A loud screech of tires cut through the tense air, snapping both Sebastian and me out of our focused search. My heart jumped in my chest. Through the window, headlights flooded the front yard of the Frost mansion.
"That's them," Sebastian whispered sharply, his eyes wide with concern. "We need to go. Now."
I glanced at the pendant we'd just bagged in a plastic pouch, and without a second thought, we sprinted toward the back door. My hands were trembling as I shoved it open, trying to keep my footsteps light. We ducked low, slipping into the shadows of the garden, the tall hedges and overgrown shrubs providing some cover.
From inside the house, I could hear the unmistakable sounds of a car door slamming and hurried footsteps approaching. Panic bloomed in my chest. If we got caught here, we'd have no way to explain ourselves. I couldn't afford to be involved in any more trouble, not with everything else going on. My entire body felt on edge, like I was about to crack under the pressure.
"We need to move," Sebastian whispered urgently, glancing back toward the mansion. His hand grabbed mine, in urgency, a brief touch that sent a flicker of warmth up my arm, despite the situation.
For a split second, time seemed to slow down. Our eyes met, and I could see the intensity in his, the unspoken connection we'd started to build. It was like the world had momentarily shrunk down to just us, standing there in the dark. But the sound of a door opening snapped us back to reality.
"Let's go!" he hissed.
We hurried, practically crawling our way along the outer wall. The gate was just a few feet away when a light swept over the garden, casting long shadows in our path. I froze, breath catching in my throat, pulling Sebastian down with me behind a bush. My heart was hammering so loudly I was sure they could hear it.
The Frosts were inside the house now, moving around. I could hear muffled voices through the windows.
Sebastian gave my hand a light squeeze, nodding toward the gate. "One chance," he whispered.
We moved as one, slipping through the gate just as a flashlight's beam swept over the spot we'd been crouching moments ago. My pulse pounded in my ears as we made it out into the night, the gate closing silently behind us. We were free.
---
In the car, the tension lingered between us, the quiet hum of the engine doing little to calm my nerves. Sebastian drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting lightly on his leg, tapping as if to keep the adrenaline from crashing.
"What do you think happened to Hannah?" I asked after a long silence, my voice softer now, more tentative.
Sebastian exhaled, his eyes fixed on the road. "She must've run away that night, probably scared or desperate. But something happened... Maybe she tried to leave through her window, like we thought. Got stuck or panicked." He clenched the wheel tighter. "But someone else was there too. They must have gotten to her. And if that pendant was stuck on that branch, there's no way it was just an accident."
I nodded, my stomach knotting. "So, someone else pushed her, hurt her-Chad maybe? Or... someone else?"
Sebastian's jaw tightened. "I don't know. Why would her own boyfriend do something like that? But that blood... it means something more happened. Someone made sure she didn't make it out alive."
My breath hitched. Hearing it spoken out loud like that made the reality sink in even deeper. We were getting closer to the truth, but it felt darker and heavier than I imagined.
By the time Sebastian pulled up to my house, I was feeling more drained than ever. I gave him a small nod. "Thanks for today."
"Anytime," he said softly, watching me as I stepped out of the car. There was a moment where I thought he might say more, but he didn't. He just gave me a lingering look before driving off into the night.
---
After a quick shower, I joined Rose and Mr. Black at the dinner table. They were chatting lightly, their conversation pulling me in and out like waves. I tried to follow along, but my mind kept wandering back to the pendant, to the figure in the garden, to everything that had happened. I could feel Rose watching me closely.
"You okay, Mia?" Rose asked gently.
I blinked, realizing I'd been pushing my food around my plate more than eating it. "Yeah," I mumbled, offering a half-smile. "Just tired, I guess."
Rose exchanged a glance with Mr. Black, but neither of them pressed. I excused myself shortly after and headed back to my room.
As I settled onto my bed, my phone buzzed. A text from Zaire.
**Zaire:** "Hey, what's up?"
I let out a soft breath, already feeling a little more grounded. Zaire. I hadn't heard from him in a while.
**Me:** "Where have you been? It's been crazy."
**Zaire:** "Just... busy. Sorry I haven't been around much."
We texted back and forth for a while. Talking to Zaire was always easy. He didn't pry, didn't push. He just... listened. He'd always been that way, ever since we were kids. A silent presence, but a steady one. Somehow, he knew when I needed to talk, and when I needed to just... be.
By the time we wrapped up the conversation, my chest felt lighter, and I was smiling at my screen. I hadn't realized just how much I missed talking to him. I clutched my phone, feeling a sense of comfort I hadn't felt in days.
And with that, I fell asleep, his last text still open on my screen.