We stood in the dimly lit tunnel as racers revved their engines. It had been the 4th race so the fumes that once bothered me seemed normal. Gina stood on one side of me and Matt stood on the other, as we approached them. Grayson looked up briefly to make eye contact before putting out his cigarette. He was leaning against one side, smoking, and listening to Link who was on a blue motorcycle ramble on about his new crush.

"Her hair smells of vanilla lavender, I never knew something could be so sweet." Link says, clearly infatuated.

Gina doesn't meet a beat as she says, "Awww. Is she the one, Link?" She puts her arm around his shoulder and adds with a grin, "for the week?"

Link shrugs off her arm and looks around us as if looking for something or someone. Then he says, "Wait? Where is your boyfriend of the month?"

Gina glares at him and talking through her teeth says, "Shut up."

He looks at us and continues, "did you guys know our little Gina was in a serious relationship? A whole one monthiversary."

We all look at Gina with wide eyes, the thing about Gina is that she didn't date. The longest she had dated someone was for 2 weeks. She also had the habit of keeping things hushed, so it was rare to hear about a boyfriend and a one-month anniversary.

Matt is the first to break the silence, "I thought you liked me more. Definitely more than Link."

"Hey," Link objects.

"I do," Gina says, earning another hey from Link. She huffs and takes out her own cigarette as Grayson nods me over. She lights the flame and he wraps his arms around me, his jacket engulfing me protectively. We give her a moment, all of us anxiously anticipating her words. Then she shrugs and says, "he only found out because he grabbed my phone," stressing the next part, "without permission."

Oddly enough, this was her being calm. When she was calm, it only meant she was excited. I squeal and go hug her, making her drop her cigarette. "Gina," I tell her with a wide grin, "you really like him, don't you?"

I can see her avoid eye contact as she places her hands in her pocket and stomps on the cigarette lying motionless on the ground. She looks up to meet my eyes, slowly and cautiously before nodding a little bit.

I squeal in happiness for her and start saying, "we should go on a double date-" when a familiar figure appears.

"Gina, you're cheating on me?" he says with a hand to his heart, "how rude."

Gina rolls her eyes at him as I feel Graysons hand on my arm, pulling me a bit closer to him. The action doesn't go unnoticed by Jace who quickly zooms into his hand and grins like a Cheshire cat.

His mischievous glint isn't missed by Grayson either and he asks in a deadly tone, "What do you want, Jace?"

Jace's smile doesn't waver as he lifts his gaze to meet mine briefly, before shifting to Graysons. I had never realized how intense Jace's presence felt. His dark emerald eyes hold a burning intensity of wanting to burn everything in his path. His black hair was styled in a boyish style, which was the opposite of what his whole demeanor portrayed. His smile only made him look more sinister. I could feel the suffocating presence that I never noticed before because there was always something else happening. However, right now, I felt my skin crawling with the need to get away.

"I want your girl," he tells him and looks back over at me, raising an eyebrow.

I can feel Grayson move me behind him, hidden from his view. However, I can see Jace's face as I peek over Grayson's body. His face has gone slack as he looks at Grayson. "That wasn't very nice, Grayson," Jace says in an unamused tone.

"You're not touching her," Grayson spits out in anger.

Jace gives a pout, which only unnerves me. "Who said anything about touching her?" He says, confused. Then he smiles, "No buddy. I don't want her forever. Just for this brief moment."

"You have nothing to say to her," Grayson says.

Jace puts his hands in his bomber jacket pocket and shrugs, "sure I do. Tons to say."

"Like what?" I say as I step out of Grayson's side. I can see Grayson look at me, pleading to not move, but my curiosity gets the better of me.

Jace's smile gets wider, if it is even possible as he looks at me. You always hear about how some things happen so quickly, but until you experience those heart-wrenching moments, it all feels like you have all the time in the world. When he grabbed Gina and pressed the sharp blade to her neck, making sure to grab her hands behind his back with one arm, my world seemed to have stopped. The movements were swift, but the outcome was causing prolonged agony.

"Amelia, we've played a game before. We can play another. Higher steaks this time."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion before it dawns on me and I state more than ask, "you were the clown at the carnival."

He winks, "bingo."

"But-"

He shakes his head at my talking. Then nods me over, "come here and take sweet Gina's place for me."

Like the pied piper, he had executed his well-thought-out music, and I followed. I took one step and even freed myself from Grayson who placed a hand to stop me. I wasn't going to let him take out his anger on my friend. Jace's smile never falters, but his intense gaze could set a village ablaze. As soon as I reach him, he throws Gina to the guys, who all try to catch her, and replaces her spot with me. I can feel the sharp knife cutting into my skin as he leans closer to my ear.

"I'm not going to hurt you unless you make me, Amelia. I'm only trying to help you out." He raises his hand and says, "scouts honor."

I glare at him. "Whatever," I say and find my gaze on Grayson who seems to want to throw a fit. I mouth, It's okay. His gaze softens but I know it's not enough to ease his mind. "So," I say to Jace," what do you want from me?"

He looks down at me, "I'm not the bad guy, Amelia. I promise. I just wanted to come and have a little chat with my friends."

I can see Grayson take a step closer and Jace tightens the knife even more before flickering his eyes to meet him. "Don't try my patience, Grayson. You know it runs very thin." I can see Grayson clench his jaw but nods. "Better," is all Jace says. His eyes turn to Gina and he gives her a tisk as she still rubs her throat. "Such a pretty throat. I bet your boyfriend Andrew appreciates it. He liked to talk about all the things you let him do, Gina." His laugh comes out as a slow chuckle and he gives her a wink, "I remember when we used to do that."

My gaze shifts to Gina. She used to sleep with this asshole.

"We used to be best friends, Amelia. I told you," Jace says, clearly noticing my gaze. He grins his sinister grin and tilts his head as he says, "Grayson was my little bitch."

"Stop being an asshole and tell us what you want."

Jace ignores him and stays focused on me. With his deep voice, he says, "did Grayson ever tell you how he got those scars?"

"Jace," Grayson warns but is ignored again.

He leans in to place his head on my shoulder, where his piercing eyes go right through Grayson, and whispers to me, "We're more connected than you think, Amelia."

I'm about to ask him about sending me the texts and the newsletter every year when he shakes his head as if he knows what I am going to ask. Then he whispers again, "This night isn't about us." He lifts his head up and nods towards Grayson. "It's about how Grayson probably didn't tell you what he did, the nights he disappeared." He looks at Grayson, his eyes dancing with craziness. "Or did you? Did you tell her how you begged me to find out who had your father killed? How you became indebted to me all because you felt like dying again." He points at the visible bruises on Grayson, "All those bruises that are healing isn't because he can't fight, it's because he wouldn't."

"Why are you telling me this?" I croak out. I can feel the tears forming in my eyes. I had known Grayson had been in pain and I couldn't do anything.

"Does it hurt to know that, Amelia?" Jace says, sounding sympathetic. But then, his eyes turn darker, "I'm glad. I did what I came to do." He throws me towards Grayson, and the sharp blade slices my neck a bit.

Grayson looks at me and looks at the cut before his stormy gray eyes look at Jace. "I'm going to kill you," he tells him.

Jace smiles, "No need for all that violence. I got you the information you needed." Jace reaches into his back and pulls out a sealed manila envelope.

I can see Grayson glare at him but reach out his hand to take it. Jace gives him a pitiful look and with his finger, tsks. "Now Grayson, I can't just hand you the envelope, where's the fun in that?

"You already had your fun Jace, and I paid you more than enough when taking the dives for you."

Jace mulls this over, "yea," he finally says, "but tonight I just want one little favor."

"It's never little," Grayson says.

Jace looks taken aback, "sure it is." Then he looks at the racers and fishes out a blindfold, "All I need you to do is race while wearing this blindfold."

"That's suicide," Grayson tells him in a matter-of-fact tone.

Jace shrugs and scrunches his eyebrows, throwing it to him. "If you want the information, I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work." He gives me a wink and walks off. I scrunched up my face but realized something.

Grayson turns around and as he is about to punch the wall I grab his hand. "Hey," I speak softly, "I have an idea." He looks at me in confusion, "I'll be your eyes."

Grayson quickly shakes his head, "No. Amelia," he says adamantly.

"You need that envelope and," I grabbed his face, making sure he was looking at me, "the whole time you were suffering alone. I couldn't help, but this way I can." I give him a quick peck, "Let me help you."

I can see his glossy eyes as he puts a hand on my face, "I can't ask you to do that for me, Amelia."

"Damit, Grayson. I want to." Without another word, I take the blindfold from his hand and begin placing it over his eyes. I cover the gray eyes, filled with fear and confidence, looking at me.

>>>>>

AHHH, are yall excited? 

Also, any theories?