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I could feel Mandy’s eyes on me every now and then, probably trying to read me or offer comfort without getting too close. It was a dance we both seemed to have learned the steps to, even if the rhythm was all off.
The pizza arrived, and we ate in an odd silence, the movie's explosions a distant backdrop. I knew she wanted to ask and dive into what happened, but she held back, and I was grateful for that.
"Good pizza," I said eventually, because I had to say something to acknowledge her effort.
"Yeah, it is," she replied, and I caught the hint of relief in her voice.
As the movie played on, my phone buzzed with updates from the hospital. Stable. No change. The words were meant to be reassuring, but they felt like a fucking mockery when all I wanted was to hear that Kayla was awake, that she was going to be okay.
I excused myself early, claiming exhaustion, which wasn't a lie. Mandy understood, or at least she didn't push. In my room, I tossed and turned, every scenario with Ethan playing out in my head. When I finally slipped into a restless sleep, it was filled with blaring sirens and Kayla's voice, urging me to find the truth.
The greasy scent of overcooked bacon and stale coffee was thick in the air of the diner. I’d picked a booth in the back corner with a clear view of the door, my gut twisting with anticipation and dread. I’d gotten there early, way too early, drumming my fingers on the cool tabletop, glancing at my watch every other minute.
Ethan was punctual, arriving just when he said he would, despite what felt like a goddamn year of waiting. He slid into the booth across from me, an envelope thick with papers in his hand.
“So,” I started, no niceties, no bullshit. “What’s so damn important that it couldn’t be said over the phone? And why the hell should I trust a word that comes out of your mouth? You know what happened to Kayla. You know about Lexi’s stalker.”
Ethan’s eyes were darting around, his voice low and strained. “I swear, I had nothing to do with it. I just—I can’t get involved.”
“Can’t or won’t?” I pressed, the anger a hot coil in my chest.
“Can’t!” He hissed, pushing the envelope towards me. “This, this is why. It’s all in there. My life’s on the fucking line, man. It’s a secret that needs to stay buried.”
I eyed the envelope like it might bite. “What kind of secret?”
He leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “A cover-up from my college days. Big names, big fucking consequences. And Lexi... she’s at the center of it all.”
I grabbed the envelope. It felt like holding a grenade, ready to explode and turn my world upside down. I could feel Ethan’s eyes on me, waiting.
With a deep breath, I broke the seal and pulled out the files. Documents, transcripts, dates, names... It was a rabbit hole, one that promised no easy climb back out.
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered under my breath, the first page already sending shock waves through me. Ethan’s leg bounced nervously, his glance still flickering to the door, to the windows, to any potential threat.
“You see? You see why I couldn’t talk about this over a traceable line?” Ethan’s words were a rush, a floodgate opened.
Ethan's fingers tapped a staccato rhythm on the tabletop as he watched me thumb through the documents. The diner buzzed around us, but we were in a soundproof bubble, just him, the files, and me.
"The first document," Ethan started, his voice hushed, "is the university's quiet way of saying this guy, Garrett, no longer existed to them. See how it's worded? 'Abandoned his responsibilities.' Like he chose to disappear."
Garrett. The guy who supposedly ghosted my sister back in college, but, looking at what Ethan was showing me… maybe he didn’t.
I scanned the text, noting the cold, administrative tone. "And this," I flipped to the missing person’s report, "is from his parents?"
"Yeah," Ethan nodded. "They kept looking for him, even after the university washed their hands of the whole thing."
The report was detailed. Garrett's full name, description, the last time he was seen. His parents' desperation shone through the formal wording of the document. I couldn’t imagine what they had gone through, still probably were.
I moved to the third paper, the one about the body. The report was sparse on details, but the implications were heavy. "They find this body, burnt to shit, and someone says, 'Hey, that might be Garrett because of the clothes?' That’s it?"
"That’s it," Ethan confirmed, swallowing hard. "No dental records match, no DNA test. Just... closed case."
"So, what's the connection to The Vault, to Lexi?" I prodded, feeling the plot thicken.
Ethan leaned in closer. "Garrett was Lexi’s boyfriend," he whispered like he was divulging state secrets. "And when he vanished, it was The Vault’s rule – no talking about Garrett, no asking questions, like he never fucking existed."
My head was starting to pound, and I felt a clench of something dark in my gut. "And you're telling me Lexi just went along with that? What about his family?"
Ethan's laugh was a bitter sound. "Lexi didn't have a choice, man. You don’t say no to The Vault. As for his family..." He shrugged. "Who were they to these people? Nobody. Just collateral damage."
