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"And in plain sight you hid

But you are what you did
And I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive

The smallest man who ever lived"

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived - Taylor Swift

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Chapter Nineteen:

- Everly -

When I felt Cyril's hand on my arm, a cold realization hit me—I knew. My uncanny ability to predict disaster had become an unshakable curse. As I rose to my feet in the basement an hour before, Cyril was the one person I kept my eye on, though I never made it obvious. There was something off about him, something that Ellie's story hadn't covered. She wasn't part of this, not really—she was just a pawn, a distraction to keep us from seeing the truth. And something told me she had just discovered that part herself. 

Ellie's tale about Jasper getting a letter from Cyril didn't add up. That kind of communication, even hand-delivered, would've taken too long. No, Cyril must have had his phone, and if that was true, he'd been in contact with Jasper all along, plotting this entire nightmare right under our noses.

I started to piece it together, the twisted logic behind Cyril's betrayal. Jasper must have promised him something—something that involved me. Maybe it was a way to get back into Lydia's good graces. Only Jasper, James, and I knew about Lydia and Graham. What if Jasper had offered to eliminate Lydia's new boyfriend in exchange for Cyril's help? A "conversation" with me, he might have called it. I wanted to believe that was the extent of it because the alternative—that Cyril was knowingly aiding Jasper, fully aware of the harm he intended to inflict on me—was too chilling to accept.

If that were true, if Cyril had willingly thrown me to the wolves, then James would be the least of his concerns. But deep down, I knew I was right. I could feel it in the way Cyril's grip tightened on my arm, in the way he avoided meeting my eyes. The betrayal was complete, and the only question left was how much more damage he was willing to do. And how this would change all our friendships for good.

"I am so sorry for this," Cyril's words struck like shards of glass, splintering my last hope. As the library shelf slammed shut, sealing my friends and James on the other side, every terrifying suspicion I had came true. Now, it was up to me to fight like hell—because whether Cyril realized it or not, my life depended on it.

"What are you doing?" I screamed, panic lacing my voice. "Cyril! Please tell me you're not involved in this any further." But he only pushed me toward the basement steps, his grip unyielding.

"Everly, please, it's just a conversation. He just wants this to end." Cyril's naïveté was staggering, more than I could comprehend.

"You have no idea what you've done, do you?" I hissed through gritted teeth, each step up the basement stairs sending searing pain through my cut foot. "James will never forgive you for this. He's your best friend, Cyril. He loves me. Why are you doing this? Jasper was never going to help you get Lydia back. He's been using you from the start, and you fell for it."

The words spilled out, sharp and venomous, but they barely seemed to penetrate Cyril's dazed expression. My heart pounded as I reached the top of the stairs, my hand trembling as I unlocked the door. I stepped into the room, dread curling in my gut.

And there he was—Jasper, waiting like the nightmare he always was, his presence suffocating the air around him.

"Calloway... nice place you've got here. Funny though... your security team was so easily bought off. I guess everyone has a price, huh?" Jasper sneered, his gaze flicking to Cyril, who now stood beside him, the betrayal complete.

"All of this for a conversation with me? You must have been really in love. Shame, though... I'm still very much taken." I taunted, fingering the "J" necklace James had given me, letting it dangle between us like a challenge.

"You really think you've won?" Jasper scoffed, his smile twisting into something sinister. 

"I've got you now, Everly. Right where I want you. No way to call for help, and no one to call for help to. Cyril sealed off the passageway exit—they'll die down there before they ever reach you." His laugh was sharp and cruel, slicing through the air.

I forced myself to stay calm, to meet his cold, dead eyes without flinching. He wanted me to break, to beg for mercy, but I had to channel my father's icy resolve. 

"You know, I used you. The entire time we were together, I had one goal: I wanted James. I wanted to make him jealous. And it worked because I'm better at this game than any of you," I shot back, my voice steady, controlled.

"Everly... please... stop..." Cyril's voice cracked with desperation, but I wasn't about to take advice from him. Not now, not ever. I knew exactly what I had to do. Jasper's attention needed to be diverted, and the only way to do that was to push him to his breaking point. My heart raced as I braced myself, knowing I'd have only one chance. I had to push Jasper—hard enough to make him snap, just long enough to buy me time to run.

 "Also, Jasper, just so you know—I would never have slept with you. And for the record, I'm fucking amazing in bed." I added, a smirk curling my lips.

"You want to push me? You already know what I'm capable of, bitch," Jasper snarled, stepping closer. I scanned the room, desperate for something to defend myself with, my eyes landing on James' lacrosse bag near the front door. If I could just reach the bat inside, I might have a chance to knock him out and make a run for it.

"You think you're so clever, Jasper, but you continue to underestimate me. I am my father's daughter, after all. Do you have any idea how much worse I can make this for you?" I edged toward the front door, my heart pounding.

"You ruined my life!" Jasper shouted, his voice trembling with rage. 

"I lost my spot on the lacrosse team, I'm nearly expelled from Maxton Hall, and my father is threatening to cut me off. You took everything from me, Everly, and I thought, how could I get even? The answer wasn't in what I could do to you, it was in what I could do to your boyfriend. Take you from him. That... that would be even." He turned to Cyril, whose face was now a mask of horror. 

"And to make it even better, I got his best friend to help trap you for me. Wow, I couldn't have planned this out better," Jasper laughed, the sound echoing through the room like a death knell.

"You think it will end there, Jasper? You can't be that stupid," I shot back, my voice trembling with both fear and defiance. 

"If anything happens to me, if you so much as touch a single hair on my head, I promise you, James will come for you in ways that will make even sleep a nightmare." I backed up, my heart pounding, until I felt the lacrosse bag behind me. Jasper's laughter echoed through the room, cold and mocking.

"Everly... I don't care what happens after this as long as I've finished with you. I still win. Don't you get it? This will destroy Beaufort. You're a prize to him. And I've got you now." His voice was laced with a twisted sense of triumph. But I wasn't about to let him have the last word.

With a burst of adrenaline, I kicked him, creating just enough space to grab James' lacrosse bat from the bag. I swung it at him, the impact resonating through my arms as he tried to wrestle it from me. Desperation fueled my strength as I bolted for the door, only to find Cyril blocking my escape. The betrayal stung—this was James' best friend, now aiding in my downfall.

With no other choice, I darted upstairs, my mind racing. I slammed a bedroom door shut, locking it behind me, and rushed to the window. My plan was to climb down the rose vines outside, but before I could make my escape, Jasper stormed in, yanking me back into the room.

"Help!" I screamed, but he slammed the window shut and dragged me toward the bed. I fought him with everything I had, knowing what was coming next. His hands wrapped around my throat, squeezing the life out of me. I had one shot left—I had to take it.

"Scream all you want," Jasper taunted, his voice dripping with malice. 

"Who can help you now, Everly? Not James... not even yourself. I mean his best friend helped me plan all of this." Cyril pounded on the door from the other side, finally realizing the horror of what was happening. Jasper wasn't here for a conversation—he was here to kill me. And James would never be able to look at Cyril in the eyes again after this.

"Jasper... Jasp..." I choked, gasping for air, my vision fading. 

"You took my life, now I'm going to take yours...and leave Beaufort with the nothing but guilt of what he could've done to stop this." Jasper's words were so cold. I imagined James, my Jamesie and what this would do to him.

With the last of my strength, I kneed him in the groin. He groaned in pain, rolling off me, and I seized the opportunity to run. I dashed past Cyril, but before I could reach the stairs, Jasper grabbed my hair, yanking me back. We tumbled down the steps together, the world spinning as I crashed to the bottom.

When I came to, everything was a blur. Pain shot through my body, and I looked down to see my ankle twisted at an unnatural angle—definitely broken. But I couldn't stop. I had to keep moving, had to open the passage in the basement.

I dragged myself up, grabbing the lacrosse bat as I limped toward the cellar door. My reflection caught my eye—a ghostly face, neck marred with dark bruises in the shape of Jasper's hands.

 "Fuck..." I winced, forcing myself forward. Just as I reached the door, I heard his voice behind me.

"Going somewhere?" Jasper's sneer was the last thing I heard before he shoved me down the steps. I tumbled down, each step sending shockwaves of pain through me. At the bottom, I lay there, broken and bleeding, tears mixing with the dirt beneath me. This was it—I had lost.

"James... I'm so sorry," I whispered through the blood pooling in my mouth. "He's won... I can't fight anymore." Darkness closed in, and just before I succumbed, I swore I heard James's voice, like a lifeline in the abyss.

"Evie... Evie girl, I'm right here. I'm right here. You won. You don't have to fight anymore. I'm right here. And I'm not leaving. I've got you now. You're safe." James's voice wrapped around me, a beacon in the void.

"She's down here! Don't move her. The paramedics just pulled up. Where are the police?" Lydia's voice cut through the haze.

"With Jasper. They caught him in the woods. Fucking good riddance," Ellie's voice replied, steady and strong. "James, I'll hold her hand. You should talk to Cyril and find out what happened."

"Are you sure?" James's voice wavered, filled with anguish.

"I've learned a lot these last few days," Ellie continued. "One thing I know for certain—you and Everly deserve each other. And now, I'm going to do what it takes to earn her forgiveness."

"Okay, thanks... I... I'll be right back," James murmured, his voice fading as the world finally went black.

I remember nothing before the sound of beeping, the soft hum of machines surrounding me. A woman's voice, gentle and soothing, broke through the darkness. "You're a fighter, sweetheart. Stay with us a little longer. You have a boy out there who really loves you."

I wanted to open my eyes, to see the world again, but my body was beyond exhausted, its control slipping away. I was trapped in the blackness, forced to relive the nightmare on an endless loop. I could feel his hands on me, the terror choking me, stealing my breath. I fought to remember—did I make it to the bookcase? Was I still alive? Everything blurred together, a fever dream of moments I couldn't grasp.

"No change..." James' voice, that beautiful, familiar sound, echoed through the haze.

"It's been 10 days, and the doctor said she should be awake by now, James," Lydia's voice, heavy with concern, filled the room like a soft lament.

"I said no change, Lydia. Just look at her. She's hurt—hurt so badly. And I can't do a damn thing about it. I'm so angry. I want the world to suffer like Everly has. I can't take this anymore. This silence is suffocating. The beeping... that's all I hear, and I see her blood—her blood on my hands..." James's voice trembled, breaking under the weight of his despair. 

He stood up, knocking over the chair in a surge of frustration. Panic seized me—was he leaving? The suffocating fear closed in. The monitors beside me erupted into frantic beeping. Footsteps rushed into the room, Lydia's voice sharp with urgency.

"James, don't you dare leave her. She needs you. Hold her hand. She needs to know you're there. I don't care how hard this is for you to see her like this—she would do it for you," she urged, her voice firm. She was right—the moment James's hand found mine, the chaos ebbed. I felt his tears, soft and muffled against my skin.

"I know you're still in there, Evie. I'm sorry I'm not the patient type. I'm trying to be better—for you... I'll be better for you. Just please... get better for me," he whispered, his breath a tender caress against my bruised fingers. He kissed them, and my body flinched, a reflex, a flicker of life.

"Did you see that?" James's voice was alight with a fragile, desperate hope.

He squeezed my hand tighter, and the nightmarish images that had imprisoned me began to dissolve. In their place, a new vision bloomed—roses everywhere, warm light bathing a scene that felt like a dream yet to come. I was in a white dress, James in a tux, and I realized I had to fight for this moment. 

We deserved it—James and I, our happiness, our future. Jasper had tried to steal it all, but not this time. This time, I would have the final say.

With every ounce of will left in me, I slowly opened my eyes. And there he was, James, staring back at me, his love pulling me from the darkness into the light.

"My Evie..." James whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of relief and disbelief. Tears slipped from his diamond-blue eyes, catching the light as they fell. He reached out, his hand trembling as it gently touched my face, as if to confirm that this moment, this fragile connection, was real.

I gazed up at him, taking in the sight of the boy I loved who had clearly fought his own battles in my absence. His knuckles were bruised and bloodied, the marks of a struggle fought in desperation. A deep green and purple bruise blossomed beneath one of his eyes, a painful reminder of everything we had endured to get to this moment.

But in that instant, none of it mattered. All I saw was him, my James, who had held on just as tightly as I had, and we were still here—together.

"Ja..mes..." I softly whispered as I stared up at him.

"You did it. You somehow made it back down to the cellar. You got the bookcase open. You saved yourself, beautiful girl." James's voice was soft, laced with awe and a touch of disbelief.

"What?" I whispered, the words barely leaving my lips. The memory of what happened after I hit the floor in the basement was a void. I searched his face, confusion clouding my thoughts as worry crept into his expression.

"You must've crawled. I don't know how you did it," he continued, his voice heavy with emotion.

  "I was pushing on that bookcase for what felt like an eternity, and nothing. But then, just in time, you pushed the book through and it slid open. Jasper took off the second he saw it move. He knew...he knew I was going to kill him, and he also knew I would win." James paused, the memory darkening his features. 

"But Cyril...he...he was just standing there beside you." His voice shook as the sentence fell out of his mouth. James words triggered something inside me, and suddenly, it all came flooding back. 

"James... it's Cyril's fault too," I choked out, the pain of betrayal tightening in my chest.

"He made a deal with Jasper... he thought it would get Lydia back if he did this for him. I don't know how he could've been so naive, but he really believed all Jasper wanted was to talk. But of course, he didn't... he..." My voice faltered as I pulled down the collar of my hospital gown, guiding James's hand to the bruises that marred my neck, leading it slowly down. 

"We didn't talk."  Tears fell down my face as James did his best to wipe them away with the sleeve of his shirt. His face twisting in a mix of horror and disbelief as he processed my words. 

"Did Cyril share any of this with you? I'm guessing not... I don't want to see him again," I whispered, the weight of everything that had changed settling over me. 

The girl I once was felt like a distant memory, almost like a stranger from another life. As James gazed at me, I knew he saw it too—the harsh truth that nothing would ever be the same. But in his eyes, I glimpsed something else—a quiet, unspoken desire that perhaps, he didn't want things to be the same.

"Everly...I..." James's voice trembled, choked with unspoken sorrow. 

His eyes, those diamond-blue eyes that had always held the world in them, now reflected a depth of pain that words could never capture. He looked at me as if he were drowning in regret, and it broke my heart to see him like that. But I didn't blame him—if anything, my love for him had only deepened. He would have stopped the world for me if he could, just as he always had since we were children.

"James..." I murmured, patting the empty space beside me on the hospital bed, beckoning him to come closer.

"Everly...I..." he repeated, his hesitation palpable. He didn't want to hurt me, but I wouldn't let him drift away. I reached out, pulling him into me, needing to feel his warmth against the cold that lingered inside me.

"James, when Cyril grabbed my arm and pulled me behind the bookcase, he said he was sorry, that Jasper only wanted to talk. He led me upstairs where Jasper was waiting, but he didn't want to talk. He attacked me, and at first, Cyril just stood there, watching. I grabbed your lacrosse bat at one point, swinging with all my might. I tried to run for the front door, but Cyril...he was blocking it." My voice cracked as I relived the terror, my heart shattering all over again. 

"I ran upstairs, locked myself in our bedroom, and tried to climb out the window...but Jasper got to me before I could escape. Cyril could hear me screaming behind the door, but he was too much of a coward to stop it. Jasper choked the life out of me, and I had to kick him in the groin just to get him off. I made it to the stairs, but he caught up, and we both tumbled down. When I came to, I realized I'd broken my ankle, but he was gone, so I knew I had to keep moving. I dragged myself back to the basement, hoping to open the door...but Jasper found me again and threw me down the steps. After that, I don't remember much. Cyril...he made everything worse. How could he think that was just talking?" I sobbed into James's chest, the safety of his embrace the only thing grounding me.

"I kept thinking, I'll never see James again. I'll never get my happy ending." The memory hit me then, a flash of what I'd done in those final moments. I'd opened my eyes, just for a second, and crawled to the bookcase. With the last of my strength, I'd pulled the book, praying it would be enough. I never saw the case open. I never knew if I'd succeeded.

But now, lying here with James by my side, I realized that somehow, I had. We had. And that was all that mattered.

"Everly...there are no words that can truly capture what you've endured, but I promise you this—it will never happen again," James said softly, his voice laced with an unshakable determination. He exhaled deeply, his frustration and sorrow evident. "You've missed ten days of sheer torment while you were unconscious, and I should tell you what's been happening since we arrived at the hospital." He paused, gathering his thoughts. 

"The moment we got here, they rushed you into surgery. I wasn't allowed to see you because they needed to address the internal bleeding, which matched the injuries you got from falling down the stairs, along with everything else. And that ankle..." His voice cracked as he glanced at the cast encasing my foot. The pain in his eyes mirrored my own.

"After talking to the doctors, I called your grandfather. He had already informed the police about everything that happened, and ironically enough, he was about to send cars to bring us back to London anyway. The threat turned out to be fake, orchestrated by Jasper. Your father...well in true Gerald fashion, he's back in Germany on business. So he's asked my parents to take care of you. My mum's in the waiting room, and my father is handling Jasper. As for our friends...well, let's start with Ellie, your new best friend." James chuckled softly, the sound a brief respite from the gravity of the situation.

"Strangely, I think this was good for us," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

"She said the same," James continued. 

"While I talked to Cyril, she stayed with you, holding your hand as the paramedics worked on you. She said you and I deserved each other and that she hoped you could find it in your heart to forgive her for everything she'd done."  He sighed, the weight of it all heavy on his shoulders.

"She is forgiven...and funny enough I can see us becoming friends." I replied, my voice trembling. 

"She saved my life, using her Chanel scarf to stop the bleeding on my heel. And what happened in the woods...I pushed her. I knew what I was doing. It started as just an angry conversation, and I pushed her over the edge. She didn't mean for it to go further. Forgiveness is something I hold very dear, James. But I have to tell you...I don't know if I can ever forgive Cyril." James nodded, his expression pained. 

"He'll be the last update I share," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Lydia told everyone in the hospital waiting room about Graham. She even had him come sit with us for a while, including my mum. The only person who doesn't know is my father, and my mum agreed it should stay that way." He looked down at me, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and love as he continued to recount the events I had missed.

"Alistair and Kesh are official now. It seems that all the time they spent cooped up together did wonders for their relationship. And as for Lin...well, I think she and Wren might be flirting. We'll see how that goes. But Lydia...she's been in here with me almost as much as my mum. It was touch and go for a while, especially during those first three nights. They weren't sure you'd pull through, but Lydia was convinced you would. She said you'd never leave me to marry Ellie." James smiled, a gentle laugh escaping his lips as he kissed my forehead.

"And she's right," I whispered, leaning into his touch.

"As for Cyril and me..." James hesitated, his voice darkening. 

"Well, that's why I look like this. He chose Jasper and the slim possibility of winning Lydia back over you and me. When I saw him standing there beside you, he was hysterical. He knew what he'd done, and Lydia...not even me...she swung at him first. I had to step in between them."

"Lydia was about to walk away when Cyril grabbed her arm. Eve, I don't know what happened. I just completely lost it, and then...everything went black," James began, his voice heavy with regret. 

"He tried to apologize, but I couldn't hear it. I wouldn't hear it. I hit him, over and over, until I realized I was becoming no better than Jasper. Lydia had to pull me off him. I think I broke my knuckle on the bridge of his nose. I told him there was no going back, no apology that could ever fix this. And I made it clear—he's off the lacrosse team. Even if he asked for a team vote, no one would choose him over me. I hate that side of me...the side that's..." His voice trailed off, trembling.

"Like your father..." I whispered, entwining my fingers with his. He nodded, pressing a tender kiss to my hand.

"I understand that more than you know," I murmured softly.

"You're the only one who could," James replied, his eyes dark with shared pain. "It's the people we spend our whole lives trying not to become. The side of us we fear. It's the only way we know when everything turns dark. And sometimes...sometimes, I want to stay in the dark, Everly." His sigh was filled with the weight of his confession.

"Me too," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. 

"When I was in Germany, that month without you, I realized I could stay there, in the darkness. Let everything go, become exactly what my father wanted—cold, hardened, ruthless. But coming home to you and fighting for us was the most ruthless thing I've ever done. And that...made me realize I wasn't alone in the darkness. I wasn't trapped in my tower anymore. You and I...we were there together. And that's the kind of security you can't buy, James. I don't know what the future holds, but I know one thing..." Before I could finish, James interrupted me with a kiss.

"We're in this life together," he whispered against my lips, his voice full of fierce love. 

"And there's no one I'd rather be ruthless, cold, and hard with, babe." He kissed me again, sealing his words with the warmth of his touch.

"We stay at the top of the pyramid for that reason, James," I said, my voice steady. 

"But things...they're going to change. Promise me that you and I will stay the same. I know this has changed us both in ways we didn't want, but I believe we can grow through it together. I love you for every bad thing you've ever done, and you love me for every mistake I've ever made." I exhaled deeply, the weight of our journey settling between us.

"Unconditionally...unconditionally, Everly Belle Calloway," James whispered, his gaze locking with mine. In that moment, as the world we once knew seemed to crumble around us, I knew that we would be okay. We would remain strong, stable, unbreakable.