Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97537 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
He sighs. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But seriously, how long are you going to wait? You've loved her since you were practically kids. Eventually, you've gotta say something."
"Eventually, yeah," I admit softly, running my hand through my hair. "But right now, she needs a friend more than anything. And I need to keep her safe."
Gage's brows furrow in concern. "You really think she's in danger? I mean, hopefully, the police will catch whoever did this soon."
I snort dismissively, frustration tightening my chest. "Juno doesn’t think the police are any help. And who knows, maybe she’s right. The cops have no leads, no suspects. It's like they're just waiting for people to forget Arby existed. But Juno isn't going to forget, and she's spiraling."
Gage frowns, crossing his arms. "I wish there was something we could do. This whole situation sucks. Arby didn't deserve this."
"No, she didn’t," I mutter, leaning back and closing my eyes briefly, the images of Arby's livestream haunting me again. The helplessness and anger I felt watching it unfold are fresh wounds that refuse to heal. "Gage. I did something stupid—something desperate."
Gage eyes me cautiously. "How stupid?"
"I installed spyware on Juno's computer," I admit quietly, shame coloring my voice. "I've been monitoring her emails, her searches. She doesn't know."
"Jesus, Arrow! That's creepy, even for you," Gage exclaims, sitting up straight. "What if she finds out?"
"She won't," I say with more confidence than I feel. "But it's how I discovered that she's been on the dark web, trying to find vigilantes to track down Arby's killers."
Gage’s eyes widen in alarm, his voice rising an octave. "That's insane! Does she want to get herself killed?"
"I know," I say, my fists clenching. "That's why I stepped in. She thinks she found someone to help her, but she really just found me."
Gage blinks, confused. "Wait—what? You’re pretending to be a dark web vigilante?"
I nod slowly, the weight of my decision pressing down on me. "Tonight, I'm supposed to meet her. I'm going to pose as this vigilante expert she thinks she found. I can't let her meet some stranger who might actually hurt her."
Gage shakes his head incredulously. "You're playing a dangerous game, Arrow. Are you really going to help her track down these killers?"
I shrug helplessly. "I don't know. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing. But right now, this feels like the only option. I have to keep her safe until I can convince her to let the professionals handle it."
"You realize you're basically signing up for some superhero shit, right? Like, Batman-level stuff. You're gonna need a mask or something," Gage says, half joking, half serious.
"Already ahead of you," I respond dryly. "I ordered a mask online."
"Nice. Batman? Ghostface? Something cool?"
I sigh, embarrassment heating my face. "Well, I wanted Ghostface. But instead, I accidentally ordered five masks of lesser-known presidents."
Gage snorts loudly, laughter erupting from him. "Oh my god, which one did you pick? Please say you’re going as Millard Fillmore."
"Herbert Hoover," I admit, shaking my head at his amusement. “I’ve also got a voice changer.”
Gage doubles over, gasping between laughs. "Arrow Finn, vigilante avenger, as Herbert Hoover. Amazing. You’re definitely keeping a low profile."
I glare half-heartedly at him. "Laugh it up. But I’ll do anything to keep Juno safe—even look like an idiot."
Gage calms down eventually, wiping his eyes. His expression sobers. "Seriously, though, you think Juno's onto something? About Arby's murderers, I mean?"
I exhale, staring down at my hands. "I don't know. It could be someone with a grudge against influencers, someone jealous of her fame, or something even darker. All I know is that whoever they are, they're still out there, and the police aren't close to catching them."
Gage leans back in his seat. "Do you think she could actually uncover something? Maybe it's not the worst idea to help her, at least to keep an eye on her."
"That's what I'm counting on," I reply, my voice threadbare. "If she trusts me as this vigilante, maybe she'll let me guide her to a safer path."
"You realize how complicated this could get, right? Especially if she finds out who you really are," Gage points out cautiously.
"Yeah," I admit, feeling the weight of it heavily. "But it's a risk I'm willing to take. I love her, Gage. If something happened to her, I’d never forgive myself."
Gage’s gaze softens. "You're a good guy, Arrow. Juno's lucky to have you, even if she doesn't know it yet."
I try to smile but fail. "I hope you're right. Because one way or another, I'm not letting anyone else hurt her."
We sit in silence for a moment, both lost in our thoughts, the TV's soft glow washing over the room. For now, all I can do is wait and prepare for the night ahead—no matter how ridiculous I might look in a Herbert Hoover mask.