Bound By Sin

"You Haven't Told Anyone, Have You?"

It was a quiet night, the kind of night that seemed too peaceful for the chaos stirring beneath the surface. Genevieve sat on her bed, staring at the faint glow of her phone screen, scrolling mindlessly through apps she wasn't really paying attention to. Her mind was far away, tangled in the mess she had found herself in with Nicholas. Ever since his confession, her thoughts had been consumed with him—his words, his pain, his terrifying secret.

She had promised to protect him, to keep his secret, but after today, everything felt different. Isabella knew now. And despite Genevieve's attempts to convince her that Nicholas wasn't dangerous anymore, she could still feel the fear in her best friend's voice, the way Isabella had looked at her like she was crazy for defending him.

Genevieve sighed, setting her phone down on the nightstand. The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of a small lamp in the corner, casting long shadows across the walls. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to push away the gnawing feeling of dread that had settled in her stomach.

And then she heard it.

The soft creak of the window.

Her heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat as she turned toward the sound. The window was sliding open slowly, almost silently, and a shadowy figure climbed through with ease. Nicholas.

Genevieve let out a slow breath, trying to calm the sudden rush of nerves. This wasn't new—Nicholas sneaking into her room at night had become a habit, a routine. But now, after everything that had happened, it felt different. There was a weight to his presence, a tension that hadn't been there before.

Nicholas landed quietly on the floor, his movements fluid, like he had done this a hundred times. He looked up at her, his face half-hidden in the shadows, his eyes catching the faint light from the lamp.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice low.

Genevieve managed a small smile, though her chest felt tight. "Hey."

He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers, and for a moment, she wondered if he could sense the shift between them. If he could feel the secret she was holding—the fact that Isabella knew. But if he did, he didn't show it. He seemed calm, almost too calm.

"You couldn't sleep?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed, his knee brushing against hers.

Genevieve shook her head. "No, not really. Just... a lot on my mind."

Nicholas nodded, leaning back slightly, his posture relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, watching her closely. "Yeah, I get that."

There was a pause, the kind that felt heavier than it should, and Genevieve fidgeted with her fingers, the silence stretching between them. She could feel the tension in the air, though she couldn't quite place why it felt so thick tonight.

"You've been... quiet today," Nicholas said, breaking the silence. His voice was casual, but there was an edge to it, something that made Genevieve's pulse quicken. "Everything okay?

Genevieve swallowed, forcing a smile as she nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess."

Nicholas' eyes stayed on her for a moment longer than necessary, and she felt her heart pick up speed. She had always been able to read him, to see through the layers of his calm demeanor, but tonight, he felt more like a puzzle she couldn't quite solve.

"You haven't told anyone... have you?" he asked suddenly, his voice softer, but there was something in the way he said it that made Genevieve freeze.

She blinked, her breath catching for a split second before she shook her head quickly. "No, of course not. I wouldn't."

Nicholas nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "Good," he said softly, leaning back against the headboard, his eyes still fixed on her. "It's just... it would be really bad if someone else knew. You understand that, right?"

Genevieve nodded, though her chest felt tight. "Yeah, I understand."

He watched her for a moment longer, his gaze intense, as if he were searching for something in her eyes. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I've been thinking," he said, his voice casual again, though the tension never fully left his tone. "About what happens next. How I move on from... all of this."

Genevieve swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. "Move on? How?"

Nicholas shrugged, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "I don't know. I just... I want to be better. Like you said. But it's hard, Gen. It's really hard."

Genevieve's heart ached, the weight of his words pulling at her, but there was still that underlying fear, the knowledge that this boy sitting next to her had done things—horrible, unimaginable things.

"I'll help you," she whispered, even though the words felt hollow in her mouth. "You're not alone."

Nicholas smiled softly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I know. I trust you."

The silence returned, wrapping around them like a thick fog. Genevieve could feel the unease settling in the pit of her stomach, but she didn't know how to break it. She wanted to comfort him, to reassure him that everything would be okay, but the truth was, she didn't know if it would be. Not anymore.

Nicholas stood up suddenly, his movements fluid and graceful as he walked toward the window. "I should go," he said, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Before your mom hears me sneaking around again."

Genevieve let out a small, nervous laugh. "Yeah, probably a good idea."

He paused at the window, turning back to her one last time, his eyes lingering on her face. There was something unsettling in the way he looked at her, something that made her skin prickle.

"Goodnight, Gen," he said softly, his voice carrying an edge she couldn't quite place.

"Goodnight," she whispered back, her voice barely audible.

Nicholas slipped through the window, disappearing into the night as quickly and silently as he had come. Genevieve sat there for a moment, staring at the open window, her heart still racing in her chest.

Something was wrong. She could feel it.

But she didn't know what to do.