The next day, Cameron dressed with deliberate care. He chose the plain, good-quality clothes Victoria had bought him, a neutral sweater and dark jeans. He looked like a well-off, unassuming college freshman. He wants Lucas to get bored of him and forget about him.
The Grind smelled of bitter coffee when he walked in. Lucas Thorne was already sitting at a corner table, looking like he'd just stepped out from a brochure for privileged youth. He was looking even more handsome than Cameron remembered, his smile practiced and dazzling. Seeing him in the flesh was a shock. Every cell in Cameron's body screamed DANGER.
"Cam! You look great," Lucas said, standing to clap him on the shoulder. The touch made Cameron's skin crawl. "You are looking great, college life agrees with you."
"Thanks," Cameron mumbled, forcing a shy smile. "It's okay. Just a lot of work." He slipped into the persona of the overwhelmed, slightly awkward boy Lucas would expect.
They made small talk. Lucas did most of the talking. He talked about his own senior year at Astor, the fraternity and his father's new business. He asked questions about Crestview, already getting bored. Cameron gave him boring answers about difficult professors and boring dorm food.
"So," Lucas said, leaning forward mischievously. "Chloe mentioned you're in that Blackwood program. That's a pretty sweet deal
to land. How'd you manage that?"
Ah. There it was. The real reason for the "surprise" visit. It wasn't about Cameron. It was about the Blackwood connection. Richard or Chloe had likely mentioned it, and Lucas, the opportunistic predator, had come to scout.
Cameron let his eyes widen slightly, playing naive. "Oh, it's just the scholarship program. I don't have any real contact with them. It's just, you know, a line on the resume maybe someday."
Lucas's smile didn't falter, but a slight calculation entered his eyes. "Still, it's a foot in the door. You should use that to your advantage. Networking is everything." He was already thinking of Cameron's potential use, just as he had in their first life.
The conversation continued, with Lucas trying to get information from him and Cameron trying to deflect his questions, showing his insignificance. He was playing a mind game, and every second in Lucas's presence was agony. He could feel the storyline trying to reset itself…the desire to please, to get attention from this golden, terrible boy. He pushed it down with the cold memory of his own death.
After forty excruciating minutes, Lucas checked his expensive watch. "Well, I should run. The guys are waiting. It was really good to see you, Cam. Keep in touch, yeah? Don't be a stranger."
"Yeah, for sure," Cameron said, the lie tasting like ash.
Lucas left, the bell on the door ringing cheerfully as he walked out. Cameron remained seated, his coffee untouched and cold. He waited until he was sure Lucas was gone, then stood with his legs that felt like jelly.
He didn't go back to the campus. He walked with no destination in mind, through the unfamiliar streets, the cool air doing nothing to stop the feeling of throwing up. The past had come looking for him. Lucas was a shark who had caught his scent and wouldn't just go away.
The victory of moving away, coming to Crestview and the peace, felt like a lie. The monsters from his old life could still find him. They were looking for him, not out of love, but for what they could get from him.
He found himself at a small, neglected city park. He sat on a bench, watching dry leaves scatter across the path. The loneliness was crushing. He had no one. No one to tell about the terror of sitting across from the man who once killed him. No one to help him carry the dread.
His hand slipped into his pocket, his fingers reaching for his phone. He scrolled past the unknown number now saved under Lucas (Do Not Answer). His thumb hovered over the contact he'd hesitantly saved a week ago, Leah (Chem 101).
The urge to call, to hear a normal, kind voice, was too much. But the fear was stronger. You'll sound crazy. You'll push her away. You'll be a burden. You are a damage, and damage affects others.
He put the phone away, curling in on himself on the bench. The facade he'd put on for Lucas had stressed him. The strength he'd gathered to get here was draining away, leaving him exposed and scared.
He didn't know how long he sat there. Long enough for the sun to dip lower, marking the start of dusk. Long enough for a decision to harden in the cold pit of his stomach.
He couldn't just hide and study. The past was hunting him. He needed to fight back. Not with fists, but with knowledge. He needed to find his real family, not just as an answer to a lonely question, but as a shield. As a power to stand against the Lucas's and the Reeds of the world.
He pulled out his phone again, but did not call anyone. He opened his encrypted file. He looked at the name STERLING.
It was no longer just a clue. It was a potential weapon. And he needed to learn how to use it, before the monsters from his past remembered they weren't done with him.