Something heavy pressed against my chest as I watched Grey walk away. The echo of his footsteps lingered long after he disappeared, and the weight in my heart deepened. I should’ve felt relieved, maybe even safe, but instead I was more confused than ever.

Clara had told me Grey tried to kill Brian. Grey, on the other hand, had looked me dead in the eye and denied it. He hadn’t even flinched. And though his coldness always unsettled me, there was something about him a shadow, a hurt that made me want to believe him.

Pain recognizes pain. And Grey wore his like a second skin.

Then there was the other thing he’d said. He didn’t have a brother. But Clara had insisted Brian was his brother. One of them was lying, and I had no idea why.

What was I missing?

“Iria,” Clara’s sharp voice snapped me back. She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. “What was that about? I told you not to talk to Grey again. Do you even understand how dangerous he is? Why do you keep letting yourself get tangled up with him?”

I shook my head quickly. “He came to me. I didn’t go looking for him. And… Clara, he actually helped me when Kent wouldn’t leave me alone. I told Kent I didn’t want to dance, but he kept pushing.”

Clara waved a hand like she was brushing away a fly. “Kent’s always like that. You know how he gets when he’s been drinking. He didn’t mean any harm.”

Her words froze me in place. My stomach twisted. Was she serious? Did she really think my discomfort didn’t matter?

Grey’s warning replayed in my mind his suspicion about Clara, the way his voice had carried something more than anger. A strange knot tightened in my chest.

Did Clara really not care about me? Or was she pretending?

“Iria,” Clara snapped her fingers in front of my face, jolting me. “What are you thinking about? You get lost in your head so often it’s starting to scare me.”

“Oh, I just ” I fumbled, my throat tight. “I was just thinking about something. Clara… I don’t feel comfortable here anymore. Can we please leave? I want to go back.”

She was my ride. I couldn’t leave without her.

Clara sighed, her expression softening for just a second before her lips curved into a small frown. “What could possibly be so bad about this party? Everyone’s having fun. Why do you always try to spoil things?”

The words stung like a slap. I wasn’t trying to ruin her night. I just wanted to breathe without feeling like shadows were watching me from every corner.

I opened my mouth but closed it again. She wouldn’t understand.

“You know what,” Clara said, straightening. “Just wait a little longer. I’m sure we’ll leave soon.”

She smiled at me as if that settled it. I forced a nod, clinging to her promise. Just a little longer, I told myself.

“Iria?” A voice called my name, warm and familiar.

I turned and my breath caught. Brian.

Clara had mentioned he’d be here, but actually seeing him made my pulse trip. His smile was easy, genuine, and it made me forget, if only for a moment, the heaviness pressing in around me.

“Brian,” I said, my own smile slipping out before I could stop it. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I didn’t expect to see you either,” he said with a playful tilt of his head. “You don’t really strike me as the party type. You seem more like someone who keeps to herself.”

Heat crept up my neck, and I looked down, suddenly shy. “You’re right. I didn’t want to come. Clara talked me into it. She said I wouldn’t regret it.”

“I brought her here,” Clara chimed in, practically glowing as she slipped into the conversation like she’d been waiting for her cue.

I almost rolled my eyes.

“Well, then I guess I owe you,” Brian said, flashing her a quick smile before turning his gaze back to me. “Otherwise, I might not have had the fortune of running into Ava tonight.”

Ava. The name still felt strange, though I knew he meant me. His eyes lingered, warm and steady, and I felt something melt inside me.

That smile of his… It was dangerous.

I shifted on my feet, suddenly restless. “Honestly, I’m already tired. I just want to go home.”

Parties weren’t what people made them out to be. Loud music, fake smiles, strangers pressing in on you. It wasn’t my world, and I knew I didn’t want to do this again.

Brian exhaled softly, like he’d been waiting for someone to say it. “I feel the same way. Every time I come, I have to act like I know everyone, like I belong here. But it’s exhausting.”

I blinked at him in surprise. That wasn’t what I expected. Brian always looked so at ease, always seemed like he thrived in this kind of environment.

“What?” I asked, wide-eyed. “You don’t like it? But you’re… well, you’re the most popular guy in school.”

He chuckled, the sound low and warm. “So you’ve been watching me, huh?”

My cheeks burned. “That’s not Clara talking about you all the time. That’s how I know.”

Brian tilted his head, studying me for a moment. Then he sighed, softer this time. “Being popular… sometimes it feels like living someone else’s life. Like I’m playing a part I never auditioned for. Honestly, I don’t even want most of it.”

My lips parted, but no words came out. Was he really saying this? Did he mean his popularity, or was he hinting at something deeper?

Before I could ask, he extended his hand toward me, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

“Dance with me?”

I glanced at the dance floor. Bodies moved like shadows under the flashing lights, pressed against each other, spinning and swaying. The music pounded in my chest, and the thought of joining them made my stomach twist.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I murmured.

Clara gasped dramatically, nudging me so hard I almost stumbled. “What? Are you seriously turning Brian down? He’s asking you to dance, Iria! You can’t say no.”

I’d forgotten she was still standing there.

Brian’s hand lingered in front of me, his eyes steady, almost reassuring. “Come on. I won’t let go. You’ll be fine.”

For reasons I couldn’t explain, I let him lead me.

The moment his hand closed around mine, the crowd and noise seemed to blur. He guided me onto the dance floor, where the music wrapped around us like a spell.

He twirled me, and for a second I almost laughed. Then his hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer until our bodies brushed together. The contact sent a shiver racing down my spine.

The pull was magnetic. Wrong, yet impossible to resist. With every beat of the music, it grew stronger.

Suspicion pricked at me. This wasn’t just attraction. It felt… primal.

I lifted my gaze to Brian’s face. His expression had shifted. His smile was gone, replaced by something unreadable, something that made my breath hitch.

And then, suddenly, he grinned. His eyes glinted as he leaned close, his voice sharp against the pounding music.

“Mate.”

The word sliced through me like lightning.

I froze.