Nobody Knows

Chapter 13: Steady Eyes

I didn’t realize who he was at first.

Not at the bar.

Not when he stood beside me.

Not even when he said my name.

It only clicked now.

Santos.

My eyes snapped open.

Santos.

Cael’s cousin.

I sat up too fast, my heart slamming against my ribs.

No.

No, no, no.

I pressed my palm against my forehead like I could physically push the memory into place.

Family gatherings.

That one Christmas where Cael dragged me to his aunt’s house.

A taller guy in the corner, quiet, observing more than talking.

Santos.

He didn’t laugh loudly like the others.

He didn’t join the chaos.

He watched.

God.

I fell back against the pillow.

He wasn’t random.

He wasn’t some stranger from the dark.

He knew Sam.

He knew my face in daylight.

Which means—

He knew exactly who I was when I kissed him.

Heat rushed up my neck.

Why didn’t I recognize him?

Because I wasn’t looking.

Because Brooke doesn’t look for connections.

Brooke doesn’t expect overlap.

Brooke assumes she is untouchable in the dark.

I swallowed.

What if he tells Cael?

The thought made my stomach drop harder than the dizziness earlier.

Would he?

We’re not close.

We barely talk at family events.

He’s older. Detached. Always somewhere on the edge of conversations.

But he’s still family.

Still within reach.

Still close enough.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Did he know the whole time?

Is that why he wasn’t impressed?

Is that why he kept saying I was pretending?

Was he watching Sam try to become someone else?

The embarrassment burned deeper now.

Not because I fainted.

Because I looked stupid.

Because I tried to prove something to someone who already knew my baseline.

“Sam.”

The way he said it replayed in my head.

Not confused.

Not surprised.

Certain.

Which means he recognized me immediately.

And I—

I didn’t even notice.

I groaned into my pillow.

If he tells Cael, I’m done.

Not because Cael would scream.

Not because he would judge.

But because he would look at me differently.

And I don’t know which version he would see.

The careful one?

Or the reckless one?

Or both at the same time?

I sat up again, breathing shallow.

Would Santos say anything?

He didn’t look like someone who gossips.

He didn’t look entertained.

He looked…

Concerned.

That part unsettled me more.

Concern means attention.

Attention means memory.

Memory means he might bring it up.

Not to shame me.

Just to ask.

And questions are more dangerous than accusations.

I hugged my knees to my chest.

I thought I was safe because it was a new bar.

Different area.

Different crowd.

No overlapping circles.

But I forgot something.

Circles always overlap.

You just don’t see the intersections until it’s too late.

I fainted in front of Cael’s cousin.

While dressed as someone else.

Perfect.

If he connects Brooke to Sam—

No.

He already did.

That’s why he said my name.

I felt smaller in my own room.

Smaller than the house.

Smaller than the secret I keep pretending is under control.

I used to think the danger was getting caught.

Now I’m starting to realize—

The danger is being recognized.

The next morning, I left earlier than usual.

Not because I was ready.

Because I didn’t want to run into him.

I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Santos’ face under the bar lights. Calm. Observing. Certain.

Sam.

He said it like he’d known all along.

I grabbed my bag and slipped out before my parents even finished breakfast.

The air outside felt colder than it should have.

Good.

Cold meant awake.

Awake meant in control.

I walked faster than usual, eyes down, mind racing.

What if Cael already knows?

What if Santos called him last night?

What if they talked?

What if they compared notes?

My stomach twisted.

By the time I reached the school gate, I scanned the area instinctively.

No Cael.

Good.

Relief washed over me too quickly.

Which made me feel worse.

I hate that I’m avoiding him.

But I hate the possibility of his eyes searching my face even more.

I went straight to the classroom and sat near the window instead of my usual seat.

Different angle.

Different view.

Safer.

Students trickled in.

Laughter.

Backpacks hitting desks.

Chairs scraping the floor.

Normal.

Everything normal.

Except me.

“Sam?”

My spine stiffened.

I knew that voice.

Too familiar.

Too steady.

I didn’t look up immediately.

“Hey,” Cael said again, softer this time.

I forced my face to relax before turning toward him.

“Morning.”

He paused.

Just slightly.

“You’re early.”

“So are you.”

“I’m always early.”

“That’s not true.”

He studied me.

Too closely.

“You changed seats.”

“I felt like it.”

He didn’t sit down right away.

He just stood there for half a second too long.

“Did I do something?” he asked casually.

My chest tightened.

“No.”

“You’re avoiding me.”

“I’m not.”

“You left early.”

“So did you.”

“You didn’t text.”

“You didn’t either.”

Silence.

He pulled the chair back slowly and sat down anyway.

Not smiling.

Not teasing.

Observing.

That’s the problem with people who know you too well.

They notice patterns.

“You look tired,” he said.

I shrugged. “Didn’t sleep well.”

“Why?”

Because I fainted in front of your cousin while pretending to be someone else.

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

“Nothing.”

He leaned back in his chair.

“That’s not convincing.”

I grabbed my notebook and flipped it open even though class hadn’t started yet.

“I’m fine, Cael.”

There it was again.

Fine.

He watched me for another moment.

Then he said something that made my stomach drop.

“Did you go out last night?”

My hand froze mid-motion.

“No.”

The answer came too fast.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Why would you assume that?” I added quickly.

He shrugged.

“I don’t know. You seemed restless yesterday.”

Restless.

That word again.

My pulse started pounding in my ears.

Does he know?

Is this fishing?

Is this random?

I forced a small laugh.

“You sound like a detective.”

“Maybe I am.”

I met his eyes.

“Then you’re bad at it.”

A small smile tugged at his mouth.

But it didn’t reach his eyes.

Before he could say anything else, someone knocked lightly on the open classroom door.

Not a student.

Someone older.

My chest tightened before I even looked.

Santos stood by the doorway.

Hands in his pockets. Calm. Like he had every right to be there.

A few students turned their heads, mildly curious, then went back to their conversations.

Cael glanced over his shoulder.

“Oh,” he said casually. “That’s my cousin.”

Cousin.

The word echoed.

Of course.

Santos’ eyes scanned the room once.

Then they landed on me.

And stayed.

Not surprised.

Not smug.

Just aware.

“Morning,” he said evenly.

Not Brooke.

Sam.

Careful.

Measured.

Like last night never happened.

Like he was giving me an out.

My throat went dry.

“What are you doing here?” Cael asked, standing up halfway.

“Dropped something off for you,” Santos replied calmly, holding up a small envelope. “Your mom asked me to.”

Normal tone.

Normal expression.

Nothing suspicious.

Except the way his gaze flickered back to me for half a second longer than necessary.

Cael walked toward him, completely unaware.

“Thanks,” he said. “You could’ve just texted.”

Santos shrugged. “I was nearby.”

Nearby.

My pulse spiked.

Was he?

Or was that a coincidence I’m not ready to unpack?

Cael turned slightly toward me. “You remember Santos, right?”

I forced my voice to work.

“Yeah.”

Just that.

Nothing more.

Santos gave a small nod.

And in that tiny gesture, I understood something dangerous.

He wasn’t here to expose me.

But he wasn’t pretending he didn’t know either.

And now—

avoiding Cael wouldn’t save me.

Because the person who saw me

was standing right there

and he had already decided to stay quiet.

Cael came back to his seat like nothing unusual had happened.

Like my entire nervous system wasn’t on fire.

“He just dropped something off,” Cael said, sliding into his chair. “Family errands never end.”

I nodded.

Too quickly.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I guess.”

My hands were cold again.

I stared at my notebook but saw none of the words.

Santos had not looked surprised.

He had not looked guilty.

He had not looked like someone who accidentally ran into a secret.

He had looked deliberate.

That was worse.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Cael asked quietly.

“I’m fine.”

There it is again.

Fine.

He leaned back slightly, watching me instead of pressing.

That made it harder.

The classroom buzzed as the professor entered, setting his things down at the desk. Chairs scraped. Conversations lowered.

Normal.

Everything normal.

Except the way my pulse still hadn’t settled.

Through the window beside me, I could see the hallway.

And there he was.

Santos.

Still there.

Not standing awkwardly.

Not pretending to leave.

Just leaning against the wall outside, checking his phone.

Waiting.

For what?

For Cael?

Or—

For me?

My stomach tightened.

He didn’t look toward the classroom again.

But something about his posture felt intentional.

Like he knew I would look.

“Sam.”

I blinked.

The professor was staring at me.

“Are you present with us today?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then solve number three.”

I stood up automatically.

Walked to the board.

Chalk in hand.

Safe territory.

Numbers don’t judge.

Numbers don’t remember.

I solved the problem step by step.

Clean.

Accurate.

Controlled.

When I returned to my seat, Cael leaned closer.

“You’re distracted.”

“I’m not.”

“You wrote faster than usual.”

“That’s a compliment.”

“It’s an observation.”

I didn’t respond.

Because my distraction wasn’t inside this room.

It was ten feet away in the hallway.

And I could feel it.

Like a thread pulling tight.

When class finally ended, students stood all at once.

Noise flooded back in.

Cael gathered his things slowly.

“I need to talk to him real quick,” he said casually. “Wait for me?”

My heartbeat jumped.

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Family thing.”

Family.

Right.

I nodded before I could stop myself.

“Okay.”

He stepped into the hallway.

Straight toward Santos.

I stayed in my seat.

Frozen.

From where I sat, I couldn’t hear them.

But I could see them.

Cael talking normally.

Santos listening.

Calm.

Then—

Santos’ eyes lifted.

And met mine.

Across the distance.

Across the noise.

Across everything.

And he didn’t look away.

Not this time.

He held my gaze.

Not threatening.

Not accusing.

Just steady.

Like he was waiting for me to decide something.

My breath felt thin again.

Cael said something that made Santos smirk faintly.

Then Santos nodded once.

And finally—

He looked away.

As if the message had already been delivered.

I don’t know which terrified me more.

That he could expose me.

Or that he chose not to.