I felt like I was born to be a spy... or at least had the wardrobe for it. All my black clothes came in handy. I had to excuse Nick's comment on having way too many leggings, boys just don't understand.

We crept to the locker room wing, more like I crept and Nick took a stroll.

"Can you see if the room is empty?" I whispered.

Nick nodded before walking a distance from me then going through the wall. He walked out a few moments later.

"All clear."

He walked to the end of the hall before checking if there were any lingering students. "All clear here too. Let's go in."

I walked into the boy's locker room expecting sirens and alarms, but it was quiet.

"Stay close to me," Nick said as he walked to a locker. He put in the combination and it opened. He dug through a jacket and pulled out a phone. I watched him put in a password and unlock it.

He knew it like the back of his hand.

"Is that Trey's?" I asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Yeah."

He clicked his own name first in Trey's messages. Trey was right. He did text him the night he went missing and the next morning trying to reconcile things.

"He wasn't lying," I said. Nick let out a grunt.

I watched him click Amelia's name next. My stomach churned. Was he still not over her?

He kept scrolling down and down, way past the date he went missing.

"What are you looking for?" I asked, but he ignored.

He kept strolling down. I felt a little dirty, the things the two sent each other were not so PG.

Nick swore as he continued scrolling. "How fucking long has this been going on?"

I put a hand around his. "Nick stop. You're only hurting yourself."

"This guy called himself my brother. My relationship with Amelia was always superficial, but Trey... he was my friend. He was supposed to have my back. How do I forgive him for this?" He looked me in the eye. I could see his hurt clearly.

I cupped his cheeks and kissed his lips lightly. "Forgiveness is not for others, it's for ourselves. You forgive because you deserve peace. You deserve freedom from painful burden. Forgive him for yourself. Don't keep hurting yourself like this."

Nick's eyes were a mix of different emotion. He nodded with a tight jaw. "You should write inspirational quotes or something."

I let out a chuckle.

Nick left the conversation and then went back to it so it was back at the top. "See the date? This was today. He's still with Amelia, they're just hiding it from everyone."

"Okay, so he's still a cheating asshole. Nothing's changed. I never had feelings for him to begin with," I told Nick.

His lips tipped up in a smirk. "Because you were too smitten by me?"

I rolled my eyes. "I question my choices every day."

Nick chuckled before wrapping his arms and me and placed his chin on top of my head holding me for a small while. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. For staying by my side. For forgiving me. For giving me a chance. For always saying the right thing. For taking all my bullshit and tantrums. For choosing me. For loving me. For everything."

I hugged him tighter. I've longed for this. For the affirmation of being more. For being worthy. Nick was giving me more than that.

"Thank you too, I guess," I added.

Nick pulled back and raised a brow. "For what?"

"For not haunting me... I guess in a way you did, but for being a cool ghost," I teased.

Nick's lips parted before he threw his head back in laughter. I was going to shush him, the sudden rush of getting caught returning only to realize I would be the only one in trouble.

"Come on, let's hurry up before someone catches me," I told him.

He nodded. Before he could return Trey's phone back to his jacket pocket, it rang. The screen read "Dad". Nick's grip tightened as he glared at the screen.

"What's wrong?"

I remembered Nick's comment on Trey's father also being a cheater.

"Weird feeling in my stomach. No wonder Trey's an ass, his father is like King Asshole," Nick grumbled as he put the phone back.

"Who's locker do we check next?" I asked.

"All of them."

We looked through all the lockers the Nick could open, and when he couldn't I would step away so that he could go through them. I took note of everyone who'd texted they negative comments about Nick post and prior disappearance and began running out of there.

Before I could make it to my car, someone stepped in front of me.

"What are you doing here?" Amelia asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I, uh--"

"Punch her and run," Nick commented. Not helpful.

She took an intimidating step towards me. I never really feared Amelia or was intimidated by how much taller she was than me, but now that I'm feeling trapped and it didn't feel so good.

"Um... I forgot a book in my locker," I lied.

She raised a brow. "Right, so where is it?"

Right... I had no book and no backpack.

"I remembered that I left it at home..."

"You're killing it here," Nick sighed.

I'm just as embarrassed too buddy.

"You're not fooling me Montgomery," Amelia spat. "I know why you're really here."

My heart beat faster. God, here it comes.

"You want Trey. You think you have a chance with him," she said. I almost let out a sigh of relief. "A lot of people have tried coming between us. Let me promise you something Eva, it never ended pretty for anyone. Anyone. And I am warning you, don't underestimate me because I'm pretty. I will get my nails dirty if I have to."

Nick let out a low whistle.

At this moment, I didn't know if I should fear Amelia or just brush her off. The truth was, I didn't care about her or Trey.

"Honestly, Trey did invite me to his game tonight," I told her. "But I don't want him. I have someone better. I wouldn't mind if you relayed that message to him either."

With that, I shoved past her and went home.

Nick was smiling as we walked home— he even whistled a happy tune.

"What's up with you?" I asked curiously.

He looked at my, the corner of his lips tipping upwards. "I liked that you chose me over Trey. That you think that I'm better."

"I like that you are over Amelia," I confessed.

"I think I was into her for like a week, after a week I just felt obligated to be with her... I don't think I ever had feelings for her," he said looking slightly upset. "Wow, some guys are just dogs, huh?"

"Us women have been saying this for quite some time now," I pointed out.

"What a different world it would be if we listened, huh?" he quipped.

I bumped my hip with his.

We finally got back home where we went back to my room. Nick and I were laying on my bed, talking about anything and everything, stealing a few kisses when my dad walked in.

Out of panic, I pushed Nick off the bed-- strong enough that he landed with a thud. "OW!"

My father's eyes widened. "You're here with someone, aren't you?"

"What? Dad--"

He walked to the other side of my bed ducking to look under my bed. Nick scrambled to the wall trying to stay out of reach. My dad stood up again and began looking behind my curtains and even in my closet.

"I swear I heard you talking to someone," he said.

"I was talking to myself dad," I tried. There's no way he could have heard Nick's voice.

His eyes narrowed at me looking unconvinced. "And what was that thud sound?"

"I dropped a textbook," I lied. I gestured for Nick to place my textbook on the floor.

"There is no textbook on the floor," my father said. He ducked to check either way just in time for Nick to place it on the ground.

"This is crazy," Nick whispered for some reason. As of this moment, I wished I was invisible too.

"Huh," my dad huffed. "I could have sworn it wasn't there."

I let out a nervous laugh. "You're getting old, old man."

He let out scoff.

"This getting caught yet not getting caught thing is so exhilarating. I mean it's a little hot. Kind of a turn on," Nick pipped. I could feel a stupid plan coming along. "I wonder...."

God, here we go.

Nick slowly sat on the bed beside me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I elbowed him.

"Why are you turning red?" my father asked me.

I jumped off the bed and began pushing him out. "Nope, nope. We are not doing this any more."

I locked the door behind him only to slump on it. My hand shot to my chest feeling like it might just jump out. That was so close, yet not. God, this is so weird.

"You asshole," I whispered to Nick who was lounging on my bed watching me with amusement. He threw his head back in laughter. Yeah, yeah, laugh it all up.

"Awe, don't be mad babe," he gave me cheshire smile. He didn't look guilty at all. "I'll make it up to you."

"Yeah?" I raised a brow, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

He beckoned me with his finger. I walked to my bed awaiting his answer. "Come on, tell me your fantasies. I'm down to do the nasties."

I picked up my pillow and smacked him on the side of his head. "You are disgusting."

This only made him laugh harder. "I'm joking woman sheesh."

"Why do I have a feeling you're not going to stop?"

His grin grew wider. "Are you kidding me? It's like my new favourite game. See how much I could make you squirm in front of your father until he questions what's going on."

"Don't you dare!"

I knew my words had no effect, he had made his mind up.

"I swear Nick, I'm--"

He shut me up by claiming my lips in what had to be one of his best breath taking kisses leaving me dizzy. "It won't be so bad."

"For you," my voice came out breathless, I was only partially getting control over myself.

He smirked. "Or for you."

I gave him a death stare.

"Fine, fine. Name a price," he said.

God, he really was not letting this down.

I put a finger to my chin pretending to ponder, but I knew what I wanted.

"I want to read some of your work. Your writing," I said.

His cheeks turned pink. Look who's squirming now. "You know I don't feel comfortable sharing my work."

My brow raised. "How are you going to be a writer if no one's going to read what you write?"

"I, uh--"

"Come on," I said grabbing his hand in mine. "For me? I'm dying with curiosity. We already know everything else about each other."

We've been talking a lot during the past few weeks. We've learned everything about each other from favourite colours to biggest fears. It was just easy to talk to him. For once, I didn't have any walls up.

"Fine," he groaned. "But you looking at me like that is basically cheating."

I tapped his angry nose. "You being invisible is basically cheating too, so I'd say we're even."

"Okay, okay fine. They're in my room. Some are on my laptop on my desk and I have a journal in the top drawer in my desk. My parents haven't touched my room, they think it makes it too real," he said, his voice croaking towards the end. I wrapped my arms around him pulling him closer to me. Nick dug his head in the crook of my neck.

"I just-- I feel so bad for them," he sniffled. "I just want them to know I'm okay. That I'm happy. I want them to find their peace."

"Hey now," I rubbed his back soothingly. "Time heals all wounds. They'll find their peace eventually."

My stomach churned just thinking about it. We needed to work harder to figure this out. It wasn't fair to Mr. and Mrs. Leighton. We were out here enjoying our time in this weird yet blissful dream, while they were breaking apart each day.

I should visit them tomorrow. My father goes from day to day, but I always felt guilty going. I could see and talk to their son and I couldn't tell them.

The only way any of us would find any peace is if we find out what happened to Nick, or at least find his body.

But what happens when we find his body?

Will Nick move on?

Will he stay?

If he does stay, what then?

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