By the time school ended, I was operating on pure adrenaline.
The message still echoed in my head You should've stayed in your lane. It wasn't just threatening anymore. It was personal.
I wasn't sure what "lane" I was supposed to stay in, but whoever this was, they clearly didn't like that Ethan and I were together. The question now was why.
As Ethan walked me to the parking lot, I could feel the tension in his body. He was usually easygoing, cracking jokes or tossing his keys in the air, but not today. Today, he was seriously focused.
"Meet me at the café at six?" he asked, brushing his knuckles against mine. "We'll go over everything. I have a friend who might help us."
I nodded. "Okay. But be careful. If Alexis is behind this…"
"I'll handle her," he said, jaw tightening.
I wasn't sure whether that comforted me or scared me more.
After dinner, I told my mom I was meeting a friend to study. Technically not a lie. Studying the chaos in my life counted, right?
The café was dim and cozy, the kind of place where soft jazz played and college students hunched over laptops. Ethan was already there, tucked into a corner booth with a laptop open and two coffees on the table. My chest fluttered just seeing him.
"I got your favorite," he said as I slid into the seat across from him.
"You barely know me," I teased, wrapping my fingers around the warm cup.
"I pay attention."
I sipped and blinked at the surprising accuracy. Vanilla, cinnamon, and just the right amount of milk. It wasn't just the drink that warmed me.
"So," I asked, glancing at the laptop. "What are we doing?"
He turned the screen toward me. "My friend Zach runs a tech blog and hacks for fun. He gave me a way to trace the number. It's not easy, but he thinks he can pin down the general area it's coming from."
"Did he find anything yet?"
Ethan's lips pressed into a line. "The last ping was from right around school. But get this, every message has been sent using a third-party app that spoofs numbers."
I frowned. "So, it's someone tech-savvy."
"Exactly."
We sat in silence for a moment, the buzz of the café a distant hum. Then I asked the question that had been needling me all day.
"Why would Alexis go this far? I mean, it's been months, right?"
Ethan leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "It wasn't just a breakup for her. It was humiliation. She was used to getting what she wanted, and when I pulled away… she didn't take it well."
"What happened?"
He hesitated. "She accused me of cheating. Said I broke her trust, ruined her reputation. She spread rumors about me, turned some of the team against me."
My eyes widened. "Did you?"
"No," he said firmly. "I ended it because she was manipulative. Controlling. And honestly… cruel. I didn't want to be that guy anymore. The one who lets someone control his life."
The rawness in his voice surprised me. I reached across the table and touched his hand. "You're not that guy. Not with me."
His fingers curled around mine. "You make me want to be better, Scarlet."
My throat tightened, and for a moment, everything else, the texts, the threats, the fear, faded.
But only for a moment.
The café door swung open, and the chilly night air swept in along with a girl I hadn't seen in months.
Cassidy.
Cassidy Morris. Former head cheerleader. Queen bee. Alexis's closest friend.
She locked eyes with me, her lips curling in an almost-smirk before turning away and heading to the counter.
My pulse spiked.
"Is it just me," I whispered, "or is this starting to feel like a trap?"
Ethan followed my gaze and stiffened. "Cassidy and Alexis used to be inseparable. But they had a falling out not long after we broke up. Cassidy started hanging out with new people."
"And now she's here. Coincidence?"
He shook his head. "Not likely."
My phone buzzed.
I didn't even want to look. But I did.
You're getting warmer.
I swallowed hard and showed Ethan.
"That's it," he said, voice steely. "We're not playing defense anymore."
Back at home, I locked my bedroom door and sat cross-legged on my bed, my laptop open and a notebook beside me. If I couldn't trust anyone else, I could trust myself. I started making a list of names, connections, and patterns.
Alexis. Cassidy. The hockey team. My classmates. Who knew enough about Ethan to twist things?
Halfway through, I remembered something. Back in sophomore year, there had been a scandal where someone hacked into the school system and leaked grade files. It was traced back to someone in the AV club. Suspended, never officially named.
What if the same person was behind this?
Another ping from my phone.
But this time, it wasn't a text.
It was a video.
My stomach dropped as I tapped to play it.
The footage was grainy, shot through a partially cracked door. Ethan was standing in what looked like the locker room, tense, pacing. Another figure stood across from him. A girl. Tall. Blonde.
Alexis.
Her voice came through faintly: "She doesn't belong in your world, Ethan. You know that."
His response: "Stay out of this, Alexis. I'm serious."
Her laugh was sharp. "You think you're different now? You're not. You're still the same selfish jerk who broke me."
The video cut off.
I sat frozen, breath caught in my throat.
What was this? A warning? A trap?
Then the second message came.
Still think you can trust him?
I stared at the screen, a thousand thoughts crashing like waves. Was this real? Recent? Staged?
The next morning, I didn't talk to Ethan before school. I couldn't. Not until I knew the truth.
But he found me at my locker anyway.
"Hey," he said softly. "Something's wrong. I can feel it."
I looked at him, holding back tears. "I got another message. A video. Of you and Alexis."
His expression didn't even flicker. "Show me."
I did.
He watched it in silence. Then looked at me. "That was last week. She ambushed me after practice. I told her to leave me alone. That's all."
"You didn't think to mention it?"
"I was trying to protect you. I didn't want to give her more power than she already had."
I wanted to be mad. I wanted to scream. But I couldn't. Because part of me still believed him.
And that part, the trusting, terrified part, was growing stronger by the day.
"I don't know who to believe anymore," I whispered.
"Then believe what you feel," he said, stepping closer. "Because what we have? It's real."
And despite everything, I did.
But the truth?
Someone was trying to tear us apart.
And they weren't done yet.