Aria's POV

My heart races as I crouch behind the lockers, invisible but far from safe. Jack and Brent are so close. Too close. The pounding of my heart drowns out everything else, making it hard to focus on anything but the thud that escaped me just a few moments ago. I bite my lip, pressing myself tighter against the cool tile, hoping—praying—they didn't hear it.

But then, Jack's voice cuts through the silence, low and suspicious. "Did you hear that?"

I swallow hard. If they find me now... if they see me like this... My mind spins, grasping at straws, trying to hold onto my invisibility while panic bubbles up inside me. If they find out... no, I can't let them find out. Everything I've been hiding, everything I am—ripped apart in seconds.

Jack's footsteps echo, growing closer. I can feel him. He's just a few feet away. He's not stopping. He's not going to let this go.

Please don't come any closer. Please don't see me.

The tension in the air thickens as his voice breaks through again, this time more frustrated. "That's odd. I swear I heard something."

His suspicion hangs heavy, like a shadow creeping over me. I've seen that look in his eyes before—like he's piecing together a puzzle I'm not ready to let him solve. And now, I'm part of that puzzle.

"I don't see anything," Brent's voice finally says, his footsteps shuffling beside Jack's. "We should get out of here before we're late."

I hold my breath, my body tense as Jack hesitates. He's searching for something, even if he doesn't know what. His eyes sweep the room again, and I can almost feel his frustration tightening in the space between us. Every second that passes feels like a lifetime. If he takes one more step...

Finally, he sighs, his voice carrying a hint of reluctance. "Yeah. Let's go."

I wait, frozen, as their footsteps fade away, the door to the locker room swinging shut behind them. Only then do I release the breath I'd been holding, my knees weak from the tension.

Slowly, I let myself become visible again, my tail flicking against the floor. I've only got seconds. My fingers curl, and I summon the heat, drying off as quickly as I can. The warmth spreads through my legs, and with it, they reappear—fully human again.

I push myself up, shaky and desperate. I peek out from behind the lockers, my breath catching as I check the hallway. Empty. Safe.

Just as I think I'm in the clear, I round the corner—and slam straight into Jack.

My heart jumps into my throat. His eyes widen, and Brent stares, just as confused.

"Aria?" Jack frowns, glancing around the hallway. "Where did you come from?"

Panic flares in my chest. "I-I was just... in the hallway." My voice is too rushed, too shaky, and I know it. Jack's frown deepens, suspicion flickering across his face.

Brent glances between us, his brows furrowing. "No way. We didn't see you anywhere."

"You must've... missed me." My words stumble, betraying me, but I force a smile, trying to look as casual as possible. "I was just leaving."

Just when I think the silence will stretch into something unbearable, Eli's voice breaks through.

"Aria! There you are," he calls, appearing from seemingly nowhere. His calm demeanor is too perfect, too practiced, but I don't care. He's my lifeline right now. "You forgot this."

He hands me my notebook, and I grab it, feeling the weight of the moment slipping away as Eli steps in front of me, blocking Jack's view. The tension in the air is palpable, thick with things left unsaid. Jack's eyes narrow, his gaze moving between me and Eli. He knows something's up, even if he can't quite put his finger on it.

Eli gives a tight smile, his body language easy, but his eyes... they're sharp, protective. "Come on, Aria," he says, guiding me away. "We should head out."

I nod quickly, not daring to look back at Jack or Brent as we hurry down the hallway. My legs feel shaky, and the weight of what almost just happened presses down on me. I can feel Jack's gaze burning into my back, and with every step, the dread grows heavier.

He knows. He knows something's wrong.

As we turn the corner, I chance a glance back. Jack's still watching. Still thinking. Still too close.

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Jack's POV

As she disappears down the hall with Eli, something gnaws at me. That thud... Aria's sudden appearance... The way she looked at me, like she was trying to hide something.

I glance at Brent, who shrugs. "That was weird, right?"

I nod, frustration burning in my chest. "Yeah. Real weird."

I don't know what it is yet, but something's going on with her. I can feel it. I'm not walking away this time.

Whatever Aria's hiding... I'm going to find out.

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Aria's POV

As soon as we get outside, I feel like I can breathe again, but only just. My heart is still pounding from how close that was—too close. My legs feel shaky, and it takes everything I have not to collapse into the nearest bench.

"Eli, how did you know?" I ask, my voice barely steady.

He glances at me, concern etched into his face. "I saw you when you were leaving the library. I was going to catch up with you, maybe hang out at The Cozy Corner. Then I saw the water spill... saw you head into the guy's locker room. I couldn't just leave you there."

I swallow hard. "Thank you. I—I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up."

Eli shakes his head. "It's a good thing I didn't go home yet. But, Aria, you know Jack's going to dig deeper now. I kept him in the dark too, but... I don't know how long that's going to last."

I fall silent at his words. Jack. My chest tightens at the thought of him. The way he looked at me when I bumped into him—it wasn't just confusion. It was more than that. Suspicion. Frustration. And if Jack keeps pushing... it's only a matter of time before everything falls apart.

"I'll keep my distance," I say, though the words feel hollow. "He can't know more."

Eli frowns, his brows pulling together. "Are you sure about that? Because, Aria, every time you pull away, you end up in a worse situation. Look what just happened. You think this is helping?"

His words hit like a slap. He's right. Keeping Jack at arm's length, trying to avoid him, only seems to make things worse. But I can't let him know the truth. Not after everything. Not after the nightmares. The thought of Jack looking at me like I'm some kind of freak... like he'd rather be with Brooke than deal with whatever I am... it's too much.

"I have to try," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Eli exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. "I get that you're scared. I do. But Jack's not going to stop. He's relentless. The more you push him away, the more he'll want to know."

"I know," I admit, my voice cracking. "That's what scares me."

Eli looks at me with sympathy, but there's a firmness in his voice when he speaks again. "This isn't just about Jack anymore. It's about you—your secret, your life. If he finds out... you know it'll change everything."

I feel my throat tighten. The weight of it all pressing down on me. Eli's right, of course. Jack isn't going to stop, no matter how hard I try to avoid him. And when he finds out—because I know deep down, he will—it'll ruin everything. My life, my secret, everything I've built to protect myself... gone.

As Eli's words sink in, the reality hits me harder than ever. Jack's not going to stop. He's going to find out, and when he does... everything I've been trying to protect will fall apart. I don't know how much longer I can keep running.

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The next day at school, I do everything I can to avoid Jack. Every time I spot him in the hallway, my heart leaps into my throat, and I duck into the nearest classroom or turn down a different hall. My pulse races, my stomach tightening with each near encounter. I can feel his eyes on me, like he's just waiting for the right moment to corner me, to ask what's going on.

But I can't face him. Not today. Not after everything that's happened.

The passing period between classes is the worst. The halls are crowded, but I feel exposed, like Jack's eyes are on me no matter where I go. As I rush to my next class, I keep my head down, hoping to disappear into the swarm of students. But then I collide with someone, hard.

I look up, my heart sinking as recognition dawns. Brooke. She stands with her cheerleader friends, and the icy glare on her face says it all.

"You," Brooke hisses, stepping directly in front of me. Her voice drips with disdain, each word sharp enough to cut. "You think you're special? Think you can just take Jack like you took the others?"

I swallow hard, my pulse racing. "I'm not—"

She doesn't let me finish. "You took him from me, just like all the other girls. What makes you so special, huh?"

Her friends close in around me, their gazes just as cold, boxing me in. Before I can react, they grab me, hands tightening around my arms as they drag me down the hall. I try to pull away, but their grip is too strong. Panic rises in my chest as we pass the classrooms and make our way toward the locker rooms. The hallway thins out, leaving us alone as they pull me deeper into the school.

I struggle, but it's useless. They're too many, and I'm too scared to scream. We finally reach the empty locker room where the jocks usually go for practice. My heart pounds as they shove me inside, their laughter echoing in the silent space.

Before I know it, we're at the pool—where the swim team practices, but today it's deserted. There's no one here but us.

Brooke steps closer, her eyes glinting with malicious satisfaction. "This will teach you not to mess with someone like me."

She grabs me, her grip tightening, and just when she's about to do something worse, someone stops her. We both look up to see Jack standing there, his expression furious. Brent and Eli are right behind him, watching the scene unfold with tense stares.

"Brooke, what the fuck are you doing?" Jack snaps, his voice sharp with anger.

Brooke sneers. "I'm teaching this slut a lesson—showing her that you're mine."

"You don't own me, Brooke," Jack fires back, his tone cold. "That hook-up was a one-time thing, and you know it. And lying to Aria about us? We never hooked up. Ever. Now, let her go before I make sure the principal hears about you bullying a student."

Brooke's eyes narrow, but she reluctantly releases me. Her glare burns into me as she mutters, "Whatever." But just as she turns to leave, a wicked smirk crosses her face. She shoves me, hard, sending me tumbling into the pool. "Oops," she says, laughing with her friends as they walk off.

As soon as I hit the water, panic grips me like a vice. No, not here, not now. The cold bites into my skin, sharp and unforgiving, and I can already feel the shift—the tingling along my legs that I know all too well. If they see this... if Jack sees this... everything's over.

The water swirls around me, and I fight to keep control, but it's slipping away. The change is happening, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. My heart pounds in my ears, louder than the rushing water around me. Please, not like this.

I glance up through the water, and there's Jack—his eyes locked on me, his expression hard and confused. Concern? Panic? He knows something's wrong. He moves closer, about to help, but then stops dead, his eyes narrowing. I can feel it—the transformation's already begun, the familiar prickle along my legs. I can't stop it. My heart races as I fight the change, but it's useless. No, not now.

The water pulls me deeper, and I glance down. There it is—my tail. Glimmering in the light. No. No, no, no. The panic surges through me, more intense than I've ever felt. They're watching. Jack is watching. He's too close, and I know—I can feel it—he's seen something.

Everything is happening too fast. My tail stretches beneath the water, fully formed, and there's no escaping it now. I try to swim away, but it's too late. They've seen. Jack's seen.

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Jack's POV

"Aria!" I shout, but the second I see her hit the water, something's off. What the hell is happening? I step closer, my fists clenched, but then freeze. For a second, I can't believe my eyes. No way.

There's something... wrong. My heart pounds as I watch her struggle, but it's not just panic I see. There's something else in the water. Something glimmering. My breath catches. No. I blink, trying to make sense of it, but it's right there.

Her legs—they're not legs. It's a tail. A freaking tail.

I hear Brent beside me. "Did you just...?" he mutters, his voice low, like he's not sure he believes it either. I can't answer. I'm frozen. A tail? It's impossible. But my eyes don't lie. I saw it.

I'm so close—so close to her secret, and for the first time, it's all starting to make sense. Every time she's pulled away, every question she's dodged... it's all coming together. But I never expected this. Not this.

My mind races, trying to catch up. But as I stand there, watching her in the water, something shifts in me. The frustration, the obsession to find answers—it's still there, but now there's something else. Something bigger. She's not just hiding. She's scared.

Brent nudges me, breaking the silence. "Jack, what do we do?"

But I can't move. My heart pounds in my chest, my gaze locked on Aria. A tail. I saw it. And now... I'm not letting this go.

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Aria's POV

I see the shock in Jack's eyes, and it hits me—harder than I want to admit. I've been running for so long, keeping him out, and now? There's no running anymore. It's exhausting, and I'm tired of pretending I don't care what he thinks. I do. I just can't afford to.

Eli steps closer, his voice soft but firm. "You've held on to this long enough, Aria. They need to know. And maybe, just maybe, they'll surprise you." His hand finds mine, pulling me to my feet, but it's his eyes—steady and sure—that keep me grounded.

For a moment, I stay frozen, the weight of my secret pressing on my chest like a stone. My heart races, and I can't shake the feeling that this is it—there's no turning back. I know I'm about to lose control, to let them see everything I've been hiding for so long. But I have to do it. I have to stop running.

Jack stands frozen, his eyes locked on me, his expression unreadable. Brent glances between us, his mouth half-open like he's about to say something, but the words don't come. Time feels like it's stopped, and all I can do is wait for it to start again. Their silence is almost unbearable, and the fear of what comes next threatens to crush me.

I open my mouth, but the words catch in my throat. My secret—something I've held on to for so long—feels too big to let out. But I have to. I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my ears, and finally, the words spill out. "I've been like this since I was ten. My parents took me on a trip... there was a cave... I didn't know what was happening. But this—" I gesture to the water still glistening on my tail, "this is who I am."

The silence stretches between us, thick and suffocating. Jack's eyes narrow, his expression hard to read. I don't know what I was expecting—shock, anger, confusion—but all I get is a blank stare. He doesn't say anything. He just... walks away.

I knew it. I should've known.

My chest tightens, and a wave of disappointment crashes over me, but I shove it down, brick by brick, as I rebuild the walls I've spent years perfecting. "Figures," I mutter, just loud enough for him to hear. "I knew you'd leave too."

Jack stops in his tracks, his shoulders stiffening, but he doesn't turn around. Brent lingers for a moment, torn between confusion and concern, but he follows Jack without a word.

And just like that, they're both walking away.

I glance at Eli, but he doesn't move to follow. He knows. He knows this hurts too much. He's seen me like this before—putting the walls back up, protecting myself from the inevitable pain. But this? This stings worse than I thought it would.

I sigh, the cold seeping into my bones. The air feels heavy, like it's pressing down on me, and I can't seem to shake the feeling that everything I've worked so hard to hide is slipping out of my control.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Find someone better, Jack," I say, my voice colder than I feel. "Someone who isn't a freak."

The words sting as they leave my mouth, but I keep my gaze hard, my expression unreadable. I won't let him see how much this hurts. "I'll leave you alone. It's better that way."

Jack pauses again, just for a second, and I wonder if he'll turn around. But he doesn't. He keeps walking, and I don't look back. I brush past him, my heart heavy, as I walk away, leaving them all behind.

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A/N: Oh my gosh, I just cried writing this chapter. Also, goodness, another update. Yes, three updates on Friday. Yep, I was busy.