The Target Was Mine

The Shift

Wednesday Hale had always been the invisible one at Sterling Academy, a ghost walking the halls with her head down, unnoticed by most. But that was before Cassian Moretti started looking at her the way he did now—like she was something he wanted to possess, something he needed to understand. His eyes followed her in the halls, across classrooms, and during lunch breaks, making her feel... seen.

It had been a week since his emotional outburst, and everything had changed. The academy wasn’t just filled with whispers of jealousy anymore—it was a battleground. The girls who once laughed at her for keeping to herself now stared at her like she was a threat. Every glance from Cassian burned hotter, and every word he spoke to her carried a weight, like it was a secret they shared, even if she refused to acknowledge it.

Her friends—or, rather, the girls who had once been her "friends"—now avoided her. They'd turned against her with the others, each one whispering behind her back, commenting on her appearance, her demeanor, and, most painfully, her relationship with Cassian.

"Did you see how he looked at her? Cassian doesn't even try to hide it anymore," one girl whispered loudly in the hallway, hoping Wednesday would hear.

The rumor mill churned at full force, but it was no longer a quiet undercurrent. Now, it was like a tsunami, drowning her in noise.

Her feelings toward Cassian, too, were becoming something she couldn’t ignore anymore. She hated that she felt something. She hated how his gaze burned through her, how he could shift from teasing her with a smirk to making her feel as though she was the only person in the room with him. He’d always been the one to stir her emotions, and for the first time, she found herself struggling to push him away.

She thought about the last time they had been in the lab, when he'd made that casual remark about their "baby." How he'd smiled at her like they were creating something together, something real.

What is this? she asked herself. Why am I even thinking about him like this?

It wasn’t just his charm. It was the way he made her feel, like she was important. But Wednesday had long ago learned not to care for anyone. So why did Cassian Moretti make her feel so... different?

"Hey, Ghost Girl, you okay?" A voice snapped her from her thoughts. It was Cassian, of course. He leaned against the doorframe of the classroom, his usual cocky smile spreading across his face.

Wednesday didn’t answer immediately, eyes narrowing as she fought the urge to look at him. "I'm fine," she said in a clipped tone, not bothering to look up as she scribbled something in her notebook. She couldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her flinch, of knowing that the familiar flutter in her chest was starting to happen again.

Cassian stepped closer, the sound of his boots making her pulse race. “Really? You don’t look fine.”

"I said I’m fine," she snapped, her voice colder than she meant it to be. But it was easier this way. To keep the wall up, to remain the distant, cold girl he could never quite reach.

The thing was, Cassian had started to notice every little shift in her. The way her jaw tightened when she was frustrated, the way her eyes softened—just slightly—when he did something unexpected. He noticed that her walls weren’t as impenetrable as they once were.

He stepped closer, his breath almost on her neck. “You’re lying,” he murmured, his voice a low, intimate tone that sent a shiver down her spine. “I think you want something... more.”

Wednesday’s heart skipped a beat, but she didn’t flinch. Keep your cool. Don't react. Don't give him what he wants. She leaned back against the desk, purposely putting space between them.

"Don’t flatter yourself," she said, her voice icy and controlled, even as her pulse hammered against her ribs. "I’m not interested in whatever you’re offering."

Cassian chuckled, a deep, knowing sound that made her insides tighten. "You know," he said casually, looking at her with that infuriating smirk. "I think you're lying to yourself more than you’re lying to me."

Wednesday felt a flicker of annoyance flare inside her. She didn’t need him to figure her out. "What’s the point of this, Cassian?" she snapped, fighting against the fluttering feeling in her stomach.

His expression shifted slightly, something darker flashing in his eyes. "You really want me to answer that?" He took another step forward, and Wednesday’s heart pounded faster as the space between them closed. “You’re so used to shutting people out, but I’m not going anywhere. You’re not gonna push me away that easily."

His proximity was like a heatwave, making the air thick and heavy around them. She could feel his breath on her skin, and it made her want to step away... but she didn't.

Instead, she lifted her chin, trying to hold onto her control. "I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone."

The words sounded hollow even to her own ears, but she refused to back down.

Cassian's gaze softened slightly, though the intensity didn’t fade. He lowered his voice, almost as if speaking to himself. "You say that, but I think you’ve already started to care, Wednesday. You just don’t want to admit it."

Damn him.

Wednesday took a step back, her resolve hardening. "I don’t need anyone, Cassian. Especially not you." She was lying. She knew it. But she wasn’t ready to admit it to him—or herself.

Cassian watched her for a long moment, then, with an almost imperceptible nod, he turned and walked away.

But as he left, the words that hung in the air didn’t escape her: “You’re not fooling me, Ghost Girl. I know the truth.”

And that truth... was something she wasn’t ready to face.

Later that day, as the day drew to a close, Wednesday was heading back to her dorm when she saw him again. Cassian stood near the door, his posture relaxed, but his gaze sharp as ever. The girls around him were all giggling, leaning into him, laughing at something he’d said. His usual charm was on full display, but this time, Wednesday didn’t feel that familiar annoyance. Instead, she noticed how everyone else was looking at him. How they clung to him, desperate for his attention.

Everyone wants him... except me.

She turned to leave, but Cassian’s voice stopped her. “Hey, Ghost Girl,” he called, his tone playful yet pointed. “You sure you don’t want to join the party? I could use some company.”

For a moment, she considered ignoring him, but instead, she turned to face him, meeting his gaze head-on.

“I told you,” she said coldly, “I don’t need you. And I certainly don’t need your pity.”

Cassian raised an eyebrow, but there was something softer in his eyes. “I’m not pitying you. But I am starting to wonder... what it would take for you to care about me, too.”

That hit harder than any insult he could throw.

But Wednesday just turned and walked away. Her heart twisted as she did, but she kept walking, ignoring the way his eyes lingered on her back.

She was starting to realize—maybe, just maybe—Cassian Moretti wasn’t the only one with a secret he was hiding.

And her heart was beginning to feel like it was his to break.