Novel-novel oleh Sara Briggs

"To stop you from falling in love with him".Ethan's words sat between us.For a few seconds, nobody moved.I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh. To tell me he was joking. Anything.He didn't.My eyes slowly shifted toward Jace.He looked like he'd been punched.“What does that mean?” I asked.Jace swallowed. “Sienna—”“No.” I held up a hand. “Don't Sienna me. Not this time.”Ethan sighed.“You need to hear the whole thing.”“Then start talking.”Jace stepped forward. “Ethan, don't.”Ethan looked at him.“You've kept her in the dark for three years.”Jace's jaw tightened.“I was protecting her.”“You were protecting yourself.”That hit him.I saw it.Jace looked away.My stomach twisted.“What did he do?” I asked.Neither of them answered.“Jace.”He finally looked at me.“I made a choice.”“What choice?”His voice dropped.“The night Ethan disappeared.”My heart stopped.“I already know you were there.”“No.” He shook his head. “You know part of it.”Ethan moved closer.“Jace di

Sienna stared at Coach Reynolds.For once, she had nothing clever to say.The man who had spent three years cheering from the sidelines, shaking Jace's hand after every victory, and telling him to keep his head in the game was standing in front of them like he belonged in a nightmare.Ethan moved closer to Sienna.“Don't listen to him.”Coach Reynolds smiled.“Still protecting her?”Ethan's jaw tightened.“Always.”Jace stepped forward.“You lied to me.”Coach Reynolds looked at him.“I kept you alive.”“You told me my father was dead.”“He needed to disappear.”“You told me Ethan was dead.”“I told you what you needed to believe.”Jace laughed bitterly.“That's your excuse?”“No.”Reynolds' expression hardened.“It's the truth.”Sienna held up the flash drive Marcus had given her.“You're afraid of this.”Reynolds looked at it.For the first time, his smile disappeared.“Give it to me.”“No.”“Sienna.”She took a step backward.“You said I should have stayed away from your family.”“

“Sienna! Get away from Ethan!”Sienna spun around.Her heart nearly stopped.It was Marcus.He stood in the doorway, breathing heavily, a gun hanging loosely at his side.Ethan immediately moved in front of Sienna.“Marcus.”Marcus looked at him.“You shouldn't have come back.”Ethan's jaw tightened.“I had to.”“You know what will happen.”“I don't care anymore.”Jace stepped forward.“Put the gun down.”Marcus laughed.“You still think you're the hero?”Jace's expression hardened.“I think you're pointing a gun at my girlfriend.”Sienna glanced at him.Girlfriend?Now?Seriously?Even Ethan looked at Jace.“Girlfriend?”Jace didn't take his eyes off Marcus.“Not the time.”“Definitely not the time,” Sienna muttered.Marcus's eyes moved between them.“You really have no idea what you've walked into.”Sienna stepped out from behind Ethan.“Then tell us.”Marcus stared at her.“You're just like your father.”Her expression changed.“Don't compare me to him.”“You have his stubbornness.

The gunshot tore through the gym.Sienna dropped instantly.Ethan grabbed her and pulled her behind the nearest row of seats.“Stay down!”Jace crouched beside them.“Where did it come from?”“I don't know,” Ethan whispered.Another shot cracked through the darkness.Glass shattered above them.Sienna covered her head.“Is everyone okay?”“I'm fine,” Jace said.Ethan grabbed his shoulder.“Don't move.”Jace looked at him.“I'm not taking orders from you.”“You should start.”“Three years, and that's the first thing you say to me?”“Jace!”Ethan's voice was sharp.“Not now.”A shadow moved near the entrance.Jace tensed.“Someone's coming.”Ethan looked around.“There's a back exit.”“How do you know?”“I used to train here.”“Great.”Jace grabbed Sienna's hand.“Let's go.”They crawled behind the seats.Another shot.The bullet struck the metal railing beside them.Sienna gasped.Jace pulled her closer.“You okay?”She nodded.“I'm terrified.”“Same.”“Good.”He gave her a quick smile

Sienna couldn't breathe.She stared at the photograph in Jace's father's hand.Ethan.Alive.Standing in the same black hoodie he'd always loved.Standing beside her.But the date at the bottom was yesterday.“No.”The word barely left her mouth.Her mother stepped forward.“Sienna—”“No.”She shook her head.“That isn't possible.”Jace's father watched her carefully.“Unfortunately, it is.”Sienna snatched the photograph from his hand.“Where is he?”He didn't answer.“Where is my brother?”“Sienna.”“Don't tell me to calm down!”Her voice echoed through the empty gym.She turned toward Jace's father.“You knew he was alive?”“Yes.”“How long?”“Three years.”Her knees almost buckled.Three years.Her entire life had been turned upside down while her brother was alive somewhere.“You let me believe he was dead.”“I didn't.”“You knew!”“I knew he survived.”“That is the same thing!”“No.”His voice remained calm.“You were safer believing he was dead.”Sienna laughed bitterly.“Safer

Sienna stared at the photograph.She couldn't look away.The man standing beside her mother wasn't supposed to exist.Not anymore.“Jace…”“I see him.”His voice was strangely calm.Too calm.Sienna looked at him.“You know who he is?”Jace nodded slowly.“My father's lawyer.”Her stomach dropped.“Your father's lawyer?”“Daniel Cross.”Sienna's fingers tightened around the photograph.“But Daniel died.”Jace looked at her.“Apparently, everybody in this story has.”She almost laughed.It came out as a nervous breath instead.“That's not funny.”“I know.”He took the photograph from her.On the back was a date.Three years ago.And beneath it:11:58 P.M.Jace's expression changed.“What?”“That was the night Ethan disappeared.”Sienna stared at the photograph.Her mother.Daniel Cross.The old student center.Three years ago.Everything was beginning to connect.“Why would my mother meet your father's lawyer?”“I don't know.”“You keep saying that.”“Because I'm starting to think ever