Traitor // Short story // The Sturniolo Triplets x reader (✓)

9

i walked home the maddest i had ever been before. chris was lying—my own best friend was keeping something big from me. i had to find out what, and soon.

as i walked up to my front door, i looked back at the house and saw the smoke starting to die down. i was so grateful that no one got hurt.

i was about to turn the key to unlock my door when i saw another note wedged between the door frame. i picked it up and unfolded it.

'stop looking, you're going to get hurt.'

i started to feel myself wanting to cry, and one tear slid down. i wouldn't be so worried if i hadn't thought that chris was involved. this was going too far.

i walked into my house and ran onto my bed, gripping the bedding beside me. i was scared, and i felt like i was getting nowhere.

just then, i felt someone's arms wrap around me. i turned around and saw matt. i sat up and let myself fall into him. 'how did you get in?' i asked him.

'i came here after chris told me what happened. you still hide your key under the doormat.'

i laughed but started crying again. 'matt, chris is hiding something. i got another note telling me to stop or i was going to get hurt. what am i supposed to do?'

i looked up at him, his blue eyes sympathizing with mine. 'i'm too far into this now, i can't stop.'

he sighed. 'yeah, i know. chris has been doing the same to me and nick. sneaking out and coming back super late. something is really wrong.'

i was glad that someone understood what i thought about chris.

'what if chris is in over his head? what if he's caught up in something he can't get out of?'

matt's jaw clenched, his expression darkening. 'that's what worries me the most. if chris is involved in something dangerous, we need to find out what it is before it gets worse.'

just then, my phone buzzed on the bedside table, startling both of us. i reached for it, my heart racing, but the screen only showed a message from nick.

😽 nick 😽
'hey, where are you guys? i saw chris leave the house. something's up.'

i exchanged a worried glance with matt. 'should we follow him?' i asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

matt hesitated, then nodded. 'we have to. if chris is in trouble, we need to be there for him. but we have to be smart about this. no more running in without a plan.'

i quickly wiped my tears and stood up. 'let's go then. the sooner we figure this out, the better.'

as we quietly slipped out of the house, the streets were eerily quiet, the only sound our footsteps echoing as we hurried to catch up with chris. whatever was going on, i was determined to get to the bottom of it—no matter what it took.

we stayed close to the shadows, following chris at a distance. the night was thick with tension, every sound amplified by our nerves. chris was moving quickly, his steps purposeful, and i could tell he was heading somewhere specific—somewhere important.

as we neared the edge of town, the streets became less familiar. chris finally stopped in front of an old, abandoned warehouse, its windows shattered and walls covered in graffiti. my heart pounded as i watched him glance around cautiously before slipping inside.

'are you sure about this?' i whispered to matt, my voice trembling slightly.

he nodded, his eyes fixed on the warehouse. 'we have to see what he's up to. but stay close, okay?'

we crept forward, careful to avoid making any noise. the door chris had used was slightly ajar, and i carefully pushed it open, holding my breath as it creaked ominously. inside, the air was musty and thick with dust, the only light coming from the dim moonlight filtering through the broken windows.

chris was already deep inside, moving toward a group of shadowy figures gathered near the back of the warehouse. we crouched behind a stack of old crates, straining to hear the conversation.

'did you get rid of the evidence?' one of the figures asked in a low, gravelly voice.

chris nodded, but i could see the tension in his posture. 'yeah, but it's getting harder to keep this quiet. people are starting to ask questions.'

'that's your problem, not ours,' another figure replied coldly. 'you made a deal, chris. if you can't hold up your end, there will be consequences.'

my stomach dropped as i realized the gravity of the situation. chris was in deep—too deep. and now, so were we.

matt's hand gripped my arm, his face pale with shock. 'we need to get out of here,' he whispered urgently. 'now.'

but just as we started to move, one of the figures turned in our direction. 'what was that?' he barked, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness.

we froze, holding our breath as the figure moved closer. matt's hand tightened on mine, ready to bolt if necessary.

but then, just as the figure was about to reach our hiding spot, chris stepped forward, drawing their attention back to him. 'it's nothing,' chris said quickly, his voice calm but his eyes darting nervously. 'probably just a rat.'

the figure stared at him for a long moment before finally nodding and turning away. 'fine. but remember, chris—this is your last chance.'

chris swallowed hard, and i could see the fear in his eyes as he nodded. the group started to disperse, and as soon as they were out of sight, we bolted from the warehouse, our hearts racing.

when we were finally a safe distance away, we stopped to catch our breath, our minds spinning. 'chris... he's in serious trouble, matt,' i gasped, the reality of what we'd witnessed sinking in.

matt ran a hand through his hair, his face a mix of anger and worry. 'i know. we need to help him, but we can't do this alone. we have to tell nick. and we need a plan—because whatever chris is involved in, it's way bigger than we thought.'

i nodded, my resolve hardening. 'we'll figure it out. but first, we have to get chris out of this mess—before it's too late.'