- Zade Collins:
I shut Blake's door behind me, his "me too" still ringing in my head. Liar. I could tell he didn't mean it. Not yet.
I ran a hand through my damp hair as I made my way back toward my room. The hallways felt colder now. Bigger. Or maybe I just felt small. As I turned the corner near the staircase, I caught sight of Ben.
Ben, my mom's shadow. Her most loyal servant. He'd been with us since I was a kid. Always standing silently by her side. Always watching.
I didn't think. I just reacted.
"Ben!" He flinched slightly. I didn't care. I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward my room.
"Zade—what are you—?"
"Just come." Once inside, I locked the door. He stood in the middle of my room, stiff and confused, like he wasn't sure whether to be scared or annoyed. I didn't give him a choice.
I pulled the V-shaped pin from my pocket and held it out.
"Look." For a second, he didn't move. Just stared. Then his eyes widened. And then—he exploded. "Where did you find this?!"
His voice cracked. His whole body jolted forward like he was about to grab the pin. I stepped back instinctively.
I laughed. I couldn't help it. His panic made no sense. "In the pool. Why? You tell me." He looked at me, breathless. Like I'd just shown him a ticking bomb.
"You and Uncle Landon used to tell me stories about the Thief V. Remember? Growing up? All those bedtime stories you used to think were real? Guess they weren't just stories, huh?"
Ben's face changed. That was when I knew. He was hiding something.
"It's nothing," he said flatly, shaking his head. "Just stories."
"Sure."
"I'm serious, Zade."
"Then why are you freaking out?" I raised the pin higher. The silver glinted in the sunlight slipping through my window. "This is real."
He hesitated. I caught that hesitation. "Ben."
"It's nothing."
"Ben." He looked me dead in the eye. "Don't show this to your mother."
I frowned. "Why not?"
"Because I said so."
"That's not an answer."
He stepped forward, hand out. "Give it to me."
I took a step back. "Nope. Finders keepers."
He sighed. Loud. Angry. Like a parent too tired to keep arguing with a stubborn kid. "Just… keep it hidden. Don't let Rina see it. And don't tell her I told you anything about V."
I blinked.
"You're serious?"
"Dead serious."
"Why?"
"I don't want to get in trouble."
I scoffed. "Trouble? For what? Telling me bedtime stories?"
He didn't answer right away. "For telling her favorite son stories about bandits"
"I thought the Thief V was a hero," I said carefully, watching him. "You told me he wasn't just some criminal. You said he was a doctor. A surgeon. You said he stole to help people. You said he gave back to the poor. A good guy."
Ben's jaw tightened. "Things change."
"Things don't just change, Ben. Stories don't change."
"They do when your mother's involved."
And with that, he turned toward the door. I called after him. "Ben. Bandits? Really? You told me he was a legend."
But he was gone. I stood there in the silence of my room, the V pin cold in my hand. I stared at it for a long time.
Then, carefully, I rolled it up in an old receipt lying on my desk. I walked to my trophy shelf—the one cluttered with medals, cups, certificates from races, competitions, school tournaments—and wedged the small, paper-wrapped pin inside one of the cups. It vanished like it'd never existed.
Satisfied, but still confused, I headed to the bathroom. The shower felt good. Needed. I changed into fresh clothes—a simple t-shirt and joggers. Comfortable. Normal.
But nothing about today felt normal. As I headed back toward Blake's room, my stomach twisted. I didn't know why. Until I opened the door. And saw them.
Chris, leaning casually against the dresser, arms folded, a smug grin on her face.
And my mom. I froze. Chris looked up at me and laughed. "Oh, look who's back. Big hero." Her voice dripped sarcasm.
"What?" I asked flatly.
She tilted her head, smiling wider. "Let me guess. Running around with the dogs was just your genius plan to welcome him, right? I love you for that big brother."
I blinked. "What?"
She laughed harder. "Come on, Zade. Don't pretend. Great way to push this whale into our pool on his first day here. I heard he couldn't even get out of the pool alone." My stomach sank. ''Very funny, Chris." Blake would never believe I would do such a thing to him.
I glared at her. "Leave." Chris just raised an eyebrow, but when I stepped forward, she rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the dresser. "Whatever. Have fun with your charity project."
She slipped out of the room. But my mom stayed. She stepped closer. Her perfume hit me first—sharp, floral, suffocating.
"My poor baby," she said softly, pressing a kiss to my cheek. Her hand smoothed over my shoulder. "I heard you had to carry him out of the pool. Is your back okay?"
I pulled away from her. "Mom. Please." She frowned. "I'm just worried about you. Listing someone as heavy as a whale couldn't be easy."
"Leave us alone." Her expression cooled instantly. Cold as ice. Without another word, she turned and left, closing the door behind her.
I stood there, breathing hard. Every time I thought maybe she wouldn't act like this, she proved me wrong.
I turned around. And froze. Blake was sitting on the bed. His eyes locked on me. And the way he looked at me— I felt it like a slap.
Betrayal.
Hurt.
"Blake…"
He cut me off before I could speak. "So," he said softly. "You planned this? To make fun of me?" His voice cracked at the end. Not angry. Just… broken.
And that broke something in me. The damage was done. And suddenly, I didn't know how to fix it.