chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Glass Mask

​POV: Chloe

​The music room door rattled again, but this time, it wasn’t my father. It was Jax, and he sounded like he was about to kick the wood off the hinges.

​"Chloe! I saw you run in here. Why is the door locked?"

​I shoved Elias back. Hard. He stumbled toward the heavy velvet curtains of the stage, his eyes never leaving mine. "Hide," I mouthed. "If you ever want to see that scholarship again, stay behind that curtain."

​Elias didn’t look scared. He looked amused. He tucked my Cartier bracelet into his hoodie pocket, gave me a mock salute, and vanished into the shadows of the stage just as I turned the lock.

​I threw the door open, breathless, my heart hammering a rhythm of pure terror. "Jax! God, you scared me."

​Jax pushed past me, his eyes scanning the dusty room. He looked like a predator sensing a scent he didn't recognize. "Why was it locked, Chloe? Since when do you hide in abandoned music rooms?"

​"I wasn't hiding." I smoothed my blazer, trying to stop my hands from shaking. "I told you, I have a migraine. The lights in the hall were too bright. I just needed five minutes of silence."

​Jax stopped near the grand piano. He reached down and picked up a scrap of paper from the floor. My stomach did a slow, agonizing flip. It was a page from a notebook—Elias’s handwriting.

​"Since when do you study Advanced Calculus, babe? You’re in Lit." Jax held the paper up, his blue eyes narrowing. "This isn't yours."

​"I... I found it on the floor. I was going to throw it away." I stepped toward him, trying to distract him with a smile I didn't feel. "Can we go now? The dust in here is making it worse."

​"You're lying to me." Jax dropped the paper, stepping into my space. He wasn't the 'golden boy' right now; he was the captain of the varsity team who didn't like being played. "First the library, then the 'Confessions' app, and now you’re locked in a room with someone else’s trash. Is it him? Is the Ghost bothering you?"

​"No one is bothering me, Jax."

​"Because if he is," Jax’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous growl, "I’ll handle it. You don't have to be 'nice' to scholarship kids just because your parents want you to look charitable. He’s a parasite, Chloe. He doesn't belong in our air."

​Behind the curtain, I heard a faint, deliberate rustle. My blood turned to ice. Elias, don't you dare.

​"Let’s just go to lunch," I pleaded, grabbing Jax’s arm. "Please. I’m hungry, and I want to get away from this floor."

​Jax stared at the curtains for a long, agonizing second. I prayed Elias would stay still. I prayed the Ghost would remain a ghost. Finally, Jax sighed, pulling me into a rough side-hug. "Fine. But if I see him near you again, I’m not just going to ignore it."

​As we walked out, I didn't look back. I couldn't.

​POV: Elias

​I waited until the sound of their footsteps died out before I stepped from behind the curtain. The air in the room was still thick with Chloe’s perfume and the lingering scent of Jax’s arrogance.

​I picked up the scrap of paper Jax had dropped. Advanced Calculus. He called it trash. To him, my hard work was just something to be stepped on.

​"Parasite," I whispered, the word tasting like bile.

​I walked to the window and looked down at the courtyard. I saw them emerge—the golden couple. Jax had his arm draped over Chloe’s shoulder, a clear sign of ownership. From this high up, she looked tiny. Fragile. Like a glass doll that would shatter if I pushed just a little harder.

​My phone buzzed. It was Sarah.

​Sarah: [Attachment: Screenshot of the Confessions App]

Sarah: Everyone is talking, Chloe. If you don't shut this down at the Pep Rally today, people are going to start thinking the Ghost actually has a chance with you. Don't let a nerd ruin your image.

​I hadn't realized I was part of the school’s 'Pep Rally' plans. But as I looked at the gold bracelet in my hand, I realized I had the perfect 'shuttle' to send Chloe a message she couldn't ignore.

​The rally was the biggest social event of the semester. The entire school would be in the gym. The lights, the cameras, the noise—it was the Queen’s favorite stage.

​I headed down to the locker rooms. I didn't go to my locker; I went to the girls' side. I knew the code to the equipment room from my work-study shift. I slipped inside, the smell of floor wax and rubber heavy in the air.

​Chloe’s cheer uniform was hanging on a hook, waiting for her. It was pristine. White and navy blue, with 'ST. JUDE'S' embroidered across the chest in gold thread.

​I pulled the Cartier bracelet out of my pocket. I didn't steal the uniform. I didn't ruin it. I simply took the gold bracelet and pinned it to the inside of the navy blue skirt, right where it would rub against her skin with every step she took.

​A hidden reminder. A golden thorn.

​I left as quietly as I had come.

​POV: Chloe

​The gym was a sea of noise. The band was playing, the bleachers were shaking, and the air was hot with the smell of popcorn and body spray. This was my world. This was where I was untouchable.

​"Focus, Chloe!" Sarah barked, adjusting her ponytail in the locker room mirror. "You look distracted. People are staring."

​"I'm fine," I snapped, pulling my skirt on.

​The moment the fabric hit my hip, I felt it. Something cold. Something hard.

​I froze, my hand flying to the side of my leg. Through the thin material of the cheer skirt, I felt the unmistakable shape of diamonds and gold.

​My bracelet.

​My breath hitched. He had been in here. He had touched my clothes. The Ghost had invaded the only sanctuary I had left.

​"Chloe? You okay?" Sarah asked, looking at me through the mirror. "You look like you're going to faint."

​"I... I just snagged my skirt," I lied, my voice trembling. "Go ahead. I'll be out in a second."

​The second the door closed, I reached under my waistband. My fingers brushed the gold, the sharp edges of the diamonds biting into my skin. It was pinned there. He had pinned it right where my skin was most sensitive.

​It wasn't just a return. It was a claim.

​I'm everywhere, Chloe, it seemed to say. You can't run from me.

​I stepped out into the gym, the roar of the crowd hitting me like a physical blow. I took my place at the front of the line, right next to Jax, who was warming up with the other players.

​"Ready to shine, Princess?" Jax grinned, oblivious to the fact that I was literally wearing evidence of my 'disgusting' night under my uniform.

​"Ready," I whispered.

​The music started. We began the routine—the jumps, the cheers, the high-energy smiles. But every time I moved, every time I kicked or turned, I felt the gold bracelet scratching against my thigh. It was a rhythmic reminder of his hands, his mouth, the way he’d looked at me in the car.

​Then, I saw him.

​Elias was sitting at the very top of the bleachers, in the shadows away from the spotlights. He wasn't cheering. He wasn't looking at the game. He was looking directly at me.

​He raised a hand, his fingers mimicking the motion of a heartbeat.

​I stumbled.

​It was a small mistake—a missed beat in the routine—but in St. Jude’s, a mistake was a sin. The girls behind me hissed, and I saw Sarah’s eyes flash with fury.

​I looked back up at Elias. He wasn't smirking anymore. He was watching me with a look of pure, dark possession.