Grades?
Some twisted kink?
Maybe he has something over her?
The thought turns my stomach.
A creak at the door snaps both our heads up.
Ana stands there, eyes shadowed, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
Her hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail, but my gaze immediately falls to the red marks on her wrists, deep and raw, like someone grabbed her too hard.
She’s shaking.
Elijah and I stare at her, caught between relief and horror.
"Ana," I hiss, standing up, "What the fuck?"
She tilts her head, eyes flicking between us.
Casually, she tosses her bag onto her bed, her expression unreadable.
"I should be asking you the same thing," she fires back. "Care to explain why you’re accusing me of sleeping with a teacher-"
"Not just any teacher, Ana." Elijah’s voice is sharp, "Professor Ackerman."
Her mouth snaps shut.
Her eyes flicker with something sharp. Anger maybe.
"And where the hell did you get that idea from?"
Ana’s piercing stare locks onto me.
Without hesitation, I grab my phone.
I don’t say anything, I just toss it toward her.
The screen lights up, illuminating her face with the blurry image that has kept Elijah and me awake all night.
"That’s you, Ana," I whisper, my voice tight. "And the other guy-"
"Who sent you this?" Ana’s voice cuts like a blade, laced with immediate anger.
I hesitate.
Elijah and I exchange glances, both of us at a loss for words.
After a beat of silence, Elijah speaks first.
"Cole," he mutters. "Cole sent it to her."
Ana’s grip tightens around my phone. The second the name leaves Elijah’s mouth, something shifts in her expression.
She drops the phone onto the bed, her eyes lowering.
"Why the fuck is Cole sending you blurry photos of me?" Her voice is sharp, accusatory. "How the fuck does he even have your number, Megan-"