Shadowbrook

Chapter 2: Echoes of the Past

"A familiar face and a forgotten past—Cassidy's return brings more than just memories. Someone is watching, and the danger is closer than she thinks."

The wind was stronger the next morning, rattling the old window in its frame as the gray light of dawn seeped through the thin curtains. I hadn't slept much. Nathan's words kept replaying in my mind—"Some things are better left buried." But what was he hiding? The man I'd once trusted with everything was now a stranger, guarding secrets I wasn't meant to uncover.

But I would.

Pulling on my jacket, I made my way out of the Moonlight Inn and into the fog-laden streets. The town was as quiet as it had been the night before, the air thick with the scent of salt and rain. I walked past the weather-beaten storefronts, the memories of my childhood here flashing through my mind like shadows. Every corner, every turn felt like a ghost from the past—unseen, but always there, lingering just beneath the surface.

The Moonlight Room, Shadowbrook's only bar and jazz club, stood at the end of the street, its neon sign flickering weakly in the dim morning light. This was where I needed to go. Evan North. His name had come up more than once in my research before I returned. The enigmatic musician was a mystery in his own right, and his songs—especially that haunting track, "Chokehold"—had struck a nerve when I first heard it. It was like he knew.

I pulled open the door and stepped inside. The dim light of the bar contrasted sharply with the harsh gray outside, casting a warm, almost nostalgic glow over the worn leather booths and dusty shelves. It smelled of old wood, cigarette smoke, and spilled whiskey. In the daylight, the place looked different, less polished, more raw. Like a facade peeling away in the sunlight.

There, sitting at the piano in the far corner, was Evan.

He wasn't playing, just sitting, his fingers hovering over the keys like they didn't quite know what to do. He seemed lost in thought, his face partially hidden by the dark, unruly curls that framed his sharp features. His presence filled the room even though he hadn't moved. It was as if the very air shifted when he was near.

I hesitated for a moment, watching him. There was something about Evan that felt... dangerous. Not in the way that made you want to run, but in the way that drew you in, like standing on the edge of a cliff and feeling the pull of the abyss beneath your feet.

Finally, I stepped forward. The old wooden floor creaked beneath me, and Evan's eyes snapped up. His gaze was piercing, dark and intense, like he was trying to figure out who I was before I even spoke a word.

"You're Evan North," I said, my voice sounding steadier than I felt.

He didn't answer right away, just studied me for a moment longer, his fingers brushing against the keys, creating the faintest of sounds—a single, eerie note that hung in the air between us.

"And you're Cassidy Harper," he replied, his voice smooth but with an edge to it, like a note played just slightly out of tune. "The one who's been asking questions."

I frowned. "How did you know?"

A small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "In a town like this, people notice when someone's digging. Especially when they're digging in the wrong places."

I stepped closer, my eyes narrowing. "What do you mean by that?"

Evan stood up from the piano, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he was considering every step, every gesture. He was taller than I expected, his presence even more commanding up close.

"I mean that this town isn't what it seems, Cassidy," he said quietly, his voice lowering as he spoke my name, sending a shiver down my spine. "You're not the first to come looking for answers. But you might be the last."

My heart raced. "You know something about my brother. Don't you?"

He didn't flinch. Instead, his expression darkened, and for a moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes—guilt, maybe. Or something worse.

"I know enough," Evan said softly. "But that's not the question you should be asking."

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Then what is?"

He paused, his gaze searching mine, as if weighing whether or not to say more. Finally, he exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Who do you think you can trust?"

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. Nathan's face flashed in my mind, along with the look in his eyes when he'd told me to stay out of it. Could I trust him? Could I trust anyone?

Before I could respond, the door to the bar creaked open behind me, and I turned just in time to see Nathan walking in. His eyes immediately locked onto Evan, tension crackling in the air like electricity before a storm.

"What are you doing here, Cass?" Nathan's voice was sharp, cutting through the fog of confusion that had settled over me.

"I'm—"

"You shouldn't be talking to him," Nathan interrupted, his eyes never leaving Evan's. "He's not going to help you. He's just going to pull you in deeper."

Evan let out a low chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "Funny, coming from the guy who's been lying to her for years."

"Shut up," Nathan growled, stepping closer, his fists clenched.

"Stop!" I shouted, stepping between them, my heart pounding. "Both of you. I don't need you to protect me, Nathan. And I don't need cryptic warnings from either of you. I just want the truth. About Sam. About everything."

Nathan's jaw tightened, his gaze softening slightly as he looked at me. "Cass... please. Let it go. It's not what you think."

I stared at him, my chest tightening with anger and frustration. "Then tell me what it is."

He didn't answer. Instead, he looked away, his silence louder than any explanation he could have given.

"Exactly," Evan muttered behind me. "You can't. Because the truth would ruin everything, wouldn't it, Nathan?"

Nathan shot him a look that could kill. "Stay out of this."

But I'd had enough. I turned on my heel and stormed toward the door, the weight of their secrets pressing down on me like a chokehold I couldn't escape.

"Cass, wait—" Nathan's voice called after me, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. I needed space. I needed air.

I stepped outside into the cold, damp morning, the fog swirling around me like ghosts whispering in my ear. My heart pounded in my chest, and my mind raced with questions I couldn't answer.

What was Nathan hiding? And why did Evan seem to know so much?

As I stood there, catching my breath, I glanced back toward the bar and saw Evan standing in the doorway, watching me with those dark, unreadable eyes.

He wasn't done with me. And I wasn't done with him.