Can You Keep A Secret?

14. Ava

Patience was never my strong suit. I hated to wait, but here I was, back in the very house I never thought I'd visit again. It's funny how mystery works; you never seem to know what it has in store for you. My fingers skim through the shelf filled with useless books and perfumes. My hand lands on a particular book that catches my eye, but before I can delve into it, the door shuts and I turn to see his piercing green eyes.

"It's about time. What did you pick me for? I don't have time to waste," I say with a hint of annoyance. Liam locks the door behind him, his focus solely on me.

Mystery sure had a funny way of keeping things unpredictable, I must add.

"I would ask how you're doing, but let's be real, I don't care." He says with a smirk. As much as I hated to admit it, Liam was part of the Elite. But he was not part of our group, a line we refused to cross. We were a tight-knit group of girls, created by the one and only Sylvie.

Being back in this manor brought back memories I'd rather forget. Memories that I didn't want to resurface. It was the last thing I needed. What I wanted was a distraction, something to keep me occupied and give me a purpose. After all, it had been a while since I let myself have some fun. Sylvie was one of the few who understood me and put up with my antics. They say bad people only choose themselves, and I couldn't agree more. Our idea of fun involved bullying and messing with people's minds. Not in a literal sense, but we enjoyed seeing others suffer for our amusement.

"Have you done what I asked?" I asked, taking a seat on the edge of his bed, crossing my legs and pushing my arms back. His response was sharp and biting, reminding me that he didn't take orders from me. But I wasn't one to back down.

"Who says you're taking orders from me?" I replied with an innocent expression, trying to play it cool. He moved to block my view of the bookshelf, clearly not in the mood for games.

"Are you here to play or to have fun?" he slides his hands in his pocket. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten yet. I had no desire to sit down and have a meal with my picture-perfect family, especially after threatening my stepmother, or as I liked to call her, step-monster. But I needed something from her, and I wasn't above using her if it benefited me.

"Why don't we have breakfast and then talk?" I suggested, standing up and stretching my body. I made my way to the door, ready to leave, but Liam presses his body against mine, trapping me.

"That's not going to work," I managed to say, feeling the pressure against my back. He released me and spun me around, pinning me to the door. "I'll ask one last time since you seem to be deaf: What are you doing here?" His expression was deadly, meant to intimidate and strike fear in others. But to me, it was just a silly challenge.

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you," I say, leaning in closer to him. I whisper the name of the person whose room is next to his. "Serena." He drops his hand and we lock eyes. "What about her?" he asks. "Don't you remember the agreement we made with the group?" I remind him, hoping he'll see reason. He remains calm and composed. I notice the slighest slip in his expression. "Oh, did you think I would threaten to expose your secret?" I tease. His expression turns serious for a moment. "You know I would never do that," I say, placing a hand over my heart in a mock promise.

"I'm handling the situation with her," he tells me, ignoring my act. I turn serious, looking him in the eye. "You're taking too long to do what I asked," I say firmly. "She's not someone that trusts easily. It's going to take time," he states. I knew he would say this. I was prepared to hear disappointment, but I couldn't give up yet.

"But I thought you wanted her gone too," I say, trying to push him towards my plan, in hopes of cornering him.

"I said I didn't care," he corrects me. "Tomato, tomahto. I'll handle it," I say confidently. If I had to take on his role, I would.