« Skylar's POV »

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"What is this?" I placed the small white envelope on the booth table. The coffee shop was getting crowded slowly. Even if it was just 8 in the morning.

Alex took the letter in his hands and pulled out the white paper from inside it. I looked at him as his gaze swept over the words. The only sentence. Which had been making me uncomfortable since the moment I had read it.

"Who's lying?" He asked, finally looking at me.

I raised my hands in the air and slumped back against the wooden chair. "I don't know! I'm trying to make up a reason why somebody would send me this." I told him.

His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at it again.

"You never get letters." He pointed out. Mostly to himself.

"Yes."

"Did you tell Caden?"

"No." I shook my head. "Why should I? This isn't supposed to be–"

"Whoever sent this, Sky, that person meant this as a threat." He interrupted. "Or a prank."

I replayed the words back in my head.

He's lying.

Who was he?

"Who is he, by the way?" Alex voiced out the question that was nagging inside my brain. I just looked at him silently.

"It can't be me." He said defensively. "I really am not lying about anything."

A part inside me clearly knew how the person in the letter wasn't supposed to be Alex. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Or maybe the timings were wrong. But I had been talking to Caden when I had read that letter.

"Is it Caden?" He asked.

A frown formed on my forehead. "Caden did lie about a lot of things, Alex."

"But we're talking about some big stuff here, Skylar." He said before shaking his head. "Never mind, why would he lie to you?"

I didn't reply to that. Caden still hadn't told me the reason why he joined the West Gang again. After that whole red crystal incident, he had left the gang. There was no reason left for him to be a gang leader anymore. But now he was back there.

And there must be a reason for that too.

"Do you know why he joined the gang back again?" I asked Alex.

Alex looked up from the letter before folding it up back again and stuffing it in the envelope. Then he raked a hand through his blond hair.

"What makes you think he'd tell me when he didn't tell you?" He asked with an eye roll.

"But you can find out." I pointed out.

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. I mean, you were in the East gang before, Alex. You must know ways." I didn't like talking about the East gang. Or how Alex had been a part of it. And judging by the expression on his face, he felt the same way.

"There is only one way, Sky. And that is when you ask Caden yourself. Face to face." He pointed out.

Which he was right about. Whenever I tried asking Caden about it on phone calls, he'd always dodge it off. Maybe he won't be able to do that when I'm in front of him.

"Or maybe you should just let go of it." He added. "He may not be telling you for a reason."

"So I should just pretend that this isn't bothering me and wait for another one of those letters?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Alex was about to say something when the waitress appeared with our coffees. I took mine, wrapping my hands around the warm cup.

When she was gone, Alex spoke up again, "What if you don't get the letter again?"

"Maybe it's Blake who sent this." I ignored his question and pointed out. If only our small apartment had security cameras, or vigilant guards, it would've been so much easier to find out who had sent that letter.

Alex narrowed his eyes this time. "He's running away twenty four hour seven, Sky. Do you think he'd have time to write you a letter?"

"He's Blake, after all." I shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe you really should wait for another letter before drawing up conclusions."

************

I paused the movie on the television when I heard some sort of commotion outside my apartment door. Chicken also perked up in my lap.

Seconds passed by until I saw the door knob turning. The only person other than me, who had the door key, was Nora. But if it was Nora, why was she alone making so much noise outside the door?

I could even hear laughter.

Maybe it was just me getting extra suspicious or maybe it was the whole letter thing that made me stand up in alarm.

I am just overreacting.

And I really was just overreacting when the door opened and Nora barged in.

"Why were yo–" I started but stopped immediately when I saw a boy behind her.

"Oh, Skylar!" Nora finally noticed me. I really never took her as a jolly person. Making and laughing on jokes. But she had been laughing right now. With that boy.

Who looked so much like her.

"I thought you'd come late." She actually gave me a smile. Can you believe that? Even Chicken jumped a little in surprise. "Anyways, this is Kyle. My brother."

That explained the reason why he had the same exact brown curls. Which were messed up and coming on his forehead, Shawn Mendes style. And those same brown eyes like Nora, except they looked a little lighter.

How come I was checking out this guy?

I mean, he was hot.

"Oh, hi." I said with a polite smile.

He responded with a wave. And a smile of his own. A very cute one.

"He just came from New York so we were thinking to go watch a movie." She explained before going towards the kitchen and taken out a water bottle.

"You live in New York?" I asked, picking up Chicken who was roaming around my feet.

"Yeah. I just came here for to see Dad." He replied slowly. "And Nora."

I nodded slowly.

Some people I knew, didn't even come once from New York to see me.

I tried not dwelling on that.

"So, how's your dad doing with...the criminal on loose?" I asked, diverting my attention to Nora. "Have they caught him yet?"

Nora turned towards me. "Unfortunately, no. Dad's still stressed out about that stuff."

I felt my heartbeat getting a little faster at that.

They had no idea where Blake was.

"Why did you ask?" She asked with a raised brow.

I looked at her with slightly wide eyes. I clearly didn't know the answer to that. And I wasn't planning on giving her any doubt.

Fortunately, Nora didn't know that criminal's name. Or my history with him. I had found out about that earlier when I had asked her.

"Skylar Anderson, right?" Kyle spoke up, thankfully, saving an excuse from my mouth.

"Y-Yeah." I nodded a little frantically.

A grin broke across his lips. "I've heard quite a lot about you."

"Really?" Nora and I spoke up in unison.

Nora looked at me then rolled her eyes. "Anyways, you want to join us with the movie?"

I just shook my head since they could clearly see how I was in between a movie marathon of myself.

"Well then, see you later." She said before picking up her keys and leaving from the front door.

I watched as Kyle started heading for the door too. Before he could've actually left, he turned around with a smirk this time.

"It was nice meeting you, Skylar." He said. I just smiled in response. A very much awkward one.

"And say a hello to Caden from me, will you?"

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You guys! This is not a cliffhanger. (I swear to God, I was not trying to make this a cliffhanger)

Please forgive me XD ♥ 

Make sure to click the ★ below ↓ if you liked this chapter.

Xoxo,

Crystal 🌿