Sebastian called just before we were about to head out. His voice was low, serious.
"Hey, Mia. I'm heading over to Andrew's place. You and Zaire can keep pressing for evidence at Hannah's. I'll meet you later."
I hesitated. "Are you sure? You think we'll find anything else at her house?"
"We have to try, right?"
He wasn't wrong. We had to keep pushing, even if this whole situation felt like walking blindfolded in a minefield. "Okay. Be careful," I muttered, hanging up.
Zaire was waiting outside, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, looking unusually tense. We walked together in silence toward Hannah's mansion, the weight of everything around us pressing down. After a few moments, Zaire glanced sideways at me.
"So... are you and Sebastian a thing now?" His voice was hesitant, like he wasn't sure he wanted the answer.
I blinked at the question, surprised by it. "What? No, we're not... a 'thing.' Why would you think that?"
Zaire scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't know. He's always around you, helping, comforting you when everyone else was being a jerk—especially Sue. It's just... I don't know, seems like he's more than just a friend."
I sighed. "Sebastian's been great. He believed me when no one else did. He's understanding, he's been there for me, but..." I paused, choosing my words carefully. "Saying I love him... that's a very strong statement. I'm not ready to come to any conclusions like that. But I do care about him."
Zaire nodded slowly, seeming to absorb my words. I caught a glimpse of something behind his eyes, but before I could figure it out, he gave a small smile. "Alright, fair enough. Just... wanted to know."
We reached the wall surrounding the Frosts' mansion, the towering structure casting long shadows in the evening light. Zaire turned to me, concern flickering across his face. "You sure about this? Sneaking into their property? We could get into serious trouble, Mia."
I gave him a determined look. "We don't have a choice. If there's something here that can help us understand what happened to Hannah, we need to find it."
Zaire sighed, clearly torn but not about to argue. "Alright, but let's be quick. We've been watching the Frosts' schedule for days, and they won't be home for a while."
He helped me over the wall, his hands firm as he boosted me up. We both dropped into the garden quietly, crouching low as we scanned the area. The garden was eerily quiet, the soft rustle of leaves the only sound breaking the silence. For the next hour, we combed through every inch of the grounds, looking for anything—footprints, hidden clues, anything that might tell us more about what happened to her. But it was as if Hannah had vanished without leaving a trace.
"I'm starting to think we're wasting our time out here," Zaire said after a while, brushing dirt off his hands.
I chewed on my lip, my mind racing. "Maybe we're looking in the wrong place. We need to check her room."
Zaire looked hesitant. "Mia, we can't just—"
"I'm going up," I said firmly, already heading toward the tree that leaned dangerously close to her window.
He sighed but followed me, clearly not wanting to leave me on my own. We climbed the tree, careful with each movement until we reached the second floor. I slipped inside first, the air in Hannah's room feeling stale, like it hadn't been touched since the day she disappeared. Zaire followed, moving soundlessly.
We searched quietly, our eyes scanning every corner, every drawer. Nothing seemed out of place. I was starting to think we wouldn't find anything when something caught my eye—a small piece of paper, barely sticking out from beneath her mattress. I pulled it out, my heart racing.
It was a note. The handwriting was messy, rushed.
_"Meet me where it started. Don't make me wait."_
Zaire leaned over my shoulder, reading the note too. "What the hell does that mean?" he whispered.
My mind was spinning. Where it started? My breath quickened. What if this was related to the drugs we'd heard whispers about? Or something worse?
Before we could process further, I heard a distant sound—the unmistakable noise of a car pulling up. Panic surged through me. The Frosts were home. My heart pounded in my chest, and I exchanged a frantic look with Zaire.
"We need to go, now!" I hissed, rushing to the window.
But it was too late. The front door slammed shut downstairs, and voices drifted up. Footsteps echoed through the house, growing louder.
Then, we heard it—an argument. Mr. and Mrs. Frost were yelling, and my stomach twisted.
"How could we not know?" Mrs. Frost's voice was shrill, filled with disbelief. "Our daughter was dealing drugs at school? How did it come to this?"
Zaire's eyes went wide. I turned to him, my breath shallow, fear clawing at my insides. Before I could react, a potted plant near the window teetered dangerously close to the edge. We both lunged for it, but it slipped just enough to make a sharp sound as it hit the floor.
We froze.
The footsteps downstairs stopped. Then, I heard Mrs. Frost's voice, tense and suspicious. "Did you hear that?"
"I'm sure it was nothing," Mr. Frost replied.
But Mrs. Frost wasn't convinced. Her footsteps started up again, growing louder as she made her way upstairs.
"Shit," I whispered under my breath, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Zaire grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the closet. We slid inside, the cramped space forcing us to huddle together. Zaire pressed a hand over my mouth, his own breath shallow. We didn't dare move. My heart was thudding so hard I was sure she'd hear it. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying we wouldn't be found.
Mrs. Frost's footsteps paused right outside the door.
I could hear her breathing. I could feel Zaire holding his breath beside me. For what felt like an eternity, she stood there. I clenched my fists, silently begging for her to leave.
Just as I thought she was going to open the door, Mr. Frost's voice called from downstairs. "It's probably just a damn raccoon!"
She hesitated, then finally turned and walked away. Zaire and I both let out shaky breaths, trying not to collapse from relief.
Zaire pulled his hand from my mouth, his eyes still wide. "That was too close."
"Way too close," I whispered, my body trembling.
He gave me a serious look, his voice low but steady. "Nothing is going to happen to you on my watch, Mia. I promise."
I didn't know what to say, but his words sank deep, giving me a momentary sense of safety.
We waited a few more minutes until we were sure they were gone, then carefully snuck out of the house, climbing back over the wall as quickly as we could.
---
When we finally made it to the café, Sebastian was already sitting at a table, looking at us with raised eyebrows.
"Did you guys get caught or something? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Zaire gave a small chuckle, but the tension between us didn't fade. We sat down, and I recounted everything—finding the note, the argument we overheard.
Sebastian leaned in, his expression darkening. "Drugs? You think this could all be tied to something bigger?"
Zaire shrugged. "Maybe. But one thing's for sure... this is only getting messier."
Whatever we had gotten ourselves into, it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.