09. Stalkers

The car park outside the abandoned motel smelled like rust and regret. The cracked pavement was littered with broken glass and cigarette butts, remnants of the people who had been here before us—people like us. The flickering motel sign buzzed weakly, barely hanging onto life, casting an eerie glow over the lot. It was the perfect place to disappear for a while, to forget about school, about Lakehurst, about the constant feeling of being watched.

Theo perched on the hood of the stolen Honda, legs spread out lazily, a cigarette dangling between his fingers. "Tell me this isn't better than sitting at home all night." He grinned, his dark eyes flashing with excitement as he took a slow drag.

Tess snorted, leaning against the car with her arms crossed. "Better than my crappy apartment, that's for sure." She tossed me a cigarette from the pack in her jacket. "So, Callie, you finally gonna let loose, or are you still pretending like you've got something to lose?"

Jonah was the quietest of the three, but his presence was always solid. He sat in the driver's seat with the door open, watching the smoke curl from Theo's cigarette with mild disinterest. His hands rested on the wheel, fingers tapping out an unheard rhythm. He didn't drink much, didn't smoke unless he was really feeling it, but he was always here.

I exhaled slowly, rolling the unlit cigarette between my fingers. "Who said I wasn't letting loose?"

Theo smirked, nudging the bottle of vodka toward me. "Then prove it."

I took the bottle and tipped it back, the burn searing down my throat, warming my insides. The tension in my chest, the pressure of this new town, this new life, dulled just a little. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, feeling the smallest sense of victory when Theo whistled in approval.

"That's my girl." Tess threw her arm around me before continuing "Thought you went soft on us for a sec."

The night felt endless, stretching out in front of us like a road without a destination. The motel loomed in the background, windows boarded up, whispering secrets we'd never care enough to hear. This was what I wanted—to exist without expectation, to not be the coach's daughter, the new girl, the girl people were watching. Here, I was just Allie.

But something shifted in the air.

Jonah noticed it first. His fingers stopped tapping. He turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he looked past me.

"We're not alone," he murmured.

Luke and I had parked a few streets over and walked the rest of the way, keeping to the shadows. We had no idea where she was going, but when I spotted the run-down motel in the distance, I had a pretty good guess that it wasn't anywhere good.

"She's really out here pulling some Fast and Furious shit," Luke muttered, hands shoved into his jacket pockets.

I exhaled sharply, watching my breath curl into the cold night air. "Told you something was off with her."

Luke raised a brow. "Yeah, but following her? This is some full-on stalker behaviour Mav."

"Then leave," I shot back, keeping my voice low. "I didn't ask you to come."

He sighed, but didn't turn back.

As we got closer, I could make out the figures by the car. Three of them. A guy perched on the hood, another in the driver's seat, and a girl standing near Callie, flicking a cigarette between her fingers. They weren't from school—I would've recognized them.

"What's the move, Maverick?" Luke asked. "You planning on dragging her back by the arm?"

I didn't have a plan. I just knew that Callie sneaking off with people we didn't know to a sketchy parking lot with alcohol and stolen cars wasn't sitting right with me.

Then Callie turned her head slightly, and for the first time, I caught the expression on her face. She looked... relaxed.

Not the tight-lipped, guarded girl who barely spoke at school. Not the girl who rolled her eyes whenever I looked at her.

She looked like she belonged here.

I hesitated.

Luke clapped a hand on my shoulder. "So what now, Sheriff?"

Before I could answer, Callie's head snapped up. Her body stiffened.

She saw us.

The second I spotted them, my stomach dropped.

Grayson.

Of course it was him.

And Luke, standing beside him like always, if you saw one the other wasn't far off.

Theo noticed my change in expression and followed my gaze. His smirk returned instantly. "Who the hell are they?"

Jonah shifted uncomfortably. Tess just scoffed. "Looks like someone sent the search party for you, Allie."

"They're my dad's hockey boys." I clenched my fists. This was my life, my mess. Grayson Maverick had no right to be here, no right to look at me like I was the problem.

He started walking toward us.

I pushed away from the car, storming forward before he could say a damn word. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Grayson stopped a few feet away, expression unreadable. "I could ask you the same thing."

"You followed me?" I could feel the anger bubbling up, cutting through the vodka haze. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Luke held up his hands. "Relax, we're not calling the cops or anything."

"Oh, great, now I'm relaxed." I crossed my arms, glaring at Grayson. "Seriously, Maverick. You and your little sidekick can turn your asses around and go back to playing hockey or whatever it is you do."

Grayson's jaw tightened. "Do you even know these guys?" He gestured to Theo, Jonah, and Tess. "Like, at all?"

"I think she knows the people who she grew up around." Jonah spoke up for once, now standing a step behind me.

"They don't look to friendly Cal." Luke smiled awkwardly, trying to make his voice softer.

Theo snorted. "Cute. He thinks we're the dangerous ones."

Grayson didn't even look at him. His eyes were locked onto mine.

I hated the way he was looking at me—like I was some puzzle he was trying to figure out. Like he actually cared.

I laughed, but it came out sharp. "Oh, so what? I'm supposed to listen to you? Some hockey golden boy who barely knows me?" I took a step forward, closing the space between us. "Let me make one thing clear, Grayson. You don't get to interfere in my life. You don't get to act like you give a shit."

For a second, just a second, something flickered in his expression.

But then it was gone.

Luke shifted beside him. "Look, maybe we should—"

"Go," I cut him off. My voice was firm. "Now."

For a moment, I thought Grayson might actually fight me on it.

But then he exhaled through his nose and took a step back. "Fine."

I waited, heart hammering, until they turned and walked away.

Theo let out a low whistle. "Damn, Allie. You should've punched the prick, he's sick bastard following you around like he owns you."

Jonah didn't say anything, but I could feel his eyes on me.

I turned away from them, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Because as much as I wanted to believe what I just said—that Grayson had no right to interfere, that he didn't care—

I wasn't sure I believed it.

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A/N: ANOTHER CHAPTER DONE!

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Words: 1257

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