Chapter 13: Paper trail

The clock on the kitchen wall ticks like a countdown. 8:42 PM. I stand in the center of my bedroom, frozen, staring at the window where the moonlight bleeds through the thin, yellowed curtains. The moon is a jagged sliver tonight, offering just enough light to illuminate the dust motes dancing in the air and the cracked pavement of our driveway below. My heart isn't just racing; it’s a frantic bird trapped in a cage, wings beating uselessly against my ribs.

I pull a dark, oversized sweatshirt over my head, the heavy cotton smelling faintly of the lavender detergent I use to mask the scent of the diner’s grease. I pull the hood low, hiding my face in the shadows. I am a liar. I am a traitor. Every step I take toward that door feels like I’m stepping further away from the girl Leo thinks I am.

I open my bedroom door just an inch, the hinge letting out a microscopic whine that sounds like a siren in the silence. The hallway is a tunnel of shadows, but the flickering blue glow from the living room television spills across the floorboards like spilled ink. I can hear the muffled sounds of an old action movie—the screech of tires, the staccato rhythm of gunfire. Leo is on the couch, his silhouette a solid, unmoving weight in the dark.

I tip-toe toward the back door, my socks sliding over the linoleum. Every creak of the old house sounds like a gunshot. I reach the kitchen, my hand hovering over the cold metal of the doorknob, when the overhead light flickers on with a sharp click.

"Heading back to the library?" Leo asks.

He is standing by the refrigerator, a glass of water in his hand. He looks exhausted, his weight shifted heavily onto his good leg, his broad shoulders slumped from ten hours at the garage. He looks at my dark clothes, his gaze narrowing with a protective instinct that used to make me feel safe, but now makes me feel like a criminal under a spotlight.

"Yeah," I say, my voice sounding tight, like a wire stretched too thin. "I left my biology notes in a friend's car. I need to grab them before they head home for the night."

"It’s late, Maya," he mutters, his eyes moving to the car keys hanging on the wall. "The park is dark. The streets aren't what they used to be around here. I’ll drive you."

"No!" The word comes out too fast, too sharp. I see Leo’s brow furrow, a flicker of genuine confusion crossing his face. I soften my tone, stepping into the light to look him in the eye—the hardest thing I’ve done all day. "You’ve been working on the truck all day, Leo. Your leg is bothering you; I can see the way you're favoring it. Just stay on the couch. I’ll be back before the movie ends. I promise."

Leo stays silent for a long, agonizing beat. He is looking for the lie. He is looking for the girl who used to tell him every secret, every dream. But he finally sighs, the tension leaving his shoulders. "Five minutes. If you aren't back, I'm coming out there, Maya. I mean it."

I slip out the back door and run. I don't stop until I reach the old stone bridge at the edge of the park. A black SUV is idling near the trees, its engine a low, expensive purr. Jaxson steps out, leaning his hip against the frame. He looks restless, his dark hair messy from the wind.

"You're late," he says, his voice a low vibration in the night air.

"I had to get past my brother," I breathe, my chest heaving. "What did you find? Tell me this isn't a waste of a risk."

Jaxson reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, clear plastic bag. Inside is the tiny spy camera he ripped from the basement door. "My guy traced the serial number. It was bought at the tech shop on 5th Street three days ago. On a Thorne family business account."

I stare at the lens, its glass eye mocking me. "Your dad?"

"No," Jaxson says, his jaw tightening so hard I can hear the bone click. "Miller. He’s the one who handles the team equipment orders on that account. He knew we were watching him that day. He made sure we followed him to that basement. He wasn't meeting a girl; he was putting us on stage for that camera. He’s been playing us since the start, Maya."

"Why?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper. "Why would he do this to you?"

"Because if I go down, the captain's spot and the scholarship to ucl opens up," Jaxson says. He steps away from the car, moving into my personal space until I can feel the heat radiating off his chest. The anger in his voice dies down, replaced by something lower, something thick with a tension I can't ignore. "He wants what I have. He thinks he can take it. But he’s never going to have this."

He reaches out. This time, he doesn't drop his hand. His fingers are warm as they brush against the edge of my hood, slowly pulling it back until my hair spills over my shoulders.

I should pull away. I should think about Leo, sitting on that couch three blocks away, trusting me. But I am anchored to the spot.

Jaxson’s hand moves to the side of my neck, his thumb grazing my jawline with a feather-light touch that sends a jolt through my entire body. I can see the pulse jumping in his throat, frantic and uneven. He leans in closer, his forehead almost touching mine. I can smell the cedar of his soap and the faint, cold scent of the night air on his jacket.

"Vance," he whispers.

I look up at him, my breath hitching in my throat. My heart drums so loud it vibrates in my eardrums. He looks at my lips, his eyes dark and hungry, and for a second, the rest of the world simply stops existing. He starts to tilt his head, his eyes fluttering, his lips inching closer to mine.

Vrrr-vrrr! Vrrr-vrrr!

The vibration of my phone against my hip is so violent it feels like a physical blow.

We both jump back. Jaxson clears his throat, looking away toward the dark trees, his hand dropping to his side as if he’s been caught in an act of sabotage. I fumble for my phone, my fingers shaking so hard I can barely swipe the screen.

The screen is a blinding white glare in the dark.

LEO (3 MISSED CALLS): It’s been ten minutes, Maya. I’m starting the car.

"I have to go," I gasp, the panic flooding back in a cold wave. "Leo. He’s coming. If he sees your car... if he sees us..."

"Maya, wait—" Jaxson reaches for me, but I’m already backing away into the shadows of the bridge.

"I can't!" I say, the word a sob I have to swallow. I turn and sprint into the darkness of the park, my face burning with a mix of terror and a longing that makes me want to scream.