Against the odds

12# The Storm Begins

Emily barely slept that night. The moment she saw the headline, something inside her shifted. It wasn’t just about her and Jack anymore—it was about the world knowing. About strangers forming opinions on her, picking apart every detail of her life.

By morning, it had gotten worse.

Her phone buzzed non-stop. Messages from friends, random followers, and even a few unknown numbers. When she finally gathered the courage to check social media, her breath caught in her throat.

#JackSteeleMysteryGirl was trending.

She scrolled through post after post.

“Who is she? Some random fan?”

“She’s not even famous. What does he see in her?”

“I give it a month before he dumps her.”

Her stomach twisted.

A call from Jack interrupted her scrolling.

“Hey,” he said the moment she picked up. “Are you okay?”

Emily let out a shaky breath. “Not really.”

“I’m coming over.”

“No, Jack—”

“I don’t care. I’m not letting you go through this alone.”

Before she could argue, he had already hung up.

---

Jack arrived 20 minutes later, dressed in all black, a cap pulled low over his face. The second he saw Emily, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She closed her eyes, breathing him in. “It’s not your fault.”

Jack pulled back, looking at her seriously. “I should’ve been more careful. I should’ve—”

“Jack,” she interrupted, “we both knew this would happen eventually.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just hate seeing you hurt because of me.”

Emily hesitated before asking, “Does it ever get easier?”

Jack let out a humorless chuckle. “Not really. But you learn to ignore the noise.”

She wished it was that simple.

---

For the next few hours, they stayed inside, avoiding the outside world. But by the afternoon, a new storm had begun.

Emily’s phone rang again—this time, it was an unknown number. Against her better judgment, she answered.

A sharp, cold voice greeted her. “Stay away from Jack Steele.”

Emily’s blood ran cold. “Who is this?”

A cruel laugh. “Doesn’t matter. Just know this—you don’t belong in his world. And if you don’t leave now, we’ll make sure you regret it.”

The line went dead.

Emily’s hands trembled as she lowered the phone.

Jack, who had been watching her, frowned. “What happened?”

She hesitated. Should she tell him? Or was this just the beginning of something much worse?

The storm had arrived. And Emily wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to survive it.

---