I was walking through the empty school hallway, clutching my notebook to my chest, when I heard the familiar sound of heavy footsteps behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was—Aiden. His presence had a way of filling a room, or in this case, a corridor, with a mix of intensity and unpredictability.
“Lila,” he called, his voice low and urgent.
I stopped, my heart already racing. I had no energy for another confrontation with one of the Cross brothers, but the desperation in his tone made me pause. I turned to face him, finding him standing just a few feet away, his hands shoved into his pockets.
“What do you want, Aiden?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
His dark eyes met mine, and for once, they weren’t filled with their usual arrogance or teasing. Instead, there was something else—guilt.
“Can we talk?” he said, his tone softer now.
I sighed, hugging my notebook tighter. “We’ve talked enough, don’t you think? Unless you’re finally ready to tell me the truth.”
“That’s exactly what I want to do,” he said, stepping closer. “But not here.”
I hesitated, studying his face. There was no hint of his usual smirk, no sarcastic remark poised on his lips. He looked… serious.
“Fine,” I said, finally relenting. “Lead the way.”
He led me outside to a quiet corner of the school courtyard, away from prying eyes. The wind was brisk, tugging at my hair and making me shiver, but Aiden didn’t seem to notice. He paced in front of me, running a hand through his messy hair, clearly trying to find the right words.
“Spit it out, Aiden,” I said impatiently. “What’s so important that you had to pull me aside like this?”
He stopped pacing and turned to me, his expression raw. “You’re putting yourself in too much trouble.”
My stomach twisted at his words. “Why? Because I’m getting too close to the truth?”
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Because you don’t understand what you’re walking into.”
“Then explain it to me,” I said, stepping closer to him. “What happened to Evelyn? What aren’t you telling me?”
Aiden looked away, his jaw tightening. For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.
“The night Evelyn disappeared… we made a pact. Me, Grayson, and Asher. We swore to protect each other, no matter what.”
His words sent a chill down my spine. “Protect each other from what?”
“From everything,” he said, his voice growing more strained. “From the truth. From people like you who want to tear us apart.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. “What does that even mean, Aiden? Just tell me the truth!”
He ran a hand down his face, looking utterly defeated. “We didn’t hurt her, Lila. But… we didn’t save her either.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt the air leave my lungs as I tried to process what he was saying. “What are you talking about? What happened to her?”
“I can’t tell you that,” he said, shaking his head. “But I need you to believe me when I say we didn’t kill her.”
“That’s not good enough, Aiden!” I snapped, my voice rising. “You can’t just give me half the story and expect me to walk away. If you didn’t hurt her, then why is everyone acting like you did? Why is she gone?”
He didn’t answer, his silence only fueling my frustration.
“You’re unbelievable,” I said, turning to walk away.
“Wait,” he said, grabbing my wrist.
I froze, looking up at him. His grip was firm but not painful, and his dark eyes were filled with something I couldn’t quite place—desperation, maybe even fear.
“Please, Lila,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “If you care about your safety, you’ll stop looking for answers. Evelyn is gone. Nothing you find is going to change that.”
Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “If she’s really gone, then why are you all so afraid of the truth coming out?”
He didn’t respond, his jaw tightening again.
“I can’t stop, Aiden,” I said quietly. “I need to know what happened to her. And if you’re not going to tell me, I’ll find out on my own.”
Before I could pull away, he surprised me. His hand moved to my cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle, and before I could protest, he kissed me.
For a split second, I froze, caught off guard by the suddenness of it. But this wasn’t the kind of kiss I’d imagined before. There was no passion, no warmth. Instead, it felt desperate, like he was trying to distract me, to make me forget what we were talking about.
I pulled away, my breath shaky. “What the hell are you doing?”