"I guess you won't be staying the night then?"

Felix is in the tree above me, stretched out languidly on his back along a wide branch. There's a book in his hand.

He jumps down and lands right in front of me in one swift graceful movement, and I stumble backwards, until my back is pressed up against the huge tree trunk. He leans forward, placing the palm of his hand against the wood right next to me, leaning down until his hazel eyes are just inches away from my own.

"How much do they know?" He says.

He must be talking about the phone call. Does he know it was Jamie?

"Nothing," I say.

He leans closer in, as if to lock me down, maybe trying to intimidate me. Scare the truth out of me. But the thing is, I'm already telling the truth. I haven't told anyone where Fable is or what they're doing.

If there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping secrets.

"Tell me what's going on." He says, his eyes glinting in the scattered light. "Something's wrong. I can tell."

He doesn't say it in a comforting way, like he wants to help. He says it like it's an annoyance. Like I'm an annoyance.

"I don't exactly know what's going on," I say, wishing I had the courage to lift my hand and slap him. Not that I can imagine myself ever actually doing something like that. But if there's anyone in the world who deserves a solid slap in the face, it's definitely him.

"I phoned to let my mom know I wouldn't be coming home tonight, but my friend answered," I say, averting my eyes so I don't have to look him in the face. "She seemed really freaked out. I think something's wrong."

Without warning, Felix swoops in closer, and grasps my chin, tilting my face up to his. With our faces less than inch apart, he stares intently into my eyes.

After a few seconds of his penetrating gaze, I feel a hot blush creeping across my cheeks. I twist to the side, trying to turn my face away, but he grabs my chin harder and forces me to face him again. His eyes are hard and unblinking as they peer into my own with a ruthless intensity.

It's like he's trying to read my mind.

By the time he lets go and takes a step back, my whole face feels like it's on fire.

I reflexively shrink back against the tree and cross my arms across my chest, while he looks away and runs his hand through his dark hair, the intense gaze replaced with the same cold, disinterested expression he usually wears.

"I'll walk you home," he says. Before I can respond, his hand is around my wrist, and he's dragging me behind him, away from the clearing and into the forest.

I stumble along behind him for a moment before digging my heels into the dirt, pulling him to a sudden halt.

"I don't need an escort," I say, struggling to free myself from his grip. "Really. Just let go."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

His hand tightens around my wrist for a moment before he frees me.

"I'm not letting you walk alone," he says.

WTF? It's not like this would be the first time I do this trip on my own.

"Seriously Felix, I'm ok–"

"No," he says, "It's getting late. It'll be dark soon."

His eyes subtly dart around the forest surrounding us, and I notice a stiffness, an alertness, in his posture. Like he's on guard. Is he seeing something I'm not seeing?

I scrutinize our surroundings but there's nothing there, just an army of moss-encrusted tree trunks, and thick vegetation stretching out into the late afternoon shade.

"You have two choices," Felix says, stepping forward and getting way too close to me again. His breath is hot against my ear. "First option – let me walk with you back to your place. Second option – return with me to the cabin. What are you going to do?"

Without even thinking, I place both of my hands on his chest and push him away roughly. He barely budges, and instead I go stumbling backwards, and land on my butt in a bed of ferns.

I expect him to laugh, but he just stares down at me, like I'm the stupidist girl in the world.

I immediately spring to my feet and begin dusting myself off, hanging my head low to hide the deep blush burning on my cheeks.

"Fine, I give up," I say. "Walk me home. Whatever."

And with that I charge past him, through the trees and into the dark forest.

*****

The sunlight is almost gone by the time we reach the quiet maple-lined streets of my suburb. We walked in silence the whole way, not a single word passing between us.

If it were anyone else, I'd be worrying that maybe they're upset with me. But this is Felix Lockhart – world-renowned jerk, arrogant elitist and the guy who made an E! Entertainment host cry live on TV one time. I haven't seen the video clip, but I heard that she asked a question he thought was stupid, and he ripped her to shreds. It went viral, and cemented his reputation as meanest guy alive, which actually just helped his popularity with his masochistic fangirls.

Yup. Probably better that we don't try to make small talk.

As we turn the corner into my road, I realize that a few of my neighbors are out and about. Mrs. Peters is poking around with a trowel in the soil under her bay tree, and she raises her hand in greeting as I walk past. I wave back, and she goes back to her gardening, oblivious to the fact that I'm walking alongside one of the most famous people on the planet.

Even if she did know who he was – which is likely, even though she's pushing seventy – she probably wouldn't recognize him, with his hoodie pulled down low and dark glasses hiding his face.

I guess he doesn't want a repeat of what happened the first time he came to visit.

Still, he's risking a lot coming out in the open like this. The hoodie and shades routine might fool Mrs. Peters, but it wouldn't work on my younger neighbors if they were to spot him.

Tammy and Sam from across the road recognized him the moment they saw him. Even with his face hidden, they'll know.

His height, the dark messy hair peeping out from under the hoodie, his stride, the stiff yet graceful posture, and the air of cool, predatory confidence he seems to radiate.

Felix Lockhart is unmistakable.

This is stupid. Someone's going to recognize him. The band's cover is going to get blown. We need to get out of sight, stat.

I quicken my pace, hurrying along the sidewalk towards my driveway, ready to pull Felix into the bushes at the first sign of a potential Fable fan.

Felix is right next to me, sticking to my side like a shadow.

Stepping into my driveway, I notice Jamie's sixteenth birthday present, the brand new Volvo she got last month, parked next my mom's Kia. More surprisingly, there's a white station wagon parked next to it.

It takes me a moment to click.

That's Grace's mom's car. What on earth is she doing here?

The front door is slightly ajar, which is totally normal for my house – but I can't hold back the rush of foreboding that trickles over me.

I try not to let the worry show on my face, but somehow, Felix knows.

He stops me a moment before I walk through the front door.

"Wait for me here," Felix says.

I watch him disappear through the door, and I stand fidgeting on the front porch, fighting the urge to burst in after him.

It's my house after all. Why's he calling the shots?

After only a few seconds of waiting, I decide to follow him.

As I walk through the front door, high-pitched screaming tears through the house.

It's coming from the kitchen.

I run.