The voice echoes down the hallway, sharp and full of menace. "You can't hide forever, Ethan." The words freeze me in place, and I can feel the blood draining from my face. Whoever this person is, they know something. Something about Ethan, something about the past.
Jack's smirk widens, as if he's enjoying every moment of this. "You didn't think you'd be able to escape me, did you?"
I glance at Ethan, whose face is pale and his fists clenched. I've never seen him so shaken, so vulnerable. He's always been the confident, charming guy, but right now, he looks like a cornered animal.
"You've got it all wrong, Jack," Ethan says, his voice barely a whisper but thick with tension. "This isn't how it's supposed to be."
Sofia, still standing a few feet away, looks between the two of them, her face pale. "What's going on? Ethan, who is he? What does he want?" Her voice is trembling with fear, and I can see the uncertainty in her eyes.
Ethan doesn't respond immediately. He's staring at Jack, and I can see his jaw tightening with frustration.
"He's someone from my past," Ethan finally says, his voice cold, distant. "Someone I thought I'd left behind."
"Ethan, what is this? Who is this?" I demand, my voice cracking. My mind is racing, and I can't seem to make sense of any of it.
Jack chuckles darkly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh, come on, Ethan. You really think you can just leave the past behind? You've always been running, always hiding. But you can't outrun what you did."
"What are you talking about?" I ask, my heart pounding.
Ethan looks at me, his eyes dark and filled with regret. He opens his mouth to speak, but Jack interrupts.
"Don't even try to protect her," Jack sneers. "She has a right to know."
I feel a chill settle over me as I look between the two of them. The tension is unbearable, the weight of Jack's words pressing down on me. Ethan's past is catching up with him, and now it's pulling me in, too.
"I don't know what you think you know, Jack, but you're wrong," Ethan says, his voice sharp with anger. "You've been stalking me, threatening me, and now you've come here to drag her into your mess. I'm done. Leave her out of this."
Jack's smirk fades slightly, but he doesn't back down. "You think it's that simple? You think you can just walk away from what you did?" He takes a step closer, his presence looming over us. "You and I both know that's not how it works."
I feel my stomach twist in knots. There's something he's not telling me. Something crucial. What did Ethan do? What's he hiding?
I look at Ethan, searching his face for answers. "Ethan, what is he talking about?" My voice trembles with uncertainty. "What did you do?"
Ethan looks at me, his face filled with guilt, but his expression hardens. He shakes his head slowly, like he's preparing himself for something he's been avoiding for a long time. "I can't explain it right now, but I promise you, it's not what Jack is making it out to be."
Jack laughs bitterly. "Oh, come on, Ethan. You can't keep lying to her forever. The truth is right in front of you both. You're too scared to face it."
Before I can ask any more questions, the sound of footsteps grows louder from behind Jack, and another figure steps into the hallway. A girl, dark-haired, with a look of determination in her eyes. She's not someone I recognize, but there's something about her that sends a shiver down my spine.
She walks past Jack, her gaze sharp and focused. "You've made a mess of things, Ethan. And you know what they say—everything comes full circle."
Ethan's expression darkens even more, and I feel a knot tighten in my chest. "Who is she?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jack glances at her, a smirk forming on his lips. "This is Rachel. She's a part of the past you've been trying to forget."
I look at Rachel, who meets my gaze with an unsettling calmness. She's not here by accident. She's part of this tangled mess.