Chapter 5 5

Delilah's POV

The campus felt different. People still moved in clusters, laughing between classes, shoulders brushing in the tight hallways. But for Delilah, there was a shift- something beneath the surface that she couldn't ignore.

Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it was the weight of the message still lingering in the back of her mind. Either way, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

Theo had made good on his promise. He stuck close, always a few steps behind her when they walked to class, waiting outside the lecture hall when she finished. She should have been annoyed. Instead, she was relieved.

Sliding into her usual seat near the back of the room, she took out her notebook, flipping to a fresh page. Professor Harding's voice droned on at the front, but she barely heard it. A note landed on her desk. Heart hammering, she hesitated before unfolding it.

You okay?

Theo. She didn't have to turn around to know it was from him.

Fingers tightening around the paper, she scribbled a response. I don't know. Sliding it back, she counted the seconds before it disappeared. A moment later, her phone vibrated.

Theo: Meet me outside after class.

The rest of the lecture passed in a blur.

The second she stepped outside, Theo was there, leaning against a pillar, hands shoved into his pockets.

He didn't waste time. "You've been looking over your shoulder all day."

Delilah exhaled. "Because I feel like someone's there."

Theo's gaze darkened. "You saw someone?"

"No." She hesitated. "But I can't shake it."

His jaw tightened. Without a word, he reached for her backpack, slinging it over his shoulder before starting down the path.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To get answers."

Theo's POV

The air inside the dorm was thick, heavy with the unspoken tension hanging between them.

Delilah sat on her bed, arms wrapped around herself, while Theo paced.

His mind wouldn't stop. Mason was scared. That much was obvious. But the real question was- of who?

His gut told him it wasn't just some random person messing with Delilah. There was something bigger at play, and he needed to figure it out before it was too late.

Delilah's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"There's something I didn't tell you."

Theo stopped pacing. "What?"

She looked down at her hands, fingers twisting together. "That night... at the party. I don't remember everything."

His pulse kicked up.

"What do you mean?"

Delilah inhaled sharply. "I remember Mason. I remember feeling dizzy, like something wasn't right. And then... nothing."

Theo's stomach dropped.

"Nothing?" he echoed.

She shook her head. "Just flashes. Your voice. Cold air. Then waking up in my bed the next morning."

Something wasn't adding up. If she didn't remember, then someone made sure of it.

Theo sat down beside her, voice low. "You think someone drugged you?"

Delilah's breath hitched. "I don't know."

But the fear in her eyes told him she did. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm. Anger wouldn't help.

"We need proof."

Delilah met his gaze, something desperate in her expression. "How?"

Theo already had an idea.

"Mason."

She stiffened. "You think he knows something?"

"I think he's too scared not to."

If Mason wasn't behind this, then he had to know who was.

And Theo was going to make him talk.

Delilah's POV

The dorm hallway was quiet, the air thick with unspoken tension.

Theo had barely said a word since their conversation, his mind clearly working through every possibility. Delilah couldn't stop replaying that night, searching for details she might have missed. She hated the gaps. The empty spaces where memories should be.

A knock at the door made her jump. Theo was up in an instant, stepping in front of her before reaching for the handle. The second the door swung open, Mason stood there, shifting nervously. Delilah's stomach twisted.

Theo's voice was cold. "Talk."

Mason hesitated. Then, after a moment, he stepped inside.

Delilah watched as he ran a hand through his hair, avoiding their eyes.

"I didn't send the message," he said.

Theo crossed his arms. "We know."

Mason looked at Delilah then, something like regret flickering in his eyes.

"I shouldn't have let you go alone that night."

She stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

Mason exhaled. "You were out of it. I didn't think much of it at first, but then... you just disappeared."

Her throat went dry. "And you didn't think to check on me?"

"I tried," he insisted. "But by the time I found you, he was already there."

Theo's body tensed beside her. "Who?"

Mason swallowed hard.

"Liam Connors."

The name sent ice through her veins.

Liam was dangerous. Untouchable. The kind of guy people didn't cross.

Theo's voice was lethal. "What did he do?"

Mason's hesitation lasted a beat too long.

"Nothing," he finally said. "You got away before anything happened."

Delilah's hands curled into fists. That wasn't good enough. That wasn't an answer. Theo's next words were low, controlled.

"If you're lying-"

"I'm not." Mason's eyes flickered with something raw. "But you need to be careful."

Delilah forced herself to breathe. Someone had tried to hurt her. And now, they were trying to silence her. But they had no idea who they were dealing with.

Theo's POV

The night air was sharp, biting against his skin. Theo stood outside the dorm, phone clutched in his hand.

Liam Connors.

He should have known. Liam's family had connections. Money. Power. He played by different rules. Theo didn't care. He wasn't going to let this go. The screen lit up with an incoming call. He answered.

A familiar voice spoke. "You're looking for trouble."

Theo's grip tightened. "No. I'm looking for you."

Silence.

Then- A dark chuckle. "Careful, Theo. You might not like what you find."

The line went dead. Theo lowered the phone, jaw set. This wasn't over. Not even close.

Delilah's POV

The campus felt different. People still moved in clusters, laughing between classes, shoulders brushing in the tight hallways. But for Delilah, there was a shift- something beneath the surface that she couldn't ignore.

Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it was the weight of the message still lingering in the back of her mind. Either way, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

Theo had made good on his promise. He stuck close, always a few steps behind her when they walked to class, waiting outside the lecture hall when she finished. She should have been annoyed. Instead, she was relieved.

Sliding into her usual seat near the back of the room, she took out her notebook, flipping to a fresh page. Professor Harding's voice droned on at the front, but she barely heard it. A note landed on her desk. Heart hammering, she hesitated before unfolding it.

You okay?

Theo. She didn't have to turn around to know it was from him.

Fingers tightening around the paper, she scribbled a response. I don't know. Sliding it back, she counted the seconds before it disappeared. A moment later, her phone vibrated.

Theo: Meet me outside after class.

The rest of the lecture passed in a blur.

The second she stepped outside, Theo was there, leaning against a pillar, hands shoved into his pockets.

He didn't waste time. "You've been looking over your shoulder all day."

Delilah exhaled. "Because I feel like someone's there."

Theo's gaze darkened. "You saw someone?"

"No." She hesitated. "But I can't shake it."

His jaw tightened. Without a word, he reached for her backpack, slinging it over his shoulder before starting down the path.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To get answers."

Theo's POV

The air inside the dorm was thick, heavy with the unspoken tension hanging between them.

Delilah sat on her bed, arms wrapped around herself, while Theo paced.

His mind wouldn't stop. Mason was scared. That much was obvious. But the real question was- of who?

His gut told him it wasn't just some random person messing with Delilah. There was something bigger at play, and he needed to figure it out before it was too late.

Delilah's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"There's something I didn't tell you."

Theo stopped pacing. "What?"

She looked down at her hands, fingers twisting together. "That night... at the party. I don't remember everything."

His pulse kicked up.

"What do you mean?"

Delilah inhaled sharply. "I remember Mason. I remember feeling dizzy, like something wasn't right. And then... nothing."

Theo's stomach dropped.

"Nothing?" he echoed.

She shook her head. "Just flashes. Your voice. Cold air. Then waking up in my bed the next morning."

Something wasn't adding up. If she didn't remember, then someone made sure of it.

Theo sat down beside her, voice low. "You think someone drugged you?"

Delilah's breath hitched. "I don't know."

But the fear in her eyes told him she did. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm. Anger wouldn't help.

"We need proof."

Delilah met his gaze, something desperate in her expression. "How?"

Theo already had an idea.

"Mason."

She stiffened. "You think he knows something?"

"I think he's too scared not to."

If Mason wasn't behind this, then he had to know who was.

And Theo was going to make him talk.

Delilah's POV

The dorm hallway was quiet, the air thick with unspoken tension.

Theo had barely said a word since their conversation, his mind clearly working through every possibility. Delilah couldn't stop replaying that night, searching for details she might have missed. She hated the gaps. The empty spaces where memories should be.

A knock at the door made her jump. Theo was up in an instant, stepping in front of her before reaching for the handle. The second the door swung open, Mason stood there, shifting nervously. Delilah's stomach twisted.

Theo's voice was cold. "Talk."

Mason hesitated. Then, after a moment, he stepped inside.

Delilah watched as he ran a hand through his hair, avoiding their eyes.

"I didn't send the message," he said.

Theo crossed his arms. "We know."

Mason looked at Delilah then, something like regret flickering in his eyes.

"I shouldn't have let you go alone that night."

She stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

Mason exhaled. "You were out of it. I didn't think much of it at first, but then... you just disappeared."

Her throat went dry. "And you didn't think to check on me?"

"I tried," he insisted. "But by the time I found you, he was already there."

Theo's body tensed beside her. "Who?"

Mason swallowed hard.

"Liam Connors."

The name sent ice through her veins.

Liam was dangerous. Untouchable. The kind of guy people didn't cross.

Theo's voice was lethal. "What did he do?"

Mason's hesitation lasted a beat too long.

"Nothing," he finally said. "You got away before anything happened."

Delilah's hands curled into fists. That wasn't good enough. That wasn't an answer. Theo's next words were low, controlled.

"If you're lying-"

"I'm not." Mason's eyes flickered with something raw. "But you need to be careful."

Delilah forced herself to breathe. Someone had tried to hurt her. And now, they were trying to silence her. But they had no idea who they were dealing with.

Theo's POV

The night air was sharp, biting against his skin. Theo stood outside the dorm, phone clutched in his hand.

Liam Connors.

He should have known. Liam's family had connections. Money. Power. He played by different rules. Theo didn't care. He wasn't going to let this go. The screen lit up with an incoming call. He answered.

A familiar voice spoke. "You're looking for trouble."

Theo's grip tightened. "No. I'm looking for you."

Silence.

Then- A dark chuckle. "Careful, Theo. You might not like what you find."

The line went dead. Theo lowered the phone, jaw set. This wasn't over. Not even close.