Part Seven: Tangled in the Game
Days turned into weeks, and the invisible thread between Nick and Annarosé grew stronger. They were now more than project partners—they had become close friends. Nick found himself waiting for her messages, watching for her smile in the hallways, and protecting her in ways she never even noticed.
But Ethan was never far behind.
He had a way of slipping into conversations at just the right time, leaning casually against a wall, his smile as dangerous as it was charming. One afternoon, when Annarosé was searching for her notebook in class, Ethan swooped in before Nick could even move.
"Looking for this?" he asked, holding her notebook in his hand. He must have picked it up earlier.
Annarosé looked surprised. "Oh—yes! Thank you."
Ethan leaned closer, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "Careful, Annarosé. You might lose something more important than just your notebook someday."
Her cheeks warmed at the intensity of his tone, though she didn't quite understand why.
Nick, sitting nearby, watched the scene unfold. His fists tightened under the desk. He hated the way Ethan looked at her—like she was just another one of his games.
Later that evening, as Nick and Annarosé walked out of school together, he finally spoke.
"You shouldn't trust Ethan too much," he said carefully.
Annarosé frowned. "You've said that before. Why do you hate him so much?"
Nick's jaw clenched. "Because I know him. He doesn't care about anyone. He just… takes what he wants."
Annarosé was silent, unsure how to respond. Ethan hadn't done anything wrong yet, but Nick's seriousness unsettled her.
That night, lying in bed, Nick stared at the ceiling, restless. His heart pounded as he admitted to himself what he had been denying for weeks.
I love her.
The realization both thrilled and terrified him. But even as those words echoed in his mind, a darker fear crept in—Ethan was already weaving his trap, and Annarosé might not see it until it was too late...