Breaking the Rules

Chapter 37

The days that followed felt like a slow descent into chaos. Grace moved through her life in a state of numbness, barely holding on to the pieces of herself that hadn't been shattered by everything that had come to light. She stayed away from Elliot, ignored his messages, his attempts to reach out. She wasn't sure if she was protecting herself or punishing him—maybe both.

School felt like a blur of muted voices and faces that she could no longer bring herself to care about. Her friends noticed something was wrong, but no one pressed too hard. Madison checked on her, of course, though their conversations had grown stilted and awkward. Madison was trying, Grace knew, but the wall between them felt thicker now, the air charged with unspoken things that neither of them could put into words.

Grace's nights, once spent texting Elliot or lying awake with thoughts of him, were now restless hours of tossing and turning, haunted by her own swirling thoughts. Her dreams were fractured and strange, filled with shadows, half-formed faces, and whispered voices she couldn't quite make out. Sometimes, she saw Elliot standing there, just out of reach, his face obscured by darkness. And every time she tried to call out to him, her voice would break, the words catching in her throat like thorns.

The worst part was that she missed him. As much as she tried to tell herself that she didn't, that she couldn't, a part of her still longed for his presence, for the safety she had once felt in his arms. She hated herself for it, hated that she still felt connected to him even after everything that had happened.

But even more than that, she was afraid. Afraid of what it meant, what he was really capable of. Madison's words echoed in her mind over and over, a constant reminder of the darkness that Elliot was tied to, the danger that lurked just beneath the surface of his life. And yet, despite everything, Grace couldn't bring herself to sever the last thread that tied her to him.

One night, a week after their meeting at the park, the air seemed heavier than usual, thick with an oppressive sense of dread that Grace couldn't quite shake. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore the gnawing unease that twisted in her gut. She had barely slept in days, her body worn down from exhaustion, her mind too restless to allow her any real peace.

Just as she was starting to drift into a light, uneasy sleep, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Grace groaned, her eyes fluttering open as she fumbled for the device. She expected another message from Elliot, maybe even Madison, but when she glanced at the screen, she froze.

It wasn't from anyone she knew.

The text was short, just three words.

He's in danger.

Her breath caught in her throat. She sat up quickly, her heart racing as she stared at the message. The number was blocked. No name, no clue as to who had sent it. Just a warning, simple and chilling.

Panic bloomed in her chest. For a moment, she considered ignoring it, writing it off as some kind of sick joke. But something inside her told her it wasn't. Something told her that whoever had sent the message knew what they were talking about. And if that was the case, Elliot was in trouble.

Without thinking, Grace threw on her jacket and grabbed her phone, her hands trembling as she shoved it into her pocket. She didn't know where she was going or what she was going to do, but she couldn't just sit there. Not if Elliot's life was at risk.

She raced down the stairs, her pulse pounding in her ears as she slipped out of the house. The night was cold, the air biting against her skin, but she barely felt it as she ran down the street, her thoughts consumed by one thing: finding Elliot.