Episode 5: Echoes and edges

*Episode 5 – “Echoes and Edges”*

*Alex’s POV

Sandra said yes.

That’s all I’ve been able to think about since her reply popped up on my screen last night.

“Yeah. Sure.”

Two words. Simple. Casual.

But they sent my entire system into overdrive.

Because this wasn’t about just talking. This was about *everything* that had been sitting between us for weeks. All the glances. The lingering silence.

And then Joan had shown up. Like fate slapping me back into place.

I hadn’t seen her face clearly, but the way Sandra froze… it said enough.

Now I was pacing the edge of the basketball court, waiting for Sandra, trying to figure out what I was going to say when she got here. I had no script. Just nerves, guilt, and this overwhelming need to be honest.

“Hey.”

Her voice brought me back to earth.

She stood at the edge of the court, in her hoodie and jeans, looking unsure and tired and still so beautiful it made my chest ache. I took a breath and forced a smile.

“Hey.”

We stood there for a few seconds, not saying anything. The wind blew gently, stirring a few leaves around us like the universe was mocking our tension.“You okay?” I asked finally.

She shrugged. “Not really.”

I nodded. “Same.”

She looked at me then. Really looked. Her eyes weren’t angry. Just tired. Guarded.

“I keep thinking,” she said softly, “about how wrong this feels.”

I stepped closer. “Then why does it also feel… right?”

She closed her eyes, and for a second, I thought she’d walk away. But she didn’t.

“I didn’t plan this, Alex,” she said. “I didn’t *want* to feel anything for you.”

I swallowed hard. “Me neither.”

“But now we’re here,” she said. “And Joan’s in the middle of it.”

I looked down at my hands. “I never wanted to hurt her.”

“I know.”

Silence again. This time thicker. It wrapped around us like fog.

I reached out before I could stop myself. My fingers grazed hers—lightly, testing the water. She didn’t pull away.

“She’ll hate me,” Sandra whispered.

“Maybe,” I said honestly. “But pretending nothing’s happening isn’t fair either. Not to her. Not to us.”

She finally looked up at me again, and the vulnerability in her face made my throat tighten.

“Alex… do you even know what *this* is?”

I hesitated. “No. But I know it’s real.”

That’s when her phone buzzed. She looked down, frowning.

Her face paled.

I leaned in. “What is it?”

She turned the screen toward me. A message with no name.*“Tick-tock. Time’s almost up.”*

My blood ran cold.

“What the hell?” I muttered.

Sandra shook her head. “It’s not the first one.”

I stared at her. “You’ve been getting these?”

She nodded. “For days now.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“I thought it’d stop. I didn’t want to drag anyone else into it.”

“Well, too late for that now.”

I looked around the court. It suddenly felt less empty. Less safe.

Someone was watching.

Someone *knew.*

And whoever it was… they weren’t done yet.

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