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I swallow hard, the knot in my throat growing. This isn’t the Levi I know—the one who laughs easily and looks at me like I’m the only person in the room. This Levi is a stranger, one wrapped in barbed wire.
“Levi, please,” I whisper, my resolve wavering. But he stands abruptly, moving past me toward the door.
“Let’s just drop it, Brielle,” he says, brushing by me, his shoulder bumping mine. The contact sends a jolt through me, but he doesn’t stop, doesn’t turn back.
And there I stand, alone in his room, the echo of our argument and the weight of my secret crushing me from the inside out.
Feet planted, I whirl around to face him, the heat of anger flushing my cheeks. “You don’t get to shut me out, Levi.”
He stops in his tracks, muscles coiled like a spring. “Why?” His voice cuts through the air, sharp and precise. “Because you say so?”
“Because we’re in this together! Or have you forgotten that?”
Levi’s laugh is bitter, hollow. He rounds on me, eyes flashing with a storm of emotions. “Together? When it’s convenient for you, maybe.”
“Levi…”
“Everything is falling apart, Brielle.” His words slam into me, heavy and suffocating. “And it’s all because I was foolish enough to fall for you.”
“Levi, no.” My voice cracks, heart thudding against my ribs. “Don’t say that.”
“Why not? It’s true, isn’t it?” He paces now, a caged animal. “I’ve never been more confused in my life.”
“Levi, please.” I reach out, try to touch his arm. He jerks away as if burned.
“Stop.” He backs up, shaking his head. “I can’t do this right now.”
“Please.” My plea is a whisper, drowned out by the pounding in my ears.
“I made a mistake,” he says, and the finality in his tone terrifies me. “Falling in love with you…I need to think about what I really want.”
“Levi—” But he’s already gone, leaving me grappling with the void his words leave behind.
* * *
The last bell rings, a shrill sound that slices through the heavy air of the classroom. I gather my books, arms hugging them tight against my chest, heart still pounding from earlier. The hallways flood with students, a river of noise and motion, but I’m anchored in place.
“Hey, Brielle.”
I jerk my head up. Grayson leans against the locker beside mine, his posture casual, but his eyes are anything but. Tension knots in the pit of my stomach.
“Grayson, what’s up?” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Need to talk to you.” He glances around, making sure no one’s within earshot. “About Sierra.”
“Sierra?” My pulse quickens, and I drop my gaze, fiddling with the straps on my backpack. “What about her?”
He steps closer, lowers his voice. “She’s the one. She’s been blackmailing you.”
Shock hits me like a bucket of ice water. Sierra? My friend? My throat tightens. “That’s…that can’t be right.”
“Trust me,” he says, and there’s an edge of certainty that makes it hard to argue. “I’ve seen proof.”
My mind races, conflicting emotions waging war. Betrayal stings sharp and deep, mingling with disbelief. Sierra wouldn’t…would she?
“Thanks for telling me,” I murmur, though gratitude feels distant, overshadowed by a growing sense of dread.
“Are you going to confront her?” His question is gentle, probing.
