I stared at the text for what felt like hours, my mind spinning in circles. This is just the beginning, Audrey.
Whoever sent that message knew enough to make me nervous, but they weren’t showing their full hand. And that made it worse. The unknown-the idea that this could escalate into something bigger-kept gnawing at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the walls were closing in, even now, sitting in my own living room.
I stood up, pacing, trying to think. Talking to Logan wouldn’t help, not this time. I needed to figure this out on my own. Involving Logan might only make things worse, and if whoever sent that message knew about my connection to him, they could be trying to manipulate me into making a mistake.
But I wasn’t going to let them win. Not without a fight.
I glanced at the clock-just after 4:00 PM. Mom wouldn’t be home for another hour, and the house was eerily quiet. The silence weighed on me, thick and suffocating.
I needed to clear my head.
Grabbing my jacket, I stepped outside. The crisp autumn air hit my face, and for a moment, I felt grounded again. I walked down the street, the familiar path toward the park helping to calm my racing thoughts. My feet moved on autopilot, but my mind was still tangled in knots, replaying every interaction I’d had in the last few days.
If it wasn’t Warwick who exposed Logan and me, who else would? There had to be someone pulling the strings. Maybe it wasn’t just about the rumors. Maybe it was something bigger. But who would go to these lengths?
The park was mostly empty, save for a few kids playing on the swings and a couple walking their dog. I found a quiet bench under a tree and sat down, pulling my phone out again. I stared at the message, my thumb hovering over the reply button.
Part of me wanted to respond-to demand answers, to confront whoever was messing with my life. But another part of me knew better. Whoever sent that message wanted a reaction. They wanted me scared, off balance. And I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction.
Instead, I opened a blank note on my phone and started listing the people who might have something against me. It was a short list, but that didn’t make it any less troubling.
1. Warwick. Even if he swore he wasn’t behind the rumors, I couldn’t completely rule him out. He had plenty of reasons to cause trouble, and he knew more about me than most people.
2. Tanya and Mal. I hated to even consider it, but could they have turned on me? After today’s conversation in the cafeteria, it didn’t seem impossible. Maybe the pressure of the rumors had gotten to them, and they decided to push me away to protect themselves. But would they go this far?
3. Random classmates. This seemed less likely, but high school was full of petty grudges and people who thrived on drama. It wouldn’t take much for someone to latch onto a piece of information and blow it up into something bigger.
I sat there, staring at the list. None of it felt right. Whoever was behind this wasn’t just trying to spread rumors-they were trying to mess with my head. And they were doing a pretty good job of it.
I locked my phone and leaned back on the bench, closing my eyes for a moment. I couldn’t let this consume me. I had to stay calm, figure out the next step.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approaching snapped me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes to see Warwick.
“Didn’t expect to see you here, Audrey,” he said, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
“Yeah, I needed space, I needed to breathe.”
“Mind if I take your mind off these things?”
I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Warwick was getting at. “Take my mind off things? And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”
Warwick smirked, but it wasn’t the usual cocky grin he flashed around.
This one had a softer edge, almost as if he was genuinely offering a distraction. “Well, I figured you could use a break from all the drama. And I’m pretty good at getting into trouble that has nothing to do with rumors.”
I let out a small laugh despite myself, the tension easing just a little. “Getting into trouble, huh? Sounds like the last thing I need right now.”
Warwick shrugged, sitting down next to me on the bench, his eyes scanning the park. “Maybe, but sometimes the last thing you think you need is exactly what you should do.”
Okay, I’ll bite. What do you have in mind?”
Warwick’s smirk softened into something almost resembling a real smile. “You’ll see.”
He stood up and motioned for me to follow. I hesitated for a second, glancing back at the phone in my hand. But then I slipped it into my pocket, deciding that whoever sent that text could wait. Right now, I needed a distraction-something to take me away from all the chaos, if only for a little while.
We walked in silence for a bit, the tension between us oddly comfortable. The park faded behind us as Warwick led me through the winding streets of the neighborhood. Eventually, we arrived at a clearing just outside the woods-a place I recognized immediately.
The lake.
The water was calm, reflecting the late afternoon sky like a mirror. The trees around it were starting to turn shades of orange and red, signaling the beginning of fall.
“Why here?” I asked, curious.
Warwick shrugged, his hands shoved into his pockets. “It’s peaceful. Not a lot of people come here, and I thought you could use some space to breathe.”
I looked out at the water, the peacefulness of the scene washing over me. “You’re right. It’s nice.”
We stood there for a few minutes, neither of us saying much. The quiet between us felt different than the usual tension I had with Warwick-less confrontational, more… understanding. It was strange, but I didn’t mind it.
“You know,” Warwick finally said, breaking the silence, “you don’t always have to carry everything by yourself.”
I glanced at him, surprised. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I get it. You’re dealing with a lot. Logan, the rumors, whoever’s messing with you. But trying to figure it all out on your own?
“That’s going to wear you down.”
I looked at him, unsure of what to say. Warwick wasn’t the type of person I thought would give advice like this.
“And what’s your solution?” I asked, crossing my arms. “Just forget about it all? Pretend nothing’s happening?”
Warwick chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I’m not saying that. You can’t just ignore it. But you don’t have to deal with it alone.”
I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words. He was right. I’d been so focused on handling everything-Logan, the rumors, the strange messages-that I hadn’t thought about asking for help. But could I really trust Warwick? Letting him in felt risky.
“I don’t know if I can do that,” I said quietly.
Warwick nodded, like he understood. “You don’t have to decide right now. Just know… I’ve got your back, even if you don’t think you need it.”
For a moment, we stood in silence, the only sound being the wind rustling through the trees. I felt a bit lighter, like maybe I didn’t have to do this all by myself. Maybe having someone else there would help.
“Thanks, Warwick,” I finally said, looking out at the lake again.
He didn’t say anything, but I could tell the tension between us had faded. We stayed there, watching the calm water, letting the peacefulness of the place ease the chaos in my mind.