I didn't sleep.
Not after the note.
Not after reading those seven words over and over again:
You're not safe here. Stay in your room tonight. — T
What the hell did that even mean?
Safe from what?
From who?
From Gregory?
The warning buzzed in my head like static electricity as I lay frozen in bed, too scared to move. Too scared to trust anyone—but especially too scared to ignore Theo's warning.
He might hate me, but he hadn't lied. Not once.
When morning finally came, the mansion was quiet. Too quiet.
I tiptoed into the hallway, peeking both ways. No sign of Gregory. No sign of Theo.
Just that same suffocating silence hanging in the air.
And the worst part?
I wasn't even sure if I imagined the whole thing.
Downstairs, I found Mom seated at the breakfast table, her hair curled, her smile tight.
Next to her sat Gregory, flipping through some document like nothing in the world had changed overnight.
I sat slowly, watching them both.
"You look pale, sweetie," Mom said, reaching across to touch my hand.
I flinched before I could stop myself.
Gregory's eyes flicked up. One brow lifted slightly.
"You sleep okay?" he asked, voice warm.
I nodded too quickly.
"Yeah. Great. Super peaceful."
His lips curved, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Glad to hear it."
He slid a slice of papaya onto my plate.
I stared at it like it might bite back.
Where was Theo?
Still asleep?
Avoiding me?
Or was he just letting me stew?
Either way, I didn't see him—not at breakfast, not in the hallways, not even at dinner.
It was like he vanished.
And somehow, that was worse than when he was everywhere.
The next day, I started at Brookline Academy.
Or as I called it: Rich Kid Zoo.
Private drivers dropped off students in black SUVs and convertibles. Everyone looked like they belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine. The girls wore flawless makeup and thousand-dollar shoes. The guys smelled like cologne and ego.
And me?
I wore black jeans, sneakers, and a tight knot of anxiety.
The stares started before I even reached the steps.
I wasn't one of them. I didn't walk like them, talk like them, or pretend to care about money and legacy and the best ski resorts in Switzerland.
I just wanted to survive the semester.
Unfortunately, the universe had other plans.
"Hey, new girl," a voice drawled behind me as I was trying to find my locker.
I turned—and instantly regretted it.
Tall. Blond. Smirking like he'd just discovered a new toy.
"Uh… hi."
"I'm Jace. Senior. Varsity. And very interested in showing you around."
I forced a polite smile. "Thanks, but I think I'll figure it out."
He stepped closer.
"You've got a nice mouth when you smile like that."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
He leaned down, too close. "Bet you're even prettier when you blush."
I stepped back instinctively—and slammed into someone.
A warm, hard chest.
A familiar scent.
Theo.
Jace paled immediately.
"Dude, I didn't know—"
"You didn't know what?" Theo's voice was low, deadly. "That you were talking to my sister?"
My mouth opened. Then shut.
Sister?
Jace swallowed. "Didn't realize she was yours, man. Chill."
"She's not mine." Theo's eyes burned into me. "But she's not yours either."
He turned to me, voice ice. "Let's go."
He didn't wait for me to follow.
I hesitated—then obeyed.
Because for all his coldness, Theo had just stepped in for me again.
Why?
I didn't ask. I didn't speak.
Not until we were outside, near the parking lot, alone.
"You didn't have to do that."
He turned sharply. "Yes, I did."
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he stepped closer until I was backed up against a stone wall.
"Do you want them thinking you're easy?"
My mouth dropped. "What?"
"Guys like Jace. They don't flirt. They hunt."
"You don't know anything about me," I snapped.
"I know enough."
"Stop pretending to care."
His jaw flexed.
"You think I don't?"
"You said it yourself. I'm just your stepsister. And you've made it painfully clear I don't belong here."
He was quiet for a beat.
Then he whispered, "That's the problem."
I froze.
"What?"
Theo leaned in, just enough to make my heart stutter. His voice dropped.
"You think I don't care. But I do. That's what makes this dangerous."
I couldn't breathe.
"You're not even my real sister," he muttered. "But you're in my house. You're in my head. And that makes you off-limits."
My heart pounded.
"Theo…"
He stepped back like I'd burned him.
"Stay away from me, Aria."
And just like that, he was gone.
Again.
That night, I stood in front of my mirror, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
He cared.
He admitted it.
But he also told me to stay away.
And worse? I didn't want to.
I wanted more.
More heat. More tension. More of that dangerous look in his eyes.
I hated myself for it.
He was my stepbrother.
This was twisted. Messy. Wrong.
But it was real.
It was the only real thing in this fake, perfect world.
And I didn't know how much longer I could keep pretending I didn't feel it.