Rule #2: When in doubt, lie better. And I was definitely in doubt.
I didn't stop running until the hallway emptied into silence. I ducked into the nearest door without looking—somewhere dark, somewhere quiet. My heart was sprinting, even if my legs weren't anymore.
Empty classroom. No lights. No voices. Just me and my panic.
I pulled out my phone, hands trembling.
Blocked the number. Deleted the texts. Wished I could do the same with my past.
But then—click.
The door behind me shut.
I froze.
Someone was in the room. Worse: someone had locked the door.
"Not a fan of good mornings?" His voice was smooth, low. Killian.
I turned slowly, pulse thundering in my ears. He stepped out of the shadows like he belonged there, like this was his stage, and I'd just walked straight into the script.
"Did you follow me?" I asked, voice sharper than my spine felt.
He tilted his head. "You ran. I got curious."
"You always stalk girls into dark rooms, or am I just special?"
He grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You're definitely something."
Silence stretched. Thick. Tense. Electric.
"Why are you really here?" I asked.
"Why are you really here?" he shot back.
I blinked.
He stepped closer, just once. Not touching me. Just… closing in. "You think you're invisible, Ava. But I see through people. It's a gift."
"No," I whispered. "It's a threat."
He smiled. "Depends who you're hiding from."
I should've walked out. I should've screamed, pushed, something. But my feet didn't move, and neither did his eyes.
"Who sent the texts?" I asked.
"I was wondering the same thing," he said. "Because it wasn't me."
My heart flipped.
He held up his phone, showing the same message. Word for word. Same number. Same time.
"Looks like we've both got a stalker," he said. "And whoever it is… they're playing with both of us."
We stared at each other. And in that moment, I knew two things:
1. I couldn't trust Killian Blake.
2. I might have to.