Chapter 26
“Come on, you said you don’t even like him!” Tess yelled, grabbing my arm like she was about to stage an intervention.
I glared at her, yanking my arm free. “And what does that have to do with this, anyway? Wait… is that why you offered to drop me home?”
Tess’s face froze for a split second–long enough for me to catch her. She pouted, her bottom lip sticking out dramatically. “What? Nooo.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Tess.”
She sighed and dropped the act, though her puppy–dog eyes lingered. “Okay, maybe I was… curious.”
“Curious?”
She gave a half–shrug and bit her lip like a guilty child caught stealing cookies. “I mean, I just thought maybe… you know… something juicy would happen.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “Tess, I swear, you’re worse than a tabloid.”
Her lips curved into a sly smile. “But that means I’m entertaining, doesn’t it?”
No, it means you’re exhausting.”
Tess ignored that, looping her arm through mine and pulling me along the hallway. “So, what’s the big deal? Why don’t you want me to come over? Seriously, it’s not like I don’t already know everything.”
I froze for half a beat. Did she?
Did she really know everything?
Because there were lots of things Tess probably thought she knew but didn’t.
Like how Ethan wasn’t exactly playing with a full deck. Or how his unsettling vibe was starting to creep into my head like an unwelcome guest.
“Everything?” I echoed, trying to sound casual.
“Yes, didn’t you tell me everything,” she said smugly.
I needed to derail this conversation before she started digging. “What about that guy you told me about? What was his name again? Josh? You said he was cute.”
Her face immediately twisted into a scowl. “Jason. Not Josh.”
“Same difference.”
“Not even close,” she snapped, glaring at me, then crossed her arms and huffed. “And I don’t like him anymore.”
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I blinked. “What? Why not?”
She shrugged, her usual dramatic flair taking over. “He’s too… I don’t know. Nerdy.”
“Nerdy?”
“Yes! Like you! And that’s not a good thing.”
I stopped walking, turning to stare at her. “Wait, what?”
“Yes.”
“Loving my alone time is not the same as being ‘Nerdy, Tess.”
She rolled her eyes, waving me off like I was being ridiculous. “That’s the only reason I found him cute in the first place. But other than that… meh,” she said, throwing an arm around my shoulder like we were in some buddy cop movie. “Now, want me to drive you home?”
I groaned. “I told you, no.”
“Come on, Cam. Let me make your life easier.”
“Nope.”
She sighed dramatically.
As we turned the corner, my stomach dropped. Vanessa and her crew were standing near the lockers, their perfectly coordinated outfits and
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3:35 PM
Chapter 26
judgmental stares on full display.
I kept my head down, silently praying we could walk past without incident.
“Well… what was that?” Tess whispered, nodding toward Vanessa.
“Don’t tell me they know about-”
“Not yet!” I hissed, cutting her off before she could finish the sentence. I grabbed her arm, shooting her a warning glare. “And for the love of everything, keep your voice down.”
Tess looked like she wanted to argue, but thankfully, she stayed quiet as we walked past.
When we reached the parking lot, she finally spoke again. “Okay, but seriously, what’s the deal? Why don’t you want me to come over?”
I sighed, adjusting my bag on my shoulder. “Tess, it’s not that deep. I just don’t feel like company right now.”
“Liar,” she accused, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Fine,” I threw my hands up in mock surrender. “Believe whatever you want.”
“I will,” she grinned, her mischievous energy returning in full force. “But what about just driving you home?”
“I’ll take the bus.”
She gasped, clutching her chest like I’d just delivered a fatal blow. “Really! You don’t believe me? After all the love I’ve given you?”
“Go home, Tess,” I said with an eye roll.
She let out a soft chuckle, clearly not taking offense. “Fine, but don’t come crying to me when some weird old man tries to talk to you on the bus.”
“Goodbye,” I waved, turning on my heel and walking off before she could drag the conversation out any longer.
The bus stop was one of those rundown spots with a weathered bench and a small overhang that barely shielded you from the elements. It was empty when I arrived, thank God. I sat on the edge of the bench, pulling my phone out to scroll mindlessly while I waited.
The quiet was nice–peaceful, even. Until it wasn’t.
A shadow fell across the bench, and I glanced up to see her. The old lady from before.
She shuffled toward the bench, her clothes hanging off her thin frame like they belonged to someone twice her size. Her eyes–dark and piercing- met mine for a moment before she sat down, much closer than I would have liked.
I shifted a little, scooting to the edge of the bench to give her more space. She didn’t seem to notice–or care.
For a while, there was only silence, the kind that makes your skin crawl. And then she spoke.
“I also had a mate, you know.”
Her voice was raspy, like she’d smoked a pack a day for the past fifty years. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, hoping she would stop there, but she turned to face me with a smile that was more unsettling than friendly.
Camila, don’t engage. Don’t interact. Just ignore her.
“He was human, just like you,” she continued, as if I had asked. “Ridiculous, right?”
I forced a tight–lipped smile and looked away, pretending to be absorbed in my phone.
She didn’t seem to take the hint. instead she stretched her hand toward me, her bony fingers brushing against my arm. I flinched, but before I could pull away, she grabbed me.
Her grip was shockingly strong–iron–tight for someone her age.
“I left my pack because of him,” she said, her voice growing softer, almost wistful. “But he left me. He left me, and now I’m lonely. So lonely…”
I tugged at my arm, trying to free myself, but her grip didn’t budge.
“Ma’am, please let go,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could.
She didn’t. Her eyes locked onto mine, and her smile widened, revealing yellowed teeth. “Don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t trust them.”
Okay, this was officially the most terrifying interaction of my life. My heart pounded as I tried to pull away again, harder this time, but her grip only tightened.
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