Liam's POV I had half a mind to speed up but I knew that there were fewer cars in the road as a result of the rain so whoever was following me would just chase after me with ease.Whoever they were, I still needed to shake them off. I didn't know who they were or what they wanted but one thing was certain, they were not here to ask for an autograph.I turned into another street and increased the speed of the car. I noticed them do the same but keep their car at a relative distance.I had to get back to my apartment and I really wasn't keen on letting some stranger follow me back to where I stayed so after racking up my brain for a means to get out of the situation at hand, I finally decided to do the most stupid thing I could think of.I couldn't see far ahead as a result of the rain but the short part of the road before me was clear. I brought my leg hard on the gas and sent the car flying forward.The SUV did exactly as I had expected. They were not being subtle anymore. This was o

Liam's POV My heart was pounding as I ended the call. Mom. Her voice had sounded scarier than I'd heard in years. What happened? What could make her ask to see me now all of a sudden?I stared hard across the park through the rain and only one name came to mind. The Blackwoods. I was sure they had something to do with this. I clenched my fists and pushed myself forward. I had to get to her.I rushed to my car with my heart racing. The two-hour drive felt like forever. I stepped on the gas and the Mazda sped down the road. Rain continued to fall making the sky even darker. I weaved through traffic while driving faster than I usually would. I just needed to get to her. I needed to make sure she was okay.I had to be careful. I couldn't afford to get pulled over now. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the panic in her voice.At last I saw the old 'Welcome to Oakhaven' sign. I was just minutes from my childhood home. My hands tightened around the steering wheel.I hit the brakes hard

Liam's POVThe drive to the address Hans gave was quiet and tense. My mom sat beside me staring out the window. But I knew she wasn’t really looking at anything. The rain from Oakhaven had followed us falling lightly and making the windshield blurry. Each time the wipers moved it felt like my heart beating faster from stress.“Are you sure about this, Liam?” Mom finally asked in a soft voice.“It’s safer than staying back there.” I said while holding the wheel tighter. “We talked about this.”She didn’t say anything and the silence returned. We were both thinking things we weren’t saying. Suddenly the GPS said, “You have arrived at your destination.” I stopped the car in front of a two-story house. It wasn’t fancy, but it looked strong. The street was quiet with lots of trees. The area felt calm.. maybe too calm.As I turned off the engine, I saw him. Hans was standing on the porch with the light behind him. When he saw my mom get out of the car he walked forward and smiled.“Mrs. C

Liam's POVThe red wine was still dripping and making a mess on my shirt, and running sticky down my face. I stood still, frozen and feeling all the eyes in the room staring at me. I felt ashamed. Completely and deeply ashamed. But not because of Melissa. Never because of her. I got it. I really did. I had just messed everything up. Again.A waiter who looked like he didn’t want to be there walked over slowly and gave me some thin napkins. “Sir, are you okay? Here, maybe these will help.”“Thanks,” I said quietly while taking the napkins. I wiped my face, but the wine didn’t hide the sting of feeling embarrassed. I reached for my wallet and pulled out some money and left it on the table, way more than needed for the meal I hadn’t even finished.“Keep the change,” I muttered while walking to the door.I felt a little better when I stepped out. No one was staring anymore, but I still felt like I had failed. I walked slowly to my car. The Mazda which was honestly a show off to Melissa

Liam's POVThe hit knocked the air out of me. I stumbled and caught myself on the lockers.“Watch it, man!” I said while gasping as I turned to see who had hit me.It was Joel McHale, another student in our last year. His eyes were full of fear as he looked behind him. He had slowed down after hitting me and that gave Cole and Zane time to catch up. I then saw them, Ryan Blackwood’s loyal goons chasing him. They grabbed Joel and pulled him into a nearby room which looked much like a storage cupboard.Joel looked terrified. As usual everyone in the hallway kept walking and pretending not to notice. No one wanted trouble with Ryan Blackwood. I frowned. Even the hallways of Crestwood weren’t safe from his fear. It made me feel sick.I moved toward the cupboard. The door was slightly open and light was shining through the gap. I didn’t think twice. Anger pushed me forward. Whatever was happening inside I couldn’t let it go on.I stopped just outside and listened.Joel’s voice came throug