School had been quieter than usual. Aiden and Asher had been surprisingly absent from most of my day, which should have felt like a relief. Instead, it left me tense, as if they were plotting something worse than their usual pranks.
When the final bell rang, I practically ran to my locker, eager to grab my things and leave before anything could go wrong. But, of course, that hope was short-lived.
“Avoiding me, sunshine?” Aiden’s voice came from behind me, casual but sharp enough to make me freeze.
I closed my locker slowly, already on edge. “What do you want, Aiden?” I asked, not turning around.
He stepped closer, his presence warm and overwhelming. “You’ve been pretty quiet today. Almost like you’re hiding something.”
I finally turned to face him, narrowing my eyes. “Maybe I’m just tired of your games.”
Aiden smirked, but there was something different about it this time. It wasn’t his usual playful grin—it was darker, colder. “Games? You mean the ones you’re playing with us?”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
He leaned against the lockers, his gaze piercing. “You think you’re better than us, don’t you? Walking around, acting like you’re so innocent, like you don’t care.”
“I don’t care,” I said, crossing my arms.
His smirk deepened. “Liar.”
He stepped closer, his voice dropping. “You’re not better than us, sunshine. You’re just like everyone else—desperate for attention.”
I felt my stomach twist at his words. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“Oh, I know more than you think,” he said, his tone growing sharper. “I see the way you look at Grayson, like he’s some kind of savior. He’s not. He’s broken, and you’re not good for him. He deserves better.”
His words hit like a slap, and I felt my breath hitch. “That’s not your decision to make,” I said, my voice shaking.
Aiden’s grin faded, his expression hardening. “Maybe not. But I know what happens to people who get too close to him. You don’t belong in his world, Lila.”
Before I could respond, he stepped even closer, his face inches from mine. “You don’t belong in our world.”
“Then leave me alone,” I snapped, my voice full of frustration.
He didn’t move. Instead, his eyes locked onto mine, and for a split second, I thought I saw something raw, something vulnerable beneath the cocky facade.
And then he kissed me.
It wasn’t soft or gentle—it was hard, intense, and full of the twisted emotions he’d just thrown at me. My heart raced, my thoughts spinning as I froze, completely stunned.
When he finally pulled back, his expression was unreadable, but his voice was calm. “That’s why you’re still here, sunshine. You’re just as messed up as the rest of us.”
I stood there, speechless, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. But before I could say a word, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.
Grayson was standing at the end of the hall, his dark eyes fixed on us. His expression was cold, completely unreadable.
For a moment, I thought he might say something, might react in some way. But he didn’t.
He turned and walked away without a word, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding.
Date: September 20th
Time: 11:45 PM
Dear Diary,
I knew going to that party was a mistake, but I didn’t expect it to go this far. Aiden dragged me into one of his stupid games, Grayson delivered another cryptic warning, and Tessa pushed me—literally—to the edge.
I can still feel the cold water pulling me under, hear the muffled laughter of everyone watching. And then there was Grayson, pulling me out, standing up for me in a way I never thought he would.
It should feel like a victory, but it doesn’t. Every interaction with them leaves me more confused, more trapped. Grayson said Tessa crossed a line, but where does that leave him?
-Lila