Welcome back to Seacrest, Are you ready for more?
Volume 2 of the Heartbreak High series.
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Lucas is back in business, picking up to shattered pieces of his life as a new year dawn's on Seacrest bringing about new challenges, new romance and even...
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The small interrogation room is oppressively quiet, save for the ticking of a clock somewhere in the distance. I sit with my arms crossed, my face carefully neutral. They're trying to get a rise out of me, to catch me off guard, but I'm not giving them anything.
The officer, a middle-aged guy with thinning hair and an air of exhaustion, flips open a folder in front of him. He scans it briefly before looking up at me. "It's Amaya Scott, right?"
I don't even flinch. My voice is steady, sharp. "It's just Maya."
He raises an eyebrow, but I don't let it phase me. I've dealt with guys like him before-people who think they can intimidate you with just a look or a tone. But I'm not the same girl I used to be. The one who would've fumbled for the right words, who would've tried to be polite. That girl's long gone.
"Alright, Maya," he says, leaning back in his chair like he's trying to appear casual. "We just need to ask you a few questions, get your side of things. You understand how this works."
I nod slightly, but my eyes stay locked on him, unblinking. "I know how it works."
He glances at the other officer in the room, who's been silent up until now. Then he looks back at me, clearly trying to gauge how cooperative I'm going to be. "We know you were there. We know you saw what happened. This isn't about getting you in trouble-we just want to understand."
The room feels colder somehow, and I tighten my grip on my arms, leaning back in my chair. "I don't have anything to say."
He lets out a sigh, one of those long, exasperated ones, like he's trying to show me how patient he's being. "Look, Maya, you don't have to protect anyone. The best thing you can do right now is tell us what you know."
My jaw tightens, but I keep my voice calm. "I'm not protecting anyone. I told you, I don't have anything to say."
The detective taps his pen against the table, frustration flickering across his face. He's used to people cracking, to them spilling everything the moment they're under pressure. But I've been through worse than this. I've had my world torn apart, and I've had to put it back together piece by piece. Compared to that, this is nothing.
After a long pause, he finally speaks again, his voice softer this time, almost sympathetic. "You don't have to go through this alone, Maya. We're here to help."
I let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah? Well, I don't need your help."
He opens his mouth to respond, but I cut him off, my tone leaving no room for argument. "Are we done here? Because I've got nothing else to say."
For a moment, he just stares at me, like he's trying to figure out if I'm bluffing. But I meet his gaze head-on, my expression set, unyielding. Finally, he sighs again, nodding toward the door. "Alright, Maya. We're done for now."
I stand up, not bothering to look back as I head for the door. I can feel their eyes on me, waiting for me to crack, to show some sign of weakness. But I'm not giving them that satisfaction. Not today. Not ever.
