All Chapters of His To Hear, His To Hold: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

As much as I enjoyed watching Lara apologize, I was left more confused than ever.She was on drugs—strong painkillers, benzos, probably half the hospital pharmacy at this point. Maybe she was hallucinating Victor being there. Maybe it was all just a paranoid breakdown.But I fucking believe her.Victor's a psycho, and just like Lara had been thinking when I left the hospital, no one would believe her if she told them what really happened. Just like no one would believe me if I told them Victor's been stalking me. Watching me. Dreaming up fantasies about me.And now I can't even ask Lara about it. Because whether or not it happened, she's lost her goddamn mind.As Katy and I got back to school, just before the end of the period, she asked, "So do you think she tried to kill herself?""There's no fucking way," I said."So you don't think I'm stupid for thinking someone did this to her? Her CCTV was tampered with too—like, fried from the inside. My dad said it can't even be recovered.""

This school was literally a shit show. I didn't know exactly what happened, but Katy and I saw Craig being wheeled away on a stretcher, his face blue. Everyone saw it happen. Word was spreading that he collapsed in the weight room, and I would bet all the money I had that it was because of his steroids. And I wasn't the only one thinking that either. If anything, people sounded relieved. The halls even seemed brighter, like the school itself was breathing easier without him. I almost felt bad for him. Almost. "Ay, you!" Aaron's voice cut through the air. Katy and I turned as he and Walter stomped toward us. Aaron looked puffed up and furious. Walter, as usual, was just following along with a vaguely confused look on his face. "You think you're real funny, don't you?" Aaron growled. "I've been told I know my way around a joke. Glad it's finally being noticed," I said dryly. "Shut up, bitch! Craig's in the hospital and I know you did something to him!" "What the fuck are

I didn't even go inside the house before calling him. Victor was definitely somewhere nearby—I could feel that eerie heaviness again. He always made sure to keep just far enough away that I couldn't hear his thoughts unless I called out to him. Which meant now was the perfect time to test something new. The phone rang once. "Hello?" Victor answered like he'd been expecting it all day. "Want to come over?" I asked casually, stepping toward the door but glancing around just in case I caught a shadow or movement. Nothing. There was a pause. "Well, I was just around the neighborhood, so sure." Of course you were. I still didn't see him, but the feeling didn't lie. He had to be within seven feet—maybe eight. Out of view. Behind the bushes or the dumpster near the neighbor's fence, maybe. Always hiding. Always waiting. "Cool," I said. "I just got home." "Be there before you know it," he promised, sounding too eager. 'So good that she called me first. Mine. Mine. Mine.' T

After school I went straight to my mom's salon like usual. She'd texted me earlier, thanking Anne for agreeing to the photos. Ever since she posted Anne's makeover on the salon's website, the floodgates had opened. In two weeks, we were booked six months out. My mom had to hire help just to keep up with the demand. Everyone wanted to be "transformed." They wanted the Anne Treatment. Honestly? I didn't regret becoming friends with her—not like Jackie and Lara swore I would. Anne wasn't creepy or weird like people used to whisper. She was just disinterested in the fake shit. Smart, dry-humored, observant. One of the first people who didn't treat me like I was an airhead. Helping her glow up felt good. Like I'd made up for all the crap I'd been part of with my old friends. But there was still one thing in Anne's life I couldn't stomach: Victor. Sure, he was attractive in that 90s teen idol way, and he checked literally every box on the "perfect boyfriend" list. Always pulled ou

I should've just gone home. Ignored the bullshit like always. I've gotten pretty good at that. But Jackie made damn sure I wouldn't. Her loud, attention-hungry callout during the end-of-day announcements—fifteen minutes before school was over? Classic attention whore move. But then again... I'd probably want to fight me too if I were her. People had been whispering about her all day, clapping when they saw her. Must've stung. Probably made her itch to get even. So when the final bell rang, I followed the crowd outside, jaw clenched, while Katy tied my hair up into a bun behind me. "Do you have to fight Jackie?" she asked gently. "She needs to get even with me for some reason," I said. "If she wants to do it like this, I'm not about to decline." "Please don't do this. It's so asinine," Katy begged. "Tell her that. She's the one who keeps starting with me. I'm just gonna make her stop." 'Please don't let Victor get involved.' Katy was thinking. That's exactly why I was