The classroom buzzed faintly with the teacher’s voice droning on about something I couldn’t even register. The words were background noise, swallowed up by the whirlwind in my head.
Ivan sat beside me, his presence looming, as his fingers gently traced the curve of my knuckles. His touch was soft, deceptively tender, but it burned. I wanted to pull my hand away, to create space, but every time I shifted even slightly, his grip tightened-subtle, yet still there.
I let out a shaky breath and focused on the feel of his skin against mine. It was grounding in a way that felt wrong, unnatural, but comforting at the same time. How did I end up here, sitting in this classroom, pretending like everything was normal? How was I still pretending to live a normal life when my world was anything but?
Ivan hadn’t said much since we left the hallway, but his words from earlier echoed through me, cutting deep.
“I can help you. You don’t need him. You need me.”
Could I really trust him? Could he really get me out of this? A part of me wanted to believe it, wanted to latch onto that lifeline, but another part-the rational part-knew better. There was always a price. No one offered something for free, least of all someone like Ivan. His brother was a big shot, he’d said, and once I met him, everything would be fixed. What did that even mean? And how much did Ivan know?
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. He knew about Judas, that much was clear. His words hinted at more, but how much more? Did he know about Donatello’s murder? About how Judas framed me? My stomach twisted painfully at the thought.
Judas Romanovski. His name lingered at the edges of my thoughts, a dark shadow I couldn’t escape, no matter how far I ran. Wasn’t this what I wanted though? To be free of him? To escape his clutches, his control, the overwhelming power he had over me?
But if that was true, why did it feel like I was betraying myself?
The bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. Ivan stood, offering me a hand. I hesitated, staring at it for a moment too long before placing my palm in his. His grip tightened around mine again, pulling me up with a strength that didn’t match his soft smile.
“Let’s go get something to eat,” he said, voice casual, as though everything was perfectly fine. But there was something in his eyes-something I couldn’t quite place.
I followed him wordlessly to the cafeteria, my thoughts still jumbled. He guided me to a table, his hand lingering on my back as we sat down.
“Eat,” he urged, his tone light but insistent, pushing a plate of food toward me.
I poked at it, not hungry. How could I eat when my mind was racing with the weight of everything?
Ivan leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on me. “You’re too tense, Sera. You need to relax. You’re safe now.”
Safe. The word felt foreign on my tongue, like it didn’t belong in my vocabulary anymore. I wasn’t safe. I hadn’t been safe since the day I met Judas.
“I don’t know how to relax,” I murmured, my fingers fiddling with the edge of the plate.
Ivan smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You will, once you meet my brother. He’ll take care of everything. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”
I frowned. “Your brother? What does he have to do with this?”
Ivan leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “He’s got connections. Big ones. And once he knows what Judas has done to you, he’ll make sure it all goes away. You won’t have to live in fear anymore.”
My stomach clenched. “And what’s the price for all of this help?”
Ivan’s smile widened, his fingers tapping on the table. “No price. I told you, you mean something to me. I don’t need anything from you, Sera. Just… trust me.”
Trust. That word again. I swallowed, nodding slightly even though my instincts screamed at me to run.
We finished eating in silence, though I barely touched my food. Ivan kept glancing at me, his gaze piercing, as though he was waiting for something, watching for any sign of weakness.
As we stood to leave, he grabbed my arm gently, pulling me aside. His voice was soft, but his grip was firm. “Meet me tomorrow. At the park. By the old fountain.”
I blinked, startled. “I can’t. I’m being… watched.”
“I know.” Ivan’s smile returned, this time more predatory. “But don’t worry. I’ll take care of that. You just have to come.”
I hesitated, but his grip tightened slightly. “You trust me, right?” His eyes bore into mine, and I felt the weight of his words pressing down on me.
“I-” I faltered.
Ivan’s voice dropped, darker now, almost menacing. “I’m doing this for you, Sera. You don’t want to see what happens if you don’t show up.”
My heart skipped a beat. There it was-the price.
I nodded slowly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Okay.”
Ivan’s smile widened, and he leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. “Good girl. I knew you’d see things my way.”
As he pulled back, his eyes glinted with something darker, something dangerous. I shivered, my pulse racing.
“You’ll thank me for this one day,” he said softly, almost to himself. “I’m saving you from him… and from yourself.”
I watched him walk away, my body frozen in place. His words echoed in my mind, sinking in deeper with every step he took.
Was I being saved? Or was I walking into something worse?
A storm was coming. I could feel it. And Ivan was right at the center of it.
*****
As soon as I made it out of the college, the afternoon sun glaring down on me, there he was-right where I had left him this morning.
Kyle.
Leaning against the sleek black car, arms crossed, sunglasses masking those dark eyes. The familiar presence of him hit me like a cold wind, cutting through the warmth of the day. Was he waiting the entire time? The thought unsettled me, but I shoved it aside. I shouldn’t care. I had other things to worry about.
He pushed himself off the car when he saw me approach, his gaze unreadable behind the lenses. Without a word, he opened the door for me. There was a brief pause-like he was waiting for me to say something. Apologize, maybe. Or explain.
But I didn’t. I just slid into the car silently, feeling the weight of his unspoken judgment pressing down on me.
“I hope you were an obedient girl today,” Kyle finally said, his voice cool, almost bored.
My skin prickled at the way he said it-calm, detached, like he was addressing a child or a pet. I bristled immediately. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kyle settled into the driver’s seat beside me, still exuding that effortless indifference. “You know exactly what it means.” His tone was clipped, sharp. “You’ve been on thin ice with Judas. He’s not exactly thrilled with your… extracurricular activities.”
I clenched my fists in my lap. His words were a jab, but not the type I could easily brush off. How much did Kyle know? Was he just playing his part, or did he see through me?
“What I do is none of his business,” I muttered, though the conviction in my voice faltered. “Or yours.”
Kyle laughed, a short, humorless sound. “You really believe that?”
His words hit harder than they should’ve. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, my eyes flicking out the window. The city blurred by, but all I could see was Kyle’s reflection in the glass-cold, detached, and utterly frustrating.
“Stop acting like you know me,” I bit out. “You don’t.”
“Oh, I know enough,” he said with a smirk. “I know that you’re playing a dangerous game, Rosewood. And that sooner or later, it’s going to catch up to you.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. He was right. Everything was spiraling out of control, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
But I wasn’t going to let Kyle see that. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
What mattered was what would happen tomorrow.