"𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞."
Lou Johnston and Eddy "Boone" Higgins, two former best friends whose paths diverged after high school. Now, years later, they find themselves inexplicably draw...
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The barn creaked in the sudden quiet that followed Boone's words, everyone absorbing the weight of what he'd just said. Even the wind outside seemed to have stilled, leaving us to stew in our own thoughts. The light coming through the slats in the walls had a strange, muted glow-like the storm hadn't fully decided whether to leave us alone or circle back.
Dexter broke the silence first, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against one of the support beams. "You think that guy's been after us since the start?"
Boone nodded, his jaw clenched. "He didn't just run us off the road for kicks. There's more to it. Way more."
My mind kept drifting back to those last moments-his voice, the way he'd snarled our names like he'd been following us for a while. But for what reason? What could we have done to warrant that kind of hatred?
Jase stepped forward, his brow furrowed as he looked between Boone and me. "Who is this guy? Any idea? Because I don't remember making any enemies that could've pulled something like this."
Tyler, still crouched by Kate, chimed in, "Well, the maniac's got a thing for us, no question. But why? What's he want?"
I shook my head. "That's what we need to figure out."
Javi let out a slow breath, walking over to the barn door and peering out into the fading light. "It's not just the storm, then. This is personal."
His words settled heavy in my chest. Personal. That's what it felt like. Whoever he was, it wasn't random. He had it out for us, and I couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been tracking us-watching us. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
Lily, quiet until now, sat up a little straighter from her spot on the hay bales. "Okay, let's say this guy's been after us. What's his next move? Are we just sitting here waiting for him to pop up again?"
Boone's gaze flicked to me, his eyes hard. "We keep moving. We stick together and stay smart."
Lainey, who had been standing near the entrance, arms folded tightly across her chest, stepped forward. "But what if he finds us again? What then?"
That was the question none of us wanted to face head-on. The idea of this man showing up again, especially after everything we'd just been through with the tornado, was almost too much. But I knew Boone was right. We couldn't sit here, frozen in fear, waiting for the next shoe to drop. We had to act.
"I don't know what his deal is," I started, trying to push past the knot of anxiety in my throat, "but whatever it is, it's not gonna stop just because we made it through the storm. We need to be ready."
