More Than Friends

Chapter 22: Faces in the Shadows

Nicole's breath caught in her throat as the figure stepped outta the shadows. Her mind was spinnin', tryin' to make sense of what she was seein'. This wasn't just some random person. It was somebody she knew—somebody she never expected.

"Keon?" Nicole whispered, her voice barely holdin' together. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at him.

Keon, a guy she'd known for years, one of Devin's boys from back in the day, stood there in the dim light, his face twisted with somethin' dark. Somethin' she had never seen in him before.

Devin's body tensed up immediately, his fists clenchin'. "Keon, what the hell you doin' here?"

Keon just stared back at them, his eyes cold, almost like he didn't even recognize them. "You really thought I wasn't gon' finish this, huh?" His voice was low, drippin' with bitterness.

Nicole felt her knees get weak. She couldn't understand. Keon had been around them forever—always chill, always seemin' like a friend. But now? The way he was lookin' at her, it sent chills down her spine.

"What you talkin' about?" Devin growled, takin' a step forward, his eyes locked on Keon.

Keon chuckled, but it wasn't a friendly laugh. It was dark, twisted. "You ain't figured it out, huh? All these years, watchin' you act like the big man, like you runnin' everything. I was just waitin' for my chance."

Nicole's head was spinnin'. "You...you the one sendin' the messages? Why? Why you doin' this?"

Keon's eyes flicked to her, his expression cold. "Why? 'Cause you ain't see me. None of y'all did. I was always in the background, always playin' the side, while Devin got all the love, all the attention. You? You never looked my way, Nic."

Nicole's heart sank as his words hit her. "Keon...this ain't the way..."

Devin stepped in front of her, his body blockin' her from Keon. "You really gon' do this over jealousy? You messin' with Nic's life, threatenin' her, stalkin' her—over some petty feelings?"

Keon's eyes darkened, his jaw clenchin'. "This ain't about bein' petty. This about takin' what I shoulda had all along. I watched y'all for years. Y'all didn't even notice how close I was, how much I wanted what you got, Dev."

Nicole could barely breathe, her mind racin' through all the memories—how close Keon had been to them, all the times they laughed together, hung out together. She never woulda guessed he had this kinda darkness in him.

"This ends now," Devin said, his voice low and deadly. "You ain't gon' touch her. Not ever."

Keon's face twisted, the rage spillin' out now. "You think you can stop me? You always think you the one in control, but you ain't. Not this time."

Nicole could feel the tension risin', like a storm about to break. Devin wasn't backin' down, but Keon was too far gone. She could see it in his eyes—this wasn't the Keon she knew.

The Confrontation

Suddenly, Keon lunged forward, his fist comin' up like he was ready to fight. But Devin was faster. He grabbed Keon's arm, twistin' him around, slammin' him into the ground before he could make another move.

Nicole gasped, steppin' back as the two of them struggled on the pavement. Devin had Keon pinned, his face full of fury. "You ain't never comin' near her again."

Keon struggled, but Devin's grip was too strong. "You think this over, huh? You think you won?"

Nicole watched in horror, her body tremblin'. She couldn't believe this was happenin'. How did it get this far?

"Call the cops," Devin muttered through gritted teeth, keepin' Keon pinned down.

Nicole fumbled with her phone, her hands still shakin', but she managed to dial 911. Her voice was barely steady as she explained the situation, her heart still racin'.

As the minutes dragged on, Nicole's mind was a whirlwind. Keon—the person she thought she could trust, who had been in their circle for years—had been behind it all. Every message, every threat, every moment of fear...it all came back to him.

The Aftermath

By the time the cops showed up, Keon was still pinned under Devin, barely movin'. The rage that had been in his eyes was gone, replaced by somethin' empty, broken.

The officers took Keon away, and Nicole watched, her whole body feelin' numb. She didn't even know what to say. How do you process somethin' like that?

Devin walked over to her, pullin' her into his arms, his voice soft now. "It's over, Nic. He ain't never comin' back."

Nicole leaned into him, tears finally fallin' as the weight of everything hit her. It was over. After all the fear, the threats, the feelin' like she was bein' hunted—it was over.

But deep down, the shock of it all still lingered. Keon was gone, but the scars he left behind? They were gonna take time to heal.