Shadowbrook

Chapter 5: Between Shadows

"Evan's warnings grow louder, but so does the pull between them. As tensions rise, Cassidy starts to question who she can really trust."

The wind seemed colder as Nathan and I descended the spiral staircase of the lighthouse. Every creak of the rusted metal felt like a countdown, each step pulling me further into the tangled mess that Sam had left behind—and deeper into a conspiracy I barely understood.

Nathan trailed behind me, his silence hanging in the air between us like a shadow. I could feel his guilt radiating off him, but I wasn't ready to deal with that yet. I wasn't ready to deal with him.

I stepped out into the night, the cold air biting at my skin, and took a deep breath. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, casting everything in a pale, ghostly glow. In the distance, I could just make out the outline of the cliffs, jagged and dark against the horizon. The place where Sam had died, and where his secrets had been buried with him.

But not for long.

Without saying a word, I turned and started walking back toward town. Nathan followed, his footsteps heavy on the rocky path.

"We need to talk to Evan," I said, my voice cutting through the wind.

Nathan's footsteps faltered. "Cass, I don't think—"

"I don't care what you think, Nathan," I snapped, turning to face him. "You've been lying to me for years. You knew what happened to Sam, and you said nothing. So don't act like you have a say in what I do next."

Nathan's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. He just looked at me with that same expression he'd had since I came back—an expression that was equal parts regret and concern. But concern for who? For me? Or for the secret he'd kept buried with my brother?

"I'm going to find Evan," I said, turning back toward the town. "And this time, I'm getting answers."

The Moonlight Room was nearly empty by the time I arrived. The bar was closing, the usual crowd long gone, leaving only a few stragglers nursing their drinks in the dim light. The faint sound of jazz drifted from the speakers, slow and haunting, like a ghost that refused to leave.

Evan was still here. I could feel it.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside, my eyes scanning the room. The bartender glanced up at me, his eyes narrowing slightly before he returned to cleaning the counter. There was no sign of Evan, but I knew he was here somewhere. He always lingered after hours, hidden in the shadows like the rest of this town's secrets.

"Cassidy." The voice came from behind me, low and smooth. It sent a shiver down my spine, but I didn't flinch.

I turned to see Evan, leaning casually against the wall near the back of the room. His dark curls were disheveled, his eyes shadowed in the dim light. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, but then again, neither had I.

"You came back," he said, his voice calm, but there was something in his tone—something guarded.

"I need answers," I said, walking toward him, my heart pounding in my chest. "And you're going to give them to me."

Evan's eyes flickered with something—surprise, maybe—but he didn't move. He just watched me, like he was waiting for me to make the first move.

"You didn't tell me everything about that night," I said, stopping a few feet away from him. "You knew Sam was meeting your sister. You knew she disappeared, too. But what you didn't tell me is that Nathan was there."

Evan's expression didn't change, but I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. He knew.

"Nathan told you?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

I nodded. "He told me about your family. About the things they're involved in. About why Sam was killed."

For a moment, Evan didn't respond. He just stared at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. Then, slowly, he pushed off the wall and stepped toward me.

"You think you know the truth?" he asked, his voice low and tense. "You think Nathan told you everything?"

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. "I know enough."

Evan let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "You don't know anything, Cassidy. You're digging around in something you don't understand."

"Then help me understand," I shot back, my frustration boiling over. "You keep warning me to stay out of it, but you won't tell me why. If you know what happened to Sam, then just tell me."

Evan stared at me for a long moment, his jaw clenched. For a second, I thought he was going to walk away, leave me standing there with more questions than answers. But then he spoke, his voice cold and sharp.

"My family isn't just involved in this town's dirty secrets. They run it."

I blinked, my mind racing. Run it?

"They control everything," Evan continued, his eyes dark. "The businesses, the police, even the mayor. They've been doing it for decades, using money and fear to keep people in line. And Sam... he got too close to something they didn't want him to see."

"What did he see?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Evan hesitated, his expression hardening. "I don't know exactly. But it had something to do with my sister. She was involved in something she shouldn't have been—something dangerous. And Sam... he was in love with her. He wanted to save her, but he didn't know what he was getting into."

My chest tightened. Sam had always been the protector, always the one trying to save everyone else. And now it had cost him his life.

"Your family killed him," I said, the words bitter in my mouth.

Evan's gaze dropped to the floor, his hands clenched at his sides. "They didn't kill him directly. But they made sure he didn't make it off those cliffs."

I felt a wave of nausea rise in my throat. My brother's death had been orchestrated by the very people who controlled this town. And Evan... Evan had known all along.

"Why didn't you stop them?" I asked, my voice trembling with anger. "You knew what was happening. Why didn't you do anything?"

Evan's eyes snapped up to mine, and for the first time, I saw real pain in them. "You think I didn't try? I was too late, Cassidy. By the time I found out what my family was doing, it was already over. Sam was already dead."

My heart pounded in my chest, my anger mixing with confusion and hurt. Evan had known about his family's dark dealings, but had he been a part of it? Or had he been trying to stop it?

"I don't know who to trust anymore," I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Evan stepped closer, his voice softer now. "I'm not your enemy, Cassidy. I want to find out what happened to my sister just as much as you want to know the truth about Sam. But we're not dealing with just a cover-up. This goes deeper than you think."

I looked up at him, my mind spinning. Deeper?

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"There's something else," Evan said, his eyes narrowing. "Something I haven't told you. My sister wasn't the only one involved with Sam. There were others—people connected to the town, to my family. They've been hiding in the shadows for years, pulling the strings. And now... they're coming for you."

A chill ran down my spine, and suddenly, the room felt too small, too dark. I could feel the weight of his words settling over me, suffocating me.

"What do they want?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Evan's expression darkened. "To keep their secrets buried. And if you keep digging, they'll bury you with them."