've never had fun with too many people around, let alone drunk people.And the fact that I don't drink makes it worse. I can see, and hear everything in normal volume while other people are drugged out of their minds. And are screamimg at the top of their
"Does Presley know that?" I ask and he stands up looking down at me. He sighs putting his hand in his pockets. "I don't think that's any of your business," He says and I sigh. "Oka," I say getting up too. He takes two steps towards me, forcing me to look up at him. For a moment I'm intimidated by his sheer size. I take in a deep breath trying to get as much oxygen as I can get to remain sane. How is it possible for one man to be this tall and this wide? My face is his belly, while my whole body is not even half the size of his. I should take step back. I say in my head but nothing happens. My legs don't move. He looks down at me. I see his eyes drift from my eyes to my lips. I let out the breath I had been holding and let out another one. His cologne hits my nostrils and I close my eyes. I don't know why but I feel like I need to do it. I feel his breath on the skin on my neck and I gasp softly. Why is he doing this to me? And Why am I not moving away? I feel him place a so
I can barely breathe from the overstimulation of my little situation with Liam. Aand now I’m behind the wheel, navigating the dark, winding roads with a car full of giggling friends. Tamrin is in the front seat, slumped against the window, her hair covering her face. Sadie is in the back, sprawled across the seats, murmuringabout how amazing the party was. Presley is the only one who seems somewhat awake, occasionally chiming in with a drowsy laugh. I don't know why she didn't r
An hour later.My phone vibrates next to me waking me u. I look towards the window and see that it's still dark outside. Who could be calling me right now?I lie back down and reach for my phone. I answer without looking at the name. It might be Tamrin."I'm outside your house." Liam says and my eyes shot open at the sound of his voice. "All thoughts of sleep absolutely gone. "We need to talk." He says making me sit up."No we don't." I say and he laughs."Yes we do." He says and then he pauses for a long time. My mind is screaming at me to end the call but once again I can't bring myself to act. I'm stuck and it feels like he's controlling me. "Come to the back, I'm waiting for you in the garden." He says and I groan. He's not listening to me."I can't come out there. It's late." I say but I get out of bed. I put my slippers on and look out of the window."I know it's late but we have t
Liam's lips are inches away from mine, and I'm frozen in place, unsure of what to do. His hand is still on my neck, and I can feel his heartbeat through his fingertips. My mind is racing with thoughts of Presley, Tamrin, and the complicated web I'm about to weave.What would they say to me if they found out what I'm doing right now? I know what Presley would say."Liam, we can't do this," I whisper, but my voice lacks conviction. I want to do this, I know I shouldn't have these feelings but being here with him..."Why not?" he asks softly, his breath warm against my face. "I know you want to." He says and I blink a few times trying to find my words but I can't.Before I can respond, he closes the distance and kisses me. It's gentle at first, his lips barely brushing against mine, but then he deepens the kiss, and I find myself kissing him back. His other hand moves to my waist, pulling me closer. For a moment, everything else fades away&mdas
Monday morning...It was a terrible weekend. I could barely sleep because all I could think about was the kiss.The one that I had with Liam.Every time I closed my eyes I could feel his lips on mine. I could smell his cologne. I could feel his warmth on my skin."Celeste." My principal says as soon as I walk past his office. He signals for me to go to his office. I walk in behind him. "I wanted to talk to you about your progress." He says sitting at his desk, signalling for me to sit down."Okay." I say feeling a little anxious. What is this about?"I see that you've submitted about sixty per cent of the work required to get off probation." He says like it's a bad thing. I look at him confused. What's wrong with that?"Okay." I say again not sure what he expects me to say to that."I'm concerned that you might be pushing yourself too hard and.." He says and I frown. He stops talking because of the
The rest of the morning passes in a haze. I move through my classes like a ghost, barely paying attention to anything but the echoes of my conversation with the principal. His concern was unexpected, and it left me feeling oddly vulnerable. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.When the final bell rings, I hurry to my locker, eager to leave school behind. As I was gather my things, I spot Presley chatting animatedly with a group of girls down the hall. My stomach twists into knots. I just want to get home, finish my assignments, and maybe try to get some sleep.When I get out of the schoolyard the usual chaos is around me but it barely registers."Hey, Celeste!" A voice calls out, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn to see Travis the mystery guy from the darkness approaching, a wide grin on his face. "Need a ride home?" he asks pointing to his car in the parking lot. Liam is leaning on it, hands in his pockets looking at me.&
The sunlight burns my eyes the second we step outside. I wince, squinting hard as I try to adjust, but it’s too much, too fast. After hours—or was it days?—of nothing but darkness, the brightness feels like an assault. The air is thick, humid, carrying the scent of salt and earth, and for a second, I forget I’m walking beside a monster.The yard is massive, overgrown with trees and flowers, a wild, untamed jungle wrapped around a nightmare. It should feel peaceful, but nothing about this place feels safe. Every step I take, I’m hyper-aware of Trevor at my side, his grip firm on my arm, guiding me like I might run.Maybe I should.But where would I go?My mind is fogged, my body weak, but I force myself t
There’s nothing quite like this moment. The anticipation. The thrill. The satisfaction of seeing her exactly where s
The box in front of me is open, and the smell of blood is thick in the air.My me
My back is screaming, my knee feels like someone took a knife to it, and my arms are stiff from being stuck in the same p
I don’t know how many hours have passed. The walls of this room feel like they’re closing in on me. No windows, just a single door that’s been locked since they threw me in here. My body aches from sitting on the hard floor, and my throat is raw from screaming at no one.And then, finally, the door creaks open.Trevor walks in like he owns the world.Something inside me snaps.I lunge at him before I can think, before I can feel the terror crawling under my skin. I’m screaming, my fists pounding against his chest, his arms, his face—anywhere I can reach.He doesn’t flinch.He doesn’t stumble.He doesn’t even try to stop me at first, just stands there while I throw everything I have at him.Then, with nothing but a flick of his wrist, he shoves me off. Effortless.I hit the floor, hard. My palms scrape against the rough wood, but I don’t care. I push up and charge at h
I step into Celeste’s house, and the first thing I notice is the silence. A thick, unnatural kind of quiet that presses against my ears. It’s wrong. All of it is wrong.I’ve been calling her for five hours. Nothing.She’s gone. I know it in my gut. Trevor took her.I exhale slowly through my nose, grounding myself before my anger can swallow me whole.The men I put here to watch her—gone. Haven’t checked in. Haven’t answered. I already know what that means. They’re dead, or they were smart enough to run. Either way, they failed me. They failed her.
My hands are shaking. My whole body is ice-cold, but my face is burning. My stomach twists so hard I feel like I’m going to t
Celeste trembles beneath my touch. Good. That means she understands.I slip the hood over her head, my fingers brushing against the soft strands of her hair. She flinches, and I almost laugh. Like she has a choice in any of this.Then, with a heavy thud, the wooden crate hits the ground. The sound alone is enough to send a ripple of fear through her—I can feel it in the way her breathing quickens. I lean in close, my lips just a breath away from her ear."If you scream, I will slit Tamrin’s throat and make you watch.”She stiffens instantly, and a shiver runs through her body. Ah, there it is. That beautiful moment when someone realizes just how powerless they really are.Satisfied,
I can’t move.I can’t breathe.My whole body is frozen as I watch them—Trevor’s men—move around my house like ghosts, erasing every single trace of themselves. Of me.The coffee mug I dropped? Gone.The chair that got knocked over? Upright, perfectly in place.The rug that shifted in the struggle? Smoothed out like it was never disturbed.They’re meticulous. Careful. Like they’ve done this before. Like they know exactly how to make it seem like nothing ever happened.Like I was never here.Trevor stands a few feet away, watching me with something