The air was thick with tension as they drove through the dimly lit streets, the only sound the quiet hum of the car’s engine. Camille’s heart raced, each beat feeling like a countdown to something she couldn’t quite understand. When the car finally pulled up under the old, weathered bridge, her stomach churned. The space beneath the bridge was eerily quiet, shrouded in shadows, with only the faint glow of a nearby streetlight illuminating the dark car parked at the far end.
Camille clenched her fists, willing herself to stay calm. The boys sat silently beside her, their expressions grim. They were all on edge, and for good reason. This felt wrong—like they were walking straight into a trap. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
“We’re here,” Leo muttered from the driver’s seat, his voice low and tense.
Camille’s fingers tightened around the door handle as she glanced back at Noah, Matthew, and Leo. “Are you guys ready for this?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Noah gave a curt nod, his jaw clenched tight. “We stick together. No matter what.”
With that, Camille pushed open the door and stepped out into the cold night air. Her heart hammered in her chest as her boots crunched against the gravel beneath her feet. The boys followed her, their footsteps heavy with caution.
As they approached the dark car, a figure emerged from the shadows. A tall, bulky man, his face obscured by the low light, stepped forward first. His presence was intimidating, his broad shoulders blocking out most of the light behind him. But Camille’s breath caught in her throat when she saw who stepped out behind him.
Ava.
Her schoolmate, her constant annoyance, the girl who had always made Camille’s life difficult. Camille’s eyes widened in shock. Of all the people she expected to be behind this, Ava wasn’t even on the list.
But there she was, stepping out with a wide, sinister smirk on her face. “Surprised to see me, Camille?” Ava’s voice dripped with amusement, her tone almost mocking.
Camille’s stomach twisted in knots. “Ava? What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice barely concealing her disbelief.
Ava laughed, a cold, sharp sound that echoed beneath the bridge. “You really didn’t think I was just some ordinary schoolgirl, did you? Oh, Camille, you’ve been so naive.”
The boys stood tense behind Camille, their eyes locked on Ava. Leo’s fists were clenched at his sides, while Matthew’s expression darkened with suspicion. Noah’s gaze never left Ava, his eyes narrowing as if trying to piece it all together.
Ava’s smirk widened as she took a step closer, her gaze flicking between Camille and the boys. “Do they know, Camille? Do they know what you’ve been up to?”
“What the hell are you talking about, Ava?” Matthew snapped, his voice hard.
Ava’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Oh, I’m sure they’re all dying to hear about last night. About how sweet little Camille kissed Noah. Did you forget to tell your brothers, Noah?”
The tension between them spiked instantly. Camille’s heart dropped into her stomach as she glanced at Leo and Matthew, both of whom froze at Ava’s words. Their eyes darted to Noah, then back to her, confusion and betrayal flashing across their faces.
Leo’s jaw tightened, and he took a small step forward. “Is she telling the truth, Noah?”
Noah hesitated for a split second before nodding. “Yes. But it’s not what you think—”
“Not what we think?” Matthew interrupted, his voice rising with frustration. “You kissed her?”
Camille could feel the weight of their stares, the tension between them almost suffocating. Her throat tightened, and she tried to explain, “It wasn’t—there’s more to it than that.”
“Oh, I’m sure there is,” Ava cut in, her voice oozing with satisfaction. “But what matters now is how you’re all going to deal with this. Fighting over a girl? How pathetic.”
“You set us up,” Leo growled, his hands curling into fists as he stepped toward Ava. “This whole thing, it was you.”
Ava’s smirk never wavered. “Of course it was me. I’ve been watching all of you for a long time. I know how this game works.”
Before anyone could react, Ava reached into her jacket and pulled out a gun. The click of the safety being released sent a cold chill down Camille’s spine.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The boys froze, their eyes wide with shock as Ava leveled the gun at them, her smirk replaced with a cold, calculating look.
“You’re all so predictable,” Ava sneered, her grip steady on the weapon. “I could take any one of you out right now. But where’s the fun in that?”
“Ava, don’t do this,” Noah said, his voice low and calm, but his eyes were locked on the gun. “You don’t have to—”
“Oh, don’t play the hero, Noah,” Ava snapped, her finger twitching dangerously close to the trigger. “This isn’t about you anymore. It’s about control. And you’re all going to learn that you’ve never had it.”
Camille’s heart pounded in her chest as she glanced at the boys, panic flooding her veins. She could feel the situation slipping out of control, and every second felt like it was ticking toward disaster.
“Everyone stay calm,” Leo muttered, his voice low but tense. His eyes never left Ava as he carefully took a step toward her.
“Stay where you are!” Ava shouted, the gun shaking slightly as her emotions began to flare. “I’ll shoot! I swear I will!”