*Brody*

Pacing back and front on the balcony, I try to comprehend the recent events. It's so hard to believe that someone who I had gotten so close to, someone who I loved, someone who made my life so beautiful once upon a time had just gone.

Just like that.

Sure, I loved Natasha. Words could never explain how much. But Amelia? Amelia was my first love. She was the first person who showed me what it felt like to be truly happy. The first person I could call my own.

My first time.

My first everything.

Tears drop hurriedly down my face as I begin to reminisce memories of her. I begin to feel the same happiness she made me feel for a long long time. And then I remember the text.

That horrific text.

How many more till you find your beloved? Let the games begin.

I couldn't fully comprehend what the text had mean. But I had I understood one thing for sure. Amelia wasn't killed because of some stupid agenda, she was killed because of me. Because she was associated with me. I may not have fully understood the text but I could understand that much from it.

Amelia wasn't a bad person. She didn't do anything bad. She was just mentally unstable.

And she lost her life because of me. All because of me. She was so innocent, her only mistake being that she had loved me more than I could ever imagine.

I close my eyes as I feel tears well up in the back of my pupils.

This wasn't a good time for crying.

No.

I had to get to the bottom of this. I had to get to the bottom of everything. Now, not only did I have to find Natasha, but I also had to find out who murdered Amelia.

This was no ordinary game. Whoever is rolling the dice has more power than I could imagine.

But they didn't know me yet.

If they wanted to play then so be it.

Let's play.

"Hey Maryam, do you know what time we need to be at our lectures tomorrow?" I ask as I roll over onto my left side in order to turn off the lampshade.

Sillence.

I groan internally as the reason of Maryam's ignorance comes racing back to my mind.

Don't you remember, dumbass? She hates your guts.

I look to my right to spot Maryam laying peacefully in her bed, her book from before still resting on her stomach. She must have fallen asleep while reading. Her cup of tea still full and next to her on her side table proves my thoughts.

Sighing, I reach upwards and get out of my duvet to turn off her lampshade and retreat back to my bed.

In the midst of all the new relevations I completely forgot about my lectures tomorrow.

It was going to be a long day.

"Brody Dallas."

"Present," I said dejectingly.

It hadn't been two minutes that I'd been sat in the back of this excessively big classroom and I already felt like I was losing my mind. But I suppose that's what studying at Harvard and 3 hours sleep does to you.

In her lone war against me, Maryam had refused to tell me what time we had to be present for, resulting in me turning up very late to my class looking like I was shitfaced.

Leaning away from my trail of thoughts, the voice of two students next to me captures my attention.

"Hey, isn't he that Brody kid? You know, the one who's girlfriend went missing last year?"

"Who? That Natasha?"

There was a pause and a minute later they started again.

"Omg! It is him! He's ever hotter in person."

"I know right! I don't even know what he was doing with an ugly bitch like Natasha, he could do so much better."

"Exactly! And I doubt that she's really missing, she's probably whoring about in a toilet somewhere."

I'm sure you could feel the steam coming out of my ears, the anger engulfing me.

How dare they talk that way about Natasha?

"I think I'll try to make a move, I'm sure one glance at my boobs will make him forget about her completely!"

"You're wrong, I like my boobs not deflated. Plus, your eyebrows look like failed Nike ticks, no thanks."

Both girls look at me with astonishment in their eyes, surprised that I even said anything at all. I couldn't stop myself. She shouldn't have spoken that way about Natasha.

"Also, Karen, is it?" I continue, fury radiating off of my tongue. "I'm sure your boyfriend would love to hear about how much you want your boobs all up in my face? I'm with him next period, would you like me to pass word?" I add, remembering seeing Brent kissing her yesterday just before I left for my dorm.

"You wouldn't dare." She exclaims, squinting her eyes at me.

"Try me."

She looks at me for a moment, contemplating the extent of my threat.

"Ok fine," she begins through gritted teeth, "I'm sorry for what I said about Natalie."

"Natasha."

"Yeah her, whatever."

"For the record, Natalie is 10 times the woman you'll ever be." I tell her matter-of-factly.

Her mouth opens and closes like a fish, before she finally decides what to say.

"Screw you, I take it back, you're so not hot and my boobs are worth so much more than you." And with that, she turns away from me and continues chatting to her female companion.

I smile to myself victoriously.

I would always defend Natasha, with or without her presence.

I might accidentally let Brett Know anyway.

This is only a short chapter but the next one will be up soon! So sorry for the long wait 😩😩😩