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Chapter Thirty-Two

T welve goddamn hours of searching last night and still nothing.

No tracks or clues. Absolutely no sign of Drake or the two guys who were with him. We ended the night with the same suffocating silence that’s been haunting us since they vanished.

Drake didn’t just wander off. Someone made him disappear and I don’t doubt for a second it’s the same masked psycho who’s been flipping our world inside out.

What’s worse is how clean it all was. There was no commotion or mess. Every security camera in that parking lot was erased like the night never fucking happened. We’re up against someone either tech-savvy as hell or with deep connections that make people erase things for them.

Next to me, Avery stretches and lets out a slow yawn. I watch her for a second, grateful that she’s safe.

Just as I'm about to push myself up, my door bursts open and Aidric storms in like a fucking hurricane. "Get your asses up," he barks. "Did you see Callan’s text?"

I sit up fast. "What text?"

"He’s awake," Aidric says, nearly breathless. "Evan. That motherfucker’s been faking it. Callan went to check on him and he was gone."

I wave a hand through the air, letting out a sharp breath. "He was probably just doing therapy or some shit."

"At two in the fucking morning?" Aidric snaps.

He's right. That is odd. I grab my phone, scrolling fast until I see it.

Callan: Evan Sanders is a fraud. Not only is he awake and aware, he snuck out of his bed tonight. Keep an eye on things. He might be lurking.

Jesus Christ.

Adrenaline floods my veins. I sit on the edge of the bed, trying to piece it all together, but my head is spinning.

Avery sits up behind me. "Wait…what did you say?"

I look over my shoulder, jaw tight as I hand her my phone with the open text.

Her face pales as she reads it. "You’re kidding."

"Wish I was."

Fuck. Evan is out there, and if he’s been pretending this whole time, what the hell else has he been doing?

Snatching a T-shirt from my open drawer, I tug it over my head. "We need to get downstairs and let the others know what’s going on."

Aidric nods and heads out while Avery cleans up quickly in the bathroom. When she’s done, I do the same.

By the time we hit the bottom step, the front door opens and voices echo through the hallway. We round the corner just in time to see Callan coming in.

He’s upright, walking with a cane now, but there’s tension in his jaw and a fire behind his eyes that tells me something’s coming. He spots us and gives the slightest shake of his head and I know he's raging after what he recently learned about Evan—we all are.

Callan's parents and Brogan follow him in, and we keep our distance while his stepmom fluffs the couch pillows like it’s the stage for a damn photo shoot.

His dad stands stiff, like he doesn’t know what to say or where to put his hands.

Brogan stays close to Callan, her arm lightly brushing his as if she's reminding him he’s not doing this alone.

"You need anything at all," his stepmom says, cupping his cheek, "you call. We’re so proud of how hard you’ve worked, sweetheart."

Callan nods. "Thanks."

His dad claps him gently on the shoulder and leans in for a hug. "Seriously, don’t hesitate."

Then his stepmom turns to Avery before pulling her into a tight hug. "Take care of him for us, sweetie. He’s lucky to have you."

Avery smiles softly. "I will."

Once the door closes behind them, the entire vibe shifts. Callan lets out a breath, then turns to face us. "Seems we've got a problem on our fucking hands."

Aidric doesn’t miss a beat. "And that problem has a name—Evan fucking Sanders."

We circle around the couch where Callan takes a seat, anxious to hear the whole story. I sit down and pull Avery onto my lap, hoping it won’t be awkward, but Callan doesn’t even blink. He reaches out and takes her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You doing okay?" he asks her.

She nods. "For the most part."

Still holding her hand, he looks at each of us. "So, Evan’s been awake, faking everything this whole damn time."

My jaw tightens and I wrap my arms around Avery, holding her closer. Her scent brings me a sense of calm I desperately need right now.

"I saw Liam go into his room," Callan explains. "He left something on the table, a note, I assume. Evan picked it up, read it, got pissed, and threw it. That’s when I knew something was off."

I shift Avery slightly so I can get a better look at Callan beside us. "You sure it wasn’t just a fluke? Like he just jolted awake momentarily?"

"No," he says firmly. "Last night, I went back and the bed looked full, like he was sleeping. But when I pulled the blanket back, it was just a bunch of rolled towels."

I can almost hear the crack of Aidric's tooth he's gritting so hard.

Callan leans forward. "This morning, I went again. And there he was, back in bed, same blank expression, playing the same game. He's been conning everyone."

"And Liam?" I ask. "You think he’s involved?"

"I haven't quite figured that out," Callan says. "I wish I could have found that damn paper. Why would Liam leave something for his brother to read unless he knew he was capable of reading it?"

Aidric clicks his tongue. "Unless he knew."

I snap my fingers. "Exactly."

We all exchange grim glances because it's not just a theory anymore; the mask is off and Evan Sanders is the snake in the grass.

The air hangs heavy for a beat before Aidric crosses his arms and speaks again. "What's next with the search for Drake?"

My jaw flexes. "If we can corner Evan, we might be able to get him to talk. He’s slippery, yeah, but not invincible. There's a good chance he knows where Drake is if he's behind all of this."

"And once we get Drake back safely," I add, "we can push for the rest and make him confess to everything else—Julian, the footage, the mask and the threats, all of it."

Callan leans back on the couch. "That’s a big if . He’s been pretending for months—manipulating people, lying to his family, to doctors. If he’s that good, how the hell are we supposed to trap him?"

Aidric turns his gaze on Avery. "We use the one thing that might still matter to him."

Avery’s brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

"You," Aidric says bluntly. "You’re the only one he ever showed real emotion toward before the fall. If there’s even a shred of feeling left, we need to use it to lure him out."

Avery lets out a short, humorless laugh. "You think he still has feelings for me after everything? The photo, the threats, the mind games, the fucking arrow in my bed that was used to murder someone?"

"He might," I say quietly, hating that I'm in agreement here. "Maybe it’s not about love, maybe it’s obsession.'

Avery crosses her arms, her posture stiff. "That’s insane. When he and I broke up, we agreed it wasn’t going anywhere between us and things were good. We were friends."

Callan rubs a thumb over her hand. "When I woke up, I was so angry with you I couldn’t see straight. Maybe something happened to him in that fall. Maybe he sees you differently now."

Avery stiffens, those memories of Callan likely forming at the front of her mind. I press my lips to her shoulder and she breathes out a sigh. "So I’m the bait again, assuming he's our guy?"

"You’ve done it before," Aidric says. "And we’ll keep you safe. You won’t be alone for a second. He is our guy, I know it."

"Yeah," Avery mumbles. "Look how that worked out for me last time.

The guys safeguarding me are missing." Her eyes flick to each of us, and I see the fight in her as she lifts her chin. "Fine. If it means getting Drake back, I’ll do it. But I’m telling you, Evan has no reason to hate me so I think we need to keep our options open. "

"Hate and obsession can go hand in hand," Callan says. "Either way, he'll come for you if we’re right."

"Whatever," Avery scoffs. "Let’s just burn this asshole once and for all."

"It's settled then," Aidric says. "Avery will go to his room tonight and if he’s not there, she’ll waits. He’ll see she knows he’s up and walking, and just like that, we flip the table back in our favor."

"I’m going too," I bite out, my hand sliding along Avery’s leg. "I’ll be outside the door the entire time."

"Same," Callan adds. "I’ll wait in the damn car if I have to, but I wanna be there."

Aidric huffs and waves his hand through the air. "You two worry too damn much."

He walks over and claps a hand on Callan’s shoulder. "By the way, Noah got your room ready down here. He moved some of your shit in already."

Callan nods gratefully. "Appreciate it."

"I’ll help you get settled," Avery offers quickly, already standing. She glances at me briefly, and I give her a small nod in return as I get up off the couch. Oddly, I don’t feel threatened by her love of Callan anymore.

I want them both happy and Callan has no issue with me making Avery happy too.

She turns back to Callan. "Come on, I’ll help you to your temporary room." She reaches for his arm as he leans into his cane. The two of them disappear down the hall, their voices fading when the door clicks closed.

I stand there, hands in my pockets, staring at the empty hallway for a second too long.

There’s a softness in Avery when she’s with Callan. It's always been there, but now it's more defined. She knows exactly how to help him without making him feel weak, and by the way he lets her, it's clear they have something deep.

What surprises me the most isn’t the ache of jealousy, it’s the absence of it. Instead, there’s this strange sense of calm. Like I already knew Avery always held onto a piece of Callan. I guess some part of me also knew she’d never be only mine.

When I look at her, I see someone who loves fully and fiercely without asking for anything back, and damn if that doesn't make me respect her more.

Avery always carries so much but still shows up for all of us.

For once, I'm not afraid of sharing that with someone else. Not if it means she’s protected—not if it means we all come out of this alive.

I exhale deeply and head for the kitchen to find Aidric who disappeared the minute Avery walked away with Callan. If we're gonna set this plan in motion, we're gonna need backup, brains, and a hell of a lot more caffeine.

Aidric comes into the kitchen, cracking open a bottle of water. Leaning against the counter, he pins me with that smug expression he’s perfected over the years.

"So," he starts, cocking a brow, "you had to know this thing with Avery was gonna come crashing down eventually."

"It’s not crashing," I say, grabbing a protein bar from the counter. "In fact, we're still going strong."

Aidric lets out a dry laugh. "Right. Enjoy fucking Callan’s girl while it lasts."

I peel the wrapper halfway, then glance up at him. "Maybe Callan should enjoy fucking my girl. Or hell, maybe me and my boy can share."

That shuts him up for a second. He scoffs, shaking his head like I’ve lost my damn mind. "Good luck with that."

I just smirk and take a bite of the bar, chewing slowly.

She’s worth it. That much I know for sure. If the two of us can make her happy then why the hell not?

Everyone else can keep their rules, but they can also keep their fucking mouths shut while we break ours.