LyraThe crowd’s voices rose around us like waves crashing against my ears.“Say yes! Say yes!” they chanted, their phones lifted, lights blinking like tiny stars pointed at me. I stood frozen in the middle of it all, the noise blurring into one endless roar. My chest squeezed so tightly I could barely breathe. I didn’t know how to smile, how to move, how to react. My legs felt locked into the ground.And then… I saw him.His smile stretched wide, blinding almost, his dimples deepening, his eyes shimmering with a hope that reached straight for my chest. For a heartbeat, I thought maybe I could believe in that smile.But then, like a cruel trick of my mind, the image shifted. His teeth, sharp, dripping. His mouth painted in red. His hands stained, his face shadowed with blood. The night I’d seen him in that form came rushing back like a nightmare replaying itself in front of me.I squeezed my eyes shut. My body trembled. My stomach churned.“I… I can’t do this.”The words broke from my
LyraHis pupils dilated as he looked at me, the kind of dilation people say happens when someone is in love. The thought hit me like a lightning strike. Could it be…? Could Nick, the almighty, untouchable, hottest guy in school, actually be in love with me?No. That can’t be real. How? Why me?“Don’t keep me waiting,” he said, his voice softer now, but firm enough to send a shiver through me. His hand was stretched out, palm open, waiting for mine. His lips curled into a smile that touched his eyes this time, not the usual smug smirk but something warmer, gentler. “Will you?” he asked again, patiently, like the entire store had fallen away and only my answer mattered.I didn’t know when my cheeks heated, but the warmth spread until I was sure I was glowing red. My lips trembled, curving into a smile I couldn’t hold back. A date wouldn’t hurt, right? I’d never even been on one before. This would be my first. And despite everything I knew about him, despite all the reasons I should have
Lyra“Say it. Say that you’re in love with me.”The words left Nick’s lips like a command, heavy, sharp, slicing straight into my chest. My breath caught, my throat closed, and before I could stop myself, I shoved him back.“Stop this!” I shouted, my voice shaking so badly it betrayed me. My lips trembled as I said it, and I hated that he could see how rattled I was.Nick stood there, his tall frame looming in the dim streetlight, his jaw tight. And then, he scoffed. A small, mocking sound that made my blood boil.“Why are you scoffing?” I snapped, glaring at him.“Nothing,” he said flatly, his eyes dark but his tone strangely calm. He raked his fingers through his hair like he was tired of fighting me. “Since you want me to stay away from you… fine. I’ll do it. When your heart is ready, come find me.”And just like that, he turned and walked away.I stood frozen, staring after him, my fists trembling. My chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths. What? Didn’t he say he was going
Lyra“Nick… what the heck are you doing?”The words stumbled out of me, muffled against his palm. His hand was still pressed firmly over my mouth, shutting me up, his other arm wrapped around me as if I might vanish if he let go. I jerked back, glaring, my pulse hammering with equal parts fury and fear.He didn’t answer. He shoved open the stall door with his shoulder and dragged me inside. My back hit the cold wall, and panic spiked through me. Reflex kicked in before reason, I bit his hand hard.He hissed, jerking back, his jaw clenching as his fingers loosened. I bolted toward the door, but his grip found my shoulder and yanked me back. Pain shot through me, sharp and white-hot.“Ouch!” I cried, spinning around, my face twisted in pain as my free hand gripped my shoulder. My eyes burned with tears of anger. I glared at him like I could rip him apart with my bare hands. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you here?” My voice cracked, loud and raw, bouncing off the tiled walls.
LyraThe moment his hand steadied me, the moment his voice broke through the chaos, “You’re okay, babe?” I felt my whole chest tighten.And that was exactly why I pulled away.I stepped back sharply, tearing myself from his warmth, from the way he held me like I was the only thing that mattered. “Don’t touch me again,” I said, my voice firmer than I actually felt. My cheeks burned, betraying me, because the truth was, I had blushed when he called me babe. My heart had skipped when he came for me, right on time, like some unshakable force who knew when I needed him most.But I couldn’t let him see any of that.He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, wide-eyed, like he was trying to read me, to memorize me. His expression was awe, confusion, something deeper I couldn’t bring myself to name.“I’ll handle it myself,” I snapped, folding my arms tight across my chest like armor. My eyes avoided his, staring anywhere but at him. “We don’t have anything together. Stay out of this. This
LyraThe words Mirae whispered to me earlier kept repeating in my head, echoing like a curse I couldn’t silence.“Stay away from him.”The way she said it, her eyes sharp, her lips pressed tight like she was holding back more than she dared to share, left my chest hollow. My steps felt heavy as we crossed the campus gates, students buzzing around us with laughter and chatter, but none of it reached me.I hadn’t said a word since.Mirae’s hand pressed against my shoulder, squeezing gently as we walked. “Why have you been so quiet? What’s going on in that head of yours?”I wanted to ask. God, I wanted to beg her for every detail. How did she see him? What exactly was he doing? Even with what I saw I still wanted to believe he's not a killer. My tongue itched with the questions, but I bit them back. My chest ached with restraint.Before I could find words, she cut in again. “If you’re worried about me telling the police about him…” She sighed, her voice soft but firm. “…I won’t.”I fro