Why had he just popped in my head like that?

I’d actually been able to avoid him this week after our initial encounters the first day. That didn’t mean I hadn’t been aware of him, though. In every hallway I walked down. In the lunchroom where I knew he ate the same period as me. In the parking lot where I could hear the loud exhaust from the truck of Will Grayson III—his best friend, I’d learned.

I was very aware of him in such proximity at school. And when we weren’t at school, my mind still drifted to him way more often than necessary. Rika and her friends had definitely filled me in on what an enigma Damon Torrance had become since we were kids. Popular with a really bad reputation. And not bad in a way people envied, either. It made people want to avoid him, but not want to be caught avoiding him.

But still, rumor had it, girls were enamored. They thought he was a challenge, and they thought they could tame him. So I was warned—don’t be stupid enough to put yourself in his path. He has no heart.

Well, no one had to worry about that. He’d already done irreparable damage. The couple of hours I knew him as a kid wasn’t worth any more harm he could do. I’d steer clear.

Using the remote, I clicked through the tracks, counting until I found number fifteen, and then I raised my arms over my head, straining the sore muscles in my back.

But after a moment, no music came from the stereo.

I picked up the remote and clicked Play again—and then again.

I waited and nothing.

“Come on,” I mumbled a whine and headed over to the wall.

Hitting the door frame, I followed the wall to the left and scaled down to where the system was plugged in. But when my hand grazed over the socket, the cord wasn’t there. I fumbled over the socket with both hands. What?

I dropped my hands to the floor and found the plug laying on the floor. How the hell did that happen?

I plugged it back in and stood up, puzzled, as I trained my ears on any sound. Was someone messing with me?

I turned around, my back to the wall. “Is there someone here? Hello?”

Something felt off.

Holding my hands out, I felt for the door and left the room, heading to the kitchen for a bottle of water. Maybe I should call Mr. Ferguson up here. He was one of the security guards who patrolled the community at night.

But my parents didn’t know Ari was having a party, and they would definitely hear about it if I called security up.

Walking into the kitchen, I plucked a bottle of water out of the fridge and uncapped the bottle, taking a drink. I could ask my sister to come up and take a sweep around the house. It would piss her off, but she would come if I threatened to tell Mom and Dad about the party. Heading over to the back door, I reached for the handle, but as soon as I grabbed it, the door moved, and I realized it was already open.

My heart skipped a beat, and I instantly reared back. Oh, shit.

I’d locked it.

“Arion?” I shouted, suddenly alert. “Are you here?”

I pawed for the handle on the outside, finding the key we hid under a loose brick outside still inserted. It had to be my sister. Only our family knew where that key was.

“Arion!” I growled, losing my patience. “Knock it off and answer me!”

She seemed to get off on pranking me this week after the locker room incident she was probably the mastermind of.

I patted my pockets, realizing I’d left my phone in the ballroom.

And then I heard it. A few feet away, but I heard it.

Another creak in the floor.

I was paralyzed, frozen in place as my head swam with not knowing what to do. I tried to swallow but my throat had closed.

My mouth tried to form the words, but nothing came out.

The floor didn’t move again, and I didn’t even breathe as I listened.

Someone was there.

I felt it. The presence was heavy, and it was there.

It wasn’t a sound I could describe, though. Their heartbeat? The slow, nearly silent intake of breath. A joint in their body shifting.

It’s Arion. It’s Arion. It’s…

Bile burned my throat.

I finally forced the words out. “Who…who is that?” I stammered. “The...um…” I tried to swallow. My mouth was so dry. “The…the party stays down at the pool. You’re not supposed to be in the house.”

I should’ve bolted out the door, but if someone actually broke in, I wouldn’t get anywhere. Not without being able to run the shortcut I was never able to take anymore without tripping over something in the yard.

I took a step left, inching back into the kitchen. Toward the cutlery.

Not that it gave me any better chance, but…

I took another step, feeling him—or her—watching me. Mere feet away.

They were there. Were they matching my steps, moving in as I moved backward? I tried to listen, but my pulse in my ears was too damn loud.

I took another step.

“This isn’t funny.” My voice shook. “You getting your kicks or something? Get out of my house.”

Another step.

Who was it? I felt lightheaded, my mind and heart racing.

And as I fumbled for the drawer at my side with one hand and shot out my other to protect myself, a breath hit my ear from behind.

“Boo,” he breathed out.

I gasped, crying out and running as I pushed off the island and bolted through the kitchen. I scrambled for the back door, but it was suddenly pushed closed just as I reached it, and I fell onto the floor, instantly scurrying in the other direction, back toward the foyer and the front door.

My phone. My fucking phone. I wouldn’t have time to stop for it.

Seriously, if this was a fucking prank, I was going to kill my sister.

It was a clear shot to the front door, so I ran. My hands slammed into the door, I grabbed the handle and yanked it open, and raced through, taking a single step outside.

But just then, an arm circled my waist, catching me mid-step, and pulled me back in, shutting the door.

I cried out as the tall body behind me now fixed both arms around me, holding my arms down, and pressed me into the door to contain my struggles.

“Damon?” I choked out. “Damon, is that you?”

Even though I was sure there were several people who might get off on a good prank—especially at Arion’s behest—he was the first one I thought of. It didn’t even occur to me he’d be here tonight, especially with the order to stay away from me, but it was entirely possible he showed up for the party, right?

“This isn’t funny!” I shouted.

I kicked at the door, trying to push off it and back into him, but he just picked me up and moved me away. He released me, and my hands shot up to touch the wall.

The corner. He put us in the corner, next to the ballroom.

I whipped around, now free, and veered around him to get away. But he was there, stepping in front of me again.

My chest rose and fell, working double-time, as I shot to the other side and tried to get out of there.

But again, he was there.

I backed up, shaking my head. “Who are you? What is this?”

Why wasn’t he talking?

I inhaled a shaky breath through my nose, but I didn’t smell the smoke on him I smelled on Damon the other day. Damon smoked all the time from what others said. Was it not him?

“What?” I bellowed. “What do you want?”

But he just stood there.

I bared my teeth, anger rising. And then I shoved at his chest.

He barely moved.

I growled and went ape shit, whipping my hands across his face and pounding my fists into his chest, but he didn’t answer me, and he didn’t try to stop me. I darted left again, trying to get out, but he slid in front of me, and when I veered right, it was the same. He wouldn’t let me go. He was a wall.

My chin trembled. “Who…who are you?”

He didn’t utter a word, though. All I heard were the breaths pouring into his lungs and exhaling, the sound deafening, because he was right fucking there in front of me. Like an animal, unable to communicate but could clearly eat and breathe.

God, who are you?

I shoved my whole body into him and opened my mouth and screamed as loud as I could. “Help! Help me!”

I grunted, trying to budge him as I shouted.

But then his whisper hit my ear. “They can’t hear you.”

And the softness of his voice was all the scarier, because the words came down like a verdict with an eerie calmness and resolution that made my stomach twist.

They can’t hear you.

I couldn’t help the tears that pooled. Jesus Christ.

“What do you want?” I cried.

I couldn’t slow my breathing, dragging in more air and more air and the sound being the only thing I could hear in the room. He was so fucking calm. Was this entertaining?

“What do you want?!” I yelled.

I let my eyes fall closed, tears streaming and realizing it could be hours before Arion made it back up to the house, and no one at the party needed to come up here. There was the pool house with the bathroom, and it had a small kitchen that was stocked with all the snacks and drinks they’d need.

A golf ball rose in my throat, and I felt like I was going to vomit. I shook my head, my fight dead. “What do you want?”

I felt his hand touch my hair, and then the ribbon was pulled and all my hair fell from its ponytail.

“Oh, God.” I start batting at him and trying to get his hands off me. “Just stop. Please stop.”

I fell to a squat, partially to get away from him and partially because I felt sick. I clamped my hand over my mouth to try to sustain the rolling of my stomach.

“It’s a joke,” I said to myself, losing my fucking mind. “You’re doing this as a joke. It’s just a joke.” I started shaking. “It’s a joke.”

I felt him squat down in front of me, his breath close again. “Then why aren’t you laughing?” he whispered.

I snarled, getting angry again.

Why was he whispering? Did that mean I knew him? Was he afraid I’d recognize his voice?