Page 57 of Tangled in His Game

IGO THROUGH A BUNCHof videos of the fire, but I don’t see anything interesting. Surprisingly enough, there aren’t any videos of Victor saving me either.

Did he forbid people from posting those videos or was everyone too distracted to record it? The firefighters tried to keep as many people as possible away from the fire and secured the perimeter, so there’s a chance no one saw Victor getting me out, especially because there was a lot of smoke too.

Buried in all those videos, I find one of me waving through the window of the library. I search the account of the person who posted it, but it’s no one from my class. I doubt they’d care enough about me to start the fire. The video has less than ten views, so I don’t think it gave any ideas to anyone else either.

But if it really wasn’t Victor, who could it be? I go back to the videos of the party. Everyone was having such a great time while I was trapped in the library. Victor too. In all the videos, he’s either grinning or laughing about something. Would he be so carefree if he knew that my life was in danger? Maybe, or maybe not.

I sigh as I click through some more images and videos. Victor is a mystery. It’s like he both wants me and can’t stand me at the same time. He keeps inviting me into his bed and then he tells me to leave Emberwell because no one wants me there. It makes no sense. But maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, because it’s kind of the same for me.

He’s hurt me so much and yet, I had sex with him because I just gave in to the desire. It’s mind-boggling. I want him, even though I hate him for everything he’s done to me.

A blurry image of Victor catches my eye. He’s in the corner of the room, talking to someone. But who is the person with him? I can’t tell. It’s too dark, and the person is like a black blur.

I scroll through some more photos and find a video of the girls who were singing while filming themselves. Victor is in the background. I pause the video and zoom in on the image. It’s still too damn blurry, but I think it’s a guy.

Is it the same guy who met with Victor in that alley and gave him something? It could be. They’re the same height. But why would that guy be at the party? Who is he?

I play the video again. Right at the end, I see Victor coming toward the girls with a serious look on his face, and only a second later, once he realizes they’re recording, his lips spread into a fake wide smile.

The mystery guy told him something important or serious. What if it was about me? Maybe he and Victor agreed that the guy would start the fire, and then Victor would come save me. Or maybe they thought I’d get out somehow or that someone else would help me, and I would end up scared for my life.

I run my hand over my face. This still doesn’t make any sense, but there’s got to be an explanation anyway. From those who knew I was trapped in the library, I don’t think anyone would care enough to try to kill me.

Sure, many think I don’t belong at Emberwell, but to resort to murder? Stupid snide comments, mocking, bullying... A lot of people have no trouble doing that, especially when they know they’re going to get away with it.

Maybe they think that what they’re doing is harmless fun and don’t feel guilty about any of it. And if I have a breakdown or leave Emberwell because of it, they’ll blame me for being weak and letting their comments affect me.

But starting a fire that could’ve killed me? I don’t think anyone would want to risk that because, in the end, I’m insignificant to them. I’m their entertainment, and that’s all.

Victor is the one who I can see doing something as crazy as that, for whatever reason, but he didn’t do it himself. Maybe his friend, whoever he is, did it for him. But how can I prove that? How can I find out who the guy is?

I search for some more videos and images. My eyes already hurt from staring at the screen so intently, and I blink a few times. Maybe I should just give up because many videos are duplicates that someone reuploaded for views and likes.

But then I spot one I haven’t seen before. In it, the students are discussing the fire and what might’ve happened. As the camera moves, I notice someone standing near the trees, away from everyone else, and watching the fire. I take a better look and gasp.

It’s the guy. The one from the alley. It was probably him at the party too. He’s wearing all black and he has a hood over his head, but his dark eyes stare at the burning building. I can’t be a hundred percent sure it’s him, but who else would it be?

He’s not a student, so he’s not going to mingle with everyone else. And he’s constantly lurking somewhere in the background. The video quality is good, so I snap a few photos of the guy and upload them to a reverse image search engine.

Maybe I can figure out who he is, but because of the hood on his head, it’s going to be a little harder. I get way too many results, but no one looks like the guy, or at least I don’t think so. My memory of that night is a little hazy by now.

There’s some guy who used to go to the same gym as Sebastian. What if this whole thing is tied to my ex somehow? Sebastian might want me dead, but why now, after all this time? Besides, the guy from the gym doesn’t live in this city anymore.

I bite down on my lip.

My phone buzzes, making me jump, just as I hear a car pulling into the driveway. It’s my mom. She needs some help with the bags, so I hop to my feet and rush out. As I burst out through the front door, my gaze catches movement near one of the trees just across from my house.

My pulse speeds up. Someone’s watching my house and me. Shit! Is it Victor? I don’t want to alert my mom, so I grab the bags and carry them inside. Then I race back outside.

I stride toward the tree, but when I reach it, I don’t see anyone there. Where is he? He must’ve realized I spotted him and left. Ugh!

Something carved into the trunk catches my attention. It’s a heart with initials in it.

E+V

Why would someone do that here? No one else lives close enough to this particular tree and my house isn’t exactly on the path...

Wait, V is for Victor.

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