It had been a week.

A week of intentionally avoiding someone, Jameson figuring out new information on Toby, and Ethan bragging about his discovery.

Ethan was annoying but it helped him ignore other problems in his life.

I spent this week working on my cold case.

It is going nowhere. Everything I find out about Amerie turns out to be rumours and simply not true. Her parents also have nothing to do with the situation considering that her mother and stepdad have footage of neither of them leaving the home and her father is dead. Everything about this was wrong. The girl was stabbed 17 times. At that point the kill is personal. Full of hatred.

I'd visited the spot of death again. Nothing.

Whoever the killer has had the online persona of Daniel Brown. I just had to find them.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

Jameson - Rooftop

Annabelle - Fine

—---------------------------------------------------------

Jameson had already been there for a while before I arrived. He was standing by the edge of the rooftop. He was smiling to himself. A smile I knew far too well. A smile that was only used when he was about to crack the puzzle wide open.

For the past week, he had been going on about how Avery knew something more about Toby and he just had to get her to say something. I told him multiple times that she really didn't know anything more and yet he was still convinced that I just couldn't see it.

I knew more about Toby than Avery did. I just couldn't say anything.

If this was another puzzle there was no way I could spoil it. The last one got everyone back together. This puzzle could solidify it. Plus I didn't even have to lie. I would just tell fractions of the truth. Or say nothing.

"Ask me what I did?" Jameson spoke as I stepped next to him.

"What did you do?" I gave him a look of annoyance.

His smile turned wicked, "I made a bet."

I see the glint in his eye and the slight upturn of his lips. The excitement of Jameson's face is apparent. He is also convinced he is going to win whatever this bet is.

"Do I want to know what this bet is?"

He turned his head fully to stare at me directly, "I think you already know?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Toby?" his eyes shifted away from mine, "Jameson why do you think you're going to win?"

His smile spread wider, "Because I have you."

My face slipped into a frown, "You have me? I'm automatically of your team?"

"Anyone else wants you on their team?" He taunted looking rather triumphant. It was stupid because I could be on anyone's team or even make my own team if that's what I wanted.

I fiddled with the ends of my hair. It was bothering me today. It didn't sit right when I put it up.

"Fine," I stated, "I'll be on your team." I took a step back from him and waited till he turned around again, "Only if we play Five Minutes."

Five Minutes was a game I invented when we were younger and Jameson refused to shut up when I was trying to read. When the person called 'five minutes' the opponent couldn't talk for that duration of time. Unfortunately, Jameson decided that was too boring so he added a twist. After the five minutes was over the player who called it was subjected to a dare that they had to complete. The game only stopped if the person started talking when the five minutes weren't over or they refused to do the dare.

We hadn't played in a while since we were fifteen.

Nash banned it after my arm and three ribs broke leading me to get surgery after a dare from Jameson.

Jameson smirked, "You can call it first."

A smile rested on my face, "I'm waiting for the right moment."

"So you're on my team?" the one wicked smile turned lopsided. He was worried I'd say no.

"Well as it seems I am always on your side," I turned to leave, "See you at the game."

A puzzled look flashed on his face, "I thought you were coming with me."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm going with my brother."

"I'm coming too."

I turned back around, to stare directly at him, "Seriously."

He flashed a Cheshire cat smile, "When am I not?"

—---------------------------------

"Anna, do you have to bring one of those every time?"

"This one of 'those' brings all the fun," Jameson proceeded to fire back.

I couldn't help but groan. The two of them were going to be insufferable. Ethan loved to bicker and Jameson would get wrapped up in the argument.

"Be civil," I told Ethan, "Keep your mouth shut."

Ethan crossed his arms and frowned. "I have every right to talk, especially since he follows you around like a lost puppy." 

I pressed my hands to my eyes, "I actually cannot stand either of you."

Ethan looked around me to talk to Jameson, "What happened to her?"

"Something about an evil stylist who hates her," Jameson shrugged looking unbothered.

The stylist calls me disgusting because of the scars on my collarbone. She was horrified by the fact that I simply didn't care that they were there. She edited my outfit three times before finally realising she could cover them up with makeup like every other stylist did for me.

If I am given her again Alisa will suffer.

"Where is your dad Ethan?" I asked skimming past the other topic. 

Guilt flashes across his face, "Um we had a fight."

"So he left to go by himself."

"Yeah," Ethan gives me a wonky smile. I can tell he's upset by it. Derrick is an amazing person. He genuinely cares about everyone but because he does things that Ethan does hurts him—more than they should.

"Are we going to the game?" Jameson asks.

I debate the question. I don't particularly want to go watch a bunch of grown men wrestle each other while pretending to be interested in old people's conversation but if I don't go Alsia will have my head on a stick because 'I'm not participating in the expansion of my image'.

"I'm not driving," I say as I walk towards the car's front seat.

A sigh of relief escapes Ethan's lips, "My luck has turned."

—------------------------------------

The second we arrived, I regretted my decision to show up. I was pulled into many conversations with horrible, utterly unlikable people. It hurt my head to see their reactions when others outperformed them.

Jameson disappeared rather fast completely avoiding every conversation that people tried to throw at him.

Ethan stayed close to me. I watched as his eyes roamed around as he was searching for his dad. Who was nowhere to be found? After a while, he left because a couple came over to talk to me. The two of them were rich and fake waiting for all the gossip to be spilt.

"So you have to tell me something," The man said, "What did you do to get all that money?"

I let out a dry fake laugh, "I have no clue."

"Oh you have to sweetie," His wife giggled. "Oooh and you must tell us about Avery too."

"Sorry to interrupt," a rough voice spoke from behind me, I felt myself tense as they placed a hand on my shoulder. Grayson. It was just Grayson. "I just need to steal her for one second."

The lady smiled, "You must tell me later."

I waited till the couple walked off before I turned to face him.

"What do you want?"

His gaze was stern and slightly concerned, "You are ignoring me."

"Avoiding is not the same as ignoring," I stated purposefully averting his eyes. The action was simple but I could tell he noticed.

"Why?"

"I think you know why."

Before I could even think about leaving his hand clapped around mine. It was gentle, he was waiting for me to pull away. He just knew it would happen. I forced myself to look directly at him. I could never understand how someone could hold so much emotion in their eyes.

I sighed, "Grayson I'm sorry, I-"

Before I could finish, Ethan walked right up beside us, "I was attacked."

I pulled my hand away from Grayson's grip, "What the hell Ethan?"

"Sorry I spoiled your moment or whatever, but I need some support," he countered with a wide, knowing grin. Nothing was wrong with him. Someone definitely just made a dumb comment, and now he's trying to cause problems.

"How were you attacked?" Grayson was amused by the statement. Something I never thought would happen.

My brother took it deep and then frowned, "I don't think I can talk about it yet."

I wanted to scream, "Then how about we talk about it later."

"Okay," He looked towards Grayson, pulling a face I knew far too well, "You know for a second I almost thought you cared. Then I remember it was you."

I saw the bit of sadness before he could even try to hide it. Ethan didn't notice. No one but me.

"I don't think you are capable of being serious about anything," Gryaosn said sternly, his eyes glowering.

"If my parents wanted me to be serious they wouldn't have named me Ethan," I could hear the intentional taunting in his voice. He was trying to bait him into a fight, "They would have named me-"

"Don't finish that sentence," I made sure my voice was harsh, "And don't start whinging because I've had enough today."

Ethan shook his head, "How are you both more serious than my actual parents?"

"Go away."

"Fine Anna, only because I'm finding my real dad," He shot a look at Grayson before he left.

I felt the mood shift right after he did. The lightheartedness in the air was removed and replaced with the realness of our situation.

I needed to get away from him.

"I'm going to make sure he doesn't do something dumb."

"Annabelle," His gaze was softer than before, "Are you okay?"

"No."