The phone vibrated again, an impatient hum against the silence. Jasper hesitated before answering, his expression guarded.
"Liam," he said flatly.
Ava swallowed hard as she watched Jasper's jaw tighten. He was listening, but his eyes flicked toward Noah—watching, waiting for a reaction.
Noah didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Ava could see it in his eyes. He already knew what was coming.
Jasper pressed the phone to his ear. "What do you want?"
Liam's voice slithered through the speaker, smooth, calculated. "You know what I want."
Jasper's grip tightened. "We're not playing your game."
A chuckle. "Oh, but Ava already started playing the moment she walked into that library."
Ava's stomach twisted.
The library. That night still haunted her—the shadows, the cold weight of Liam's words, the way her entire world seemed to tilt on its axis.
Liam continued, his tone almost amused. "Let's not pretend you're not curious, Ava. You need to know, don't you? The real reason Noah's been keeping secrets?"
She flinched.
Need was an understatement.
Noah took a step forward, his voice low, deadly. "Whatever game you're playing, stop."
But Liam wasn't done.
"Meet me. Midnight. You know where."
The call ended.
Jasper cursed under his breath, shoving the phone back into his pocket. Ava looked at Noah, expecting him to say no, to tell her Liam was lying, that they shouldn't go.
But he said nothing.
Because he knew.
And that terrified her more than anything.