Chapter 96: CHAPTER NINETY-SIX

Winter's POV

The evening sun hung low in the sky, casting the room in a soft, amber hue. I stared out the window, watching the last traces of daylight retreat as darkness crept into the corners of the room. The house felt too quiet, a stillness that made my nerves buzz, even as I tried to push the feeling away.

Damon was seated across from me on the couch, his phone in his hand. He wasn’t paying attention to me—his focus entirely on whatever message he was reading. The quiet buzz of his notifications was the only sound filling the space between us.

I watched him for a moment, taking in the weary set of his jaw, the way his brow furrowed with concentration. Even as I sat there, I could feel the distance creeping in. I broke the silence, my voice soft. “What’s wrong?”

Damon glanced up at me, his dark eyes clouded with something I couldn’t quite place. He sighed, a heavy exhale that spoke volumes, before he set the phone down with a slight clink on the coffee table. His hands rested on his lap, fingers tapping lightly against his jeans. I knew something was off—it wasn’t just his exhaustion. There was a tension in the air, something unspoken.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” he said, but there was a hesitation in his voice that made me second-guess his words. I leaned forward, crossing my arms over my chest. “I know you think you’re protecting me by keeping things from me, but I’m not stupid, Damon. What’s going on?”

His gaze flickered away briefly, a flash of something darker in his expression before he looked back at me. There was no more hiding it. He could see that I wasn’t going to let him off the hook.

“It’s Eric,” he said, his voice low. “He’s making moves again. Small things—nothing big yet—but enough to make me worry. Trey thinks he’s testing the waters, looking for weaknesses.”

I frowned. “What kind of weaknesses?” My voice wavered slightly as I spoke the words, my stomach twisting at the thought of Eric getting any closer to us.

“Everything. He’s trying to figure out where we’re vulnerable. And when he finds it…” Damon trailed off, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a storm cloud ready to burst.

I swallowed hard. “So, what do we do?”

Damon rubbed his hand over his face, frustration and concern mixing in his features. “I’ve already ramped up security at the house. I’ve got Trey keeping an eye on things, but…” He paused, his jaw clenching. “I don’t want to make a move unless, I’m sure. I don’t want to give him any more leverage than he already has.”

I nodded, but the unease was still gnawing at me, a low hum in my chest. Eric was dangerous, and Damon had every right to be cautious. But my mind kept drifting to one thing: Cami.

The thought of her, so innocent and unaware, was enough to make my skin crawl. The last thing I wanted was for her to get caught in this mess, to become a pawn in Eric’s twisted game.

Later that night, after I tucked Kai into bed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. I hadn’t heard from Cami all day, and she’d seemed so carefree when we’d talked earlier. But there had been something about her tone that stuck with me. She had sounded almost too light, too nonchalant about the whole thing.

I had called her, wanting to check in, but each time, she brushed me off with a laugh, saying everything was fine, as usual. But it didn’t feel fine. Not now.

I had gone to bed uneasy, tossing and turning, unable to quiet the voice in the back of my head that kept telling me Cami was in danger.

The next morning, I called her again, unable to let go of the nagging feeling in my chest. My fingers hovered over the phone screen before I finally pressed the call button. It rang twice before she picked up.

“Hey, sis,” she answered cheerfully, though her voice sounded slightly strained.

“Cami, what’s going on?” I asked, trying to keep the worry out of my tone. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t I be?” She sounded casual, but I could hear the underlying tension in her voice. “I’ve just been busy. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

Something in her response felt off, and I pushed. “I just… I don’t know. I talked to Damon last night, and he said Eric’s been up to something. I don’t want you getting mixed up in this, okay?”

“Winter, relax. I’m fine. I can handle myself,” she said, laughing lightly, but it didn’t ease my worry.

“I’m serious, Cami,” I pressed. “Stay away from him. If you see him again, just get out of there, alright?”

She was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was more cautious. “I promise, I’ll be careful. But you’re worrying too much. Everything’s fine.”

I wanted to believe her. But I couldn’t.

That afternoon, I caught Damon glancing at his phone again, his face tight with concern. His eyes flicked to me, then back to the screen. I could tell he was trying to hide whatever was bothering him.

I knew Damon, and I knew when something was wrong. I couldn’t let it go this time. “What’s going on?” I asked again, my voice soft but firm.

Damon met my gaze, his jaw tightening. “Cami called me earlier. Said she ran into Eric again.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What did she say?”

“She didn’t say much. Just that it was a brief conversation, but she didn’t feel threatened.” He paused, glancing down at his phone again. “But I’m not convinced.”

“Damon, you need to keep her safe,” I insisted, the words almost desperate. “I can’t lose her. She’s my sister.”

He nodded, looking pained. “I know, Winter. I’m going to handle it. I’ll have Trey keep an eye on her. I’m not letting anything happen to her.”

That evening, I tried to relax, but the anxiety gnawed at me. Cami’s safety weighed heavily on my mind. I knew Damon was doing everything he could, but there was only so much we could do from a distance. My phone buzzed, and my heart leapt in my chest, but it was only Trey’s name on the screen.

“Winter,” Trey’s voice came through the speaker, “I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Eric’s been making moves again. He’s looking for any opening to exploit. He’s getting desperate. And we both know what that means.”

“What does that mean for Cami?” I asked, my voice tight with fear.

“We’ve got eyes on her,” Trey reassured me, though there was an edge to his voice. “But you’re right to be worried. If Eric makes his move, it’ll be quick. And Cami’s too close to the danger for comfort.”

I swallowed hard, my stomach churning. “Just… keep her safe, Trey. Please.”

“We will,” he promised.

The days that followed were a blur of fear and tension. Every call I received from Damon was filled with updates on the situation, but nothing concrete. Eric and Sienna were still lurking in the shadows, their next move unpredictable. The feeling of being on the edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop, was suffocating.

And then, it happened.

It was late one night when the phone rang, its shrill sound cutting through the silence of the house. I was just about to fall asleep, the weight of the day heavy on my eyelids, when I picked up the phone.

“Winter,” Trey’s voice was urgent, his words tumbling out in a rush. “It’s Cami. She’s missing.”

You are a story I can’t quite tell,

A tangled narrative, too deep to quell.

Each chapter is written in a language unknown,

A mix of desire and sorrow overthrown.

I trace every word, trying to make sense,

Of the way you pull away, yet draw me in dense.

Your eyes speak of places where I cannot go,

Whispers of secrets you’ll never show.

I’m caught in the knots of this shifting dance,

Struggling between caution and chance.

You’re a puzzle I can’t quite complete,

Every answer feels like another retreat.

But still, I search, with hands that tremble,

Through all the pieces that refuse to assemble.

I know there’s a truth you’re afraid to confess,

A truth that would open the doors of this mess.

In the silence between us, I feel it unwind,

The threads of your past slowly twining with mine.

But will I be patient enough to endure?

Or will these untold stories forever obscure?