𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 18+

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟔

𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐕

• • •

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

I stood outside the courtroom, my heart pounding against my ribs like a caged animal desperate to escape. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, as I scanned the bustling hallway. The walls were painted a bland beige, and the flickering fluorescent lights overhead cast an unsettling glow. Lawyers in sharp suits hustled past, their briefcases swinging like pendulums. Nearby, a group of reporters whispered urgently, their notepads poised for the next scoop. I felt an uncomfortable twist in my stomach as I caught snippets of their conversations—words like "murder," "trial," and "guilty" echoed in my ears, amplifying my anxiety.

Darius's voice broke through the noise. "What's the plan, genius? You're not just going to stand here looking like a deer in headlights, are you?"

I clenched my jaw, trying to focus. "I need to figure out how to get that drive. It could change everything."

"Good luck with that. You're about as convincing as a dog trying to sell insurance," he quipped, but I ignored him, feeling the weight of my thoughts pressing down like a heavy fog.

As I shifted nervously, I noticed an old woman across the hallway staring at me. Her brows knitted together in confusion, and I felt heat rush to my cheeks. Great, now I really looked insane. I pulled out my phone, pretending to scroll through messages, the act of talking to Darius hidden behind the facade of normalcy. "Yeah, just checking in," I mumbled, trying to keep my voice bright, but it sounded hollow even to my own ears.

"Who are you talking to, the wall?" Darius snickered. "You'd have better luck making friends with it."

Before I could respond, I spotted Alex walking by, deep in conversation with Mia. They looked at ease, a world away from the turmoil brewing inside me. I felt a pang of envy mixed with guilt. How could I interrupt their moment? What if Alex rejected me?

"Hey, maybe you should ask Alex for help," Darius suggested, his tone surprisingly earnest. "He's a smart guy."

"That's a stupid idea. He probably thinks I'm a psychopath after what happened with Claire," I shot back, but the thought nagged at me.

"Better than having Brooke's criminal record follow you around. You're not the one going to jail, remember?" Darius chimed in. "Might want to keep that in mind when you're thinking about your reputation."

I bit my lip, glancing back at Alex, who was now laughing at something Mia said. "What if he doesn't want anything to do with me?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "What if he thinks I'm just dragging him into this mess?"

"Then he's a loser," Darius replied, his usual sarcasm replaced with a note of seriousness. "But you won't know unless you ask. And right now, you don't have many options, do you?"

I sighed, weighing my choices. Darius had a point, but the thought of confronting Alex filled me with dread. "Fine, but if he looks at me like I'm a lunatic, I'm blaming you."

"Deal," Darius said, sounding almost smug.

Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my phone and made my way toward Alex, my heart racing with each step. The weight of the situation pressed down on me like a heavy fog, and I could feel my palms growing clammy. The muted sounds of the courtroom echoed in the distance, but here, away from the crowds, it felt almost too still, amplifying the tension coiling in my stomach.