CAMPBELLS VS. THORNTONS

CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2

The road stretched out ahead of us, the dull hum of the car engine the only sound between Caleb and me. The silence felt heavier than usual, pressing down on my chest. I tried to shake off the feeling, but it clung to me, stubbornly refusing to let go.

"What do you think the deal's about?" I finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable quiet.

Caleb didn't answer right away. He kept his eyes on the road, his jaw clenched tight. The way his hands gripped the steering wheel told me he was thinking hard about something, probably the same thing I was, but he didn't want to voice it yet.

I stared out the window, watching the trees blur past as we drove. Had I made a mistake by letting Trent and his family come tonight? Probably. But what choice did I really have? If I hadn't given them permission, they would've found another way in. The Thorntons didn't play by the rules.

"I mean, if I hadn't said they could come, they still would've," I continued, more to myself than Caleb. "I'd rather let them think they were welcomed into our home instead of them just breaking in. Imagine everyone at school hearing that the Thorntons had to break into the Campbells' house. That would be terrible for the Campbell name."

Caleb's grip on the wheel tightened even further, his knuckles going white. He finally turned to me, his eyes flashing with frustration.

"You're still thinking about the Campbell name?" he growled, the words laced with a sharp edge. "Are you serious right now, Cristine?"

"Look at the road," I warned, my voice rising slightly. His anger was starting to get the better of him, and the last thing we needed was to crash.

But he didn't. Caleb kept his eyes locked on mine, ignoring the stretch of road ahead. His gaze bore into me, like he was trying to will me into seeing things his way. "Imagine they don't want a deal, Cristine. Imagine they're coming to start a fight. What then? They could hurt you, Cindy, Mom, Dad... your parents. And you just handed them the invitation to walk right in. At least if you hadn't done that—"

BANG!

The sound echoed through the air, sharp and violent, jerking me out of the conversation. Caleb slammed on the brakes, sending us both lurching forward. My heart hammered in my chest, and for a split second, I couldn't breathe.

"What the hell was that?" Caleb's voice was tight with shock as he threw the car into park.

I didn't wait for an answer. I threw open the passenger door and jumped out, rushing to the front of the car. My stomach dropped the moment I saw what—or rather, who—we had hit.

Trent Thornton lay sprawled across the pavement, blood seeping from a nasty dent in his forehead. His body was twisted in a way that was definitely not natural, his legs bent awkwardly beneath him. His face was pale, almost lifeless. I froze, my mind racing, trying to make sense of the scene in front of me.

"Oh, my God..." I whispered, taking a shaky step forward.

Behind me, Caleb cursed under his breath, joining me at the front of the car. We stood there, side by side, watching in silence. Moments passed, each one feeling like an eternity, and then something incredible—or maybe horrifying—happened. Trent's body began to mend itself, his skin knitting back together, the blood disappearing, the dent in his head smoothing out as if it had never been there. It was as if time itself had reversed, undoing the damage with supernatural precision.

Finally, Trent pushed himself to his feet, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a look of pure fury.

"You did that on purpose," he spat, his voice low and venomous.