“Lila, we need to talk.”
Grayson’s voice stopped me in my tracks. I had just rounded the corner of the school library, hoping for a quiet place to think after the whirlwind of the past few days. His tone wasn’t angry, but there was something firm—unyielding—that immediately put me on edge.
“What now, Grayson?” I said, turning to face him. I was tired. Tired of the games, tired of the cryptic warnings, and especially tired of being pulled in every direction by the Cross brothers.
He was standing there, leaning casually against the wall, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. But his eyes were anything but casual. They were sharp, piercing, and focused entirely on me.
“You need to stop,” he said simply, his voice low but steady.
“Stop what?” I folded my arms, annoyed by his sudden demand. “You’re going to have to be a little more specific, Grayson. I’m not a mind reader.”
He pushed off the wall and took a step closer, his towering frame making the space between us feel much smaller. “You know exactly what I mean. You’re too involved, Lila. With me, with Aiden, with Asher. It’s not safe for you.”
I frowned, my irritation flaring. “Involved? I’m not involved with any of you. You three are the ones who keep dragging me into your mess. I didn’t ask for any of this!”
Grayson’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, he looked like he was holding back a string of words he didn’t want to say. Finally, he exhaled sharply and muttered, “That’s the problem. You didn’t ask for it, but now you’re in it.”
I threw my hands up. “What does that even mean? You keep talking in riddles, Grayson. If you know something, just say it!”
He closed the distance between us in two steps, his eyes dark with something I couldn’t quite place. Fear? Anger? Regret? I couldn’t tell.
“Do you know what happens to people who get too close to us?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Do you know what we do to them?”
I stared up at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “I know about Evelyn,” I said, my voice trembling but steady. “Tessa told me she disappeared because of you.”
Grayson flinched, the slightest crack in his carefully constructed exterior. “Tessa doesn’t know anything,” he said, his voice cold. “And you shouldn’t be listening to her.”
“Then tell me the truth!” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “If she’s lying, if there’s something I don’t know, then tell me! Why do you care so much if I stay away from you? Why do any of you care?”
Grayson’s eyes softened for a moment, and I thought—just for a second—that he might actually tell me. But then his expression hardened, and he took a step back.
“Because if you don’t stay away, they’ll destroy you,” he said bluntly. “And I’ll let them.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at him, trying to process what he had just said. “You’ll… let them?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Grayson’s jaw tightened, and he looked away, unable to meet my eyes. “You think we’re just a bunch of stupid boys fighting over you? This isn’t about you, Lila. It’s about us. About what we are. And what we are will ruin you if you let it.”
I took a step closer, anger bubbling up to replace the fear I felt. “What you are? What does that even mean, Grayson? Stop pretending you’re protecting me when all you’re doing is pushing me away.”
He didn’t answer. He just stared at me, his expression unreadable, his silence louder than any words he could have said.
“Fine,” I said finally, my voice trembling with anger. “If you’re not going to tell me the truth, then stop warning me like I’m some fragile little girl who can’t handle it. I’m not afraid of you, Grayson.”
His lips twitched, almost like he wanted to smile, but it wasn’t humor I saw in his eyes—it was something darker. “You should be,” he said quietly.
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the quiet hallway, my thoughts spinning in every direction.
Diary Entry
Date: October 5th, 1:00 AM
Dear Diary,
Grayson’s words keep echoing in my head. “If you don’t stay away from us, they’ll destroy you. And I’ll let them.” What does that even mean? Why is he so convinced that being near them is dangerous for me?
I hate this. I hate how cryptic they all are. Grayson, Aiden, Asher—they’re all hiding something, and I’m stuck trying to piece it together like some impossible puzzle. But one thing’s for sure: Grayson isn’t as cold as he pretends to be. He cares. I saw it in his eyes, even if he won’t admit it. And that scares me more than anything else.
Because if Grayson is warning me to stay away… maybe I should listen.
But I can’t.
Lila
When I got home that evening, the house was quiet. My parents were out, and the only sound was the faint hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
I dropped my bag on the floor and made my way upstairs, my head pounding with everything Grayson had said.
But as soon as I opened the door to my room, I froze.
Sitting on my desk was a plain white envelope. My name was scrawled on the front in messy, uneven handwriting.
My hands shook as I picked it up and slid the contents out. It was a stack of photographs—pictures of me.
In one, I was walking down the school hallway, my eyes wide and anxious. In another, I was sitting in the library, glancing nervously over my shoulder. Each photo was a candid moment, and in every single one, I looked terrified.
But it was the last photo that made my stomach drop.
It was a picture of me with the Cross brothers. Aiden was smirking, Asher was leaning casually against a locker, and Grayson was staring directly at the camera. But I was in the middle, my face pale, my eyes wide with fear.
Scrawled across the bottom of the photo in thick black ink were four chilling words:
“The new Evelyn?”