By the time practice is over, my legs ache something fierce, and my arms feel like they might fall clean off. I just know I’ll be paying for this tomorrow. But it’s worth it. The adrenaline, the teamwork, the rush of landing a perfect spike. And, of course, the sheer joy of wiping that smug "You’ll never get that ball" look right off Cora’s face when I absolutely do.I sling my towel around my neck as we walk off the court, still catching my breath. Cora nudges me with her shoulder as she shakes her head.“You’re getting cocky,” she says, though she’s grinning.I let out a breathy laugh, rolling my shoulders. “Nah, I’m just getting better,” I say, shooting her a cheeky wink.Cora huffs, but she’s amused. “You’re insufferable.” She shoves me lightly, and I stumble in mock offense.“Oi!” I exclaim, holding a hand to my chest. “Violence. Unbelievable.”She snorts as we step into the hallway, the distant sounds of practice still carrying from the gym. It’s mostly empty now, save for a few
A sharp sound rings through my ears. I groan in protest and my arm shoots to the nightstand. My eyes remain closed as my hand roams over the surface, trying to find my phone.I finally open my eyes to scan the surface of the nightstand and grab my phone, turning the alarm off.Why would I set an alarm for 06:00?A text appears on the screen, but I ignore it since it is from an unknown number.I throw the phone on the bed before I let out a heavy sigh.As I get up, my eyes dart from the floor back to the bed.Where am I?This is not my bed. And this is definitely not my room.The phone vibrates with another message from the same unknown number. I look around the room and blink a few times, just to make sure that I wasn't still dreaming.The last thing I remember is falling asleep on my bed in the dorm.Is this a joke?The phone vibrates for the third time. I snatch the phone from the bed and open the messages.Welcome EmilySince you hated my book so much and critiqued it, I'll allow yo
"And I binged Lucifer while I ate a whole pizza by myself," Allison says, her smile practically glowing with pride. I nod my head as I try my best not to make a face. "Wow. Crazy. You crazy girl" plays in my head and a chuckle escapes. "Hey, Allison—""Why do you keep calling me Allison? It's Ally. You're freaking me out." She frowns at me like I'm an idiot. Without waiting for me, she continues to walk on and I roll my eyes. I can remember the conversation that Kate and Ally had on their way to school, so I'm just going to stick with that."Ally," I say, deliberately emphasizing her name,"did you hear about all the new kids that are starting today?" She halts, pivoting toward to me while she shakes her head.“Yeah, apparently fourteen kids. Six are seniors, so they’ll be in our homeroom,” I continue, catching up to her with a wink.Ally huffs and shakes her head again. “You know I don’t care about gossip. It’s so childish.”My teeth clamp down on the inside of my cheek to stop the
When lunch arrives, I am exhausted. I forgot how much energy school took. And we have not even started with the work yet. The teachers are going through their rules and some went through the curriculum for the year. I have been staring at my phone's screen for most of the periods, waiting for another text. Now that I think about it, I wonder if I can text back.I find Ally sitting outside on the grass with no food. Right, she has an eating disorder. I think she blames Kate for it later in a fight.I, on the other hand, have loaded my tray with all kinds of food. I'm starving and it is free. I sit down next to her. A silence settles over us as I eat something that I have never seen in my life, but it looks good and it tastes delightful."Some of the new kids aren't here yet," she says as she plays with a strand of her hair."I thought you weren't one for gossip," I retort back, and she just rolls her eyes. She lays back on the grass."These new guys are weird. It is like they're all fam
When I got home from school, I went for a jog. I had to do something to clear my head and piece everything together. Plus, Kate is in good shape and I want to keep it that way. I managed to figure out a few things during the jog. I am impressed with my brain for recalling as much information as it did while I was zoned out for most of the book.I know Kate’s boyfriend’s name is Max and that Kate has an older brother, Oliver. He is one year older than Kate, but he failed his senior year. Now he has to repeat it in the same year as Kate. I overheard his mother giving him a lecture of a lifetime. He seems to be quite on the social side of life from what I heard.After I took a shower, I sit on the bed and scroll through all the photos on Kate’s phone. She has many selfies and pictures with friends and family. My own phone has almost no selfies. I am not one for selfies, but I like to take photos with my friends. I notice Kate has no photos with Ally which is strange. They have been frien
"No, I still can't believe that you got almost all of the new kids in your homeroom. I only have two in my homeroom," I complain while I follow Ally to her locker.Now that's what I call "plot armor". At least, she has the alpha and his friend, so I don't have to face them yet. I remembered that the name of the alpha is Tyler, but I don't know what his friend's name is."I don't care about that. To be honest, I don't even notice that they are there." She opens her locker and puts some books in the locker.I glare at her, but she can't see me. This girl is on some other type of drug. And why does she even have books? We only start on Monday.Leaning against the lockers, I sigh. “Hurry up. I want to get to the cafeteria before all the good food’s gone.”The day has been surprisingly uneventful. I didn’t even catch a glimpse of the alpha, Tyler, or his brooding sidekick. Not that I’m complaining."Are you coming with me to the cafeteria?" I ask when she places her bag on the floor behind
The seat that was once open, is now occupied. And you'll never guess who it is. At least it is not Tyler, otherwise, I would have thrown myself from this building. It is his buddy, but I can't remember his name."Great. Now I have to share my table. Why couldn't I have just this one thing?" I ask under my breath. I sigh loudly on my way to the table.I pull out the chair next to him and collapse into it with a groan. The teacher enters the class, greeting us as she walks to her desk. "Okay, guys. I have loads of work to do, so keep yourselves busy." She sits behind the desk and starts to work through the pile of papers on the desk. The few students in the class burst into conversation and I pull my phone out of my pocket. I’ve been wondering if I can send messages to the author. I unlock my phone and open my messages, scrolling to the old ones. From the corner of my eye, I spot three students wandering toward my table. They drag over chairs, clustering around the guy’s side. (I real
I'm sorry for acting the way I did at lunch. I was just overwhelmed. I'll call you later tonight. And don't wait for me after school. I already left.I read the message from Ally as I walk through the exit of the building. Maybe I can still catch a ride from Oliver. I walk to the parking lot and see him standing next to his Jeep. Why doesn't Kate have a car? I think Kate hates driving or cannot drive, but I am not sure which one it is.As I get closer to the Jeep, I see Tyler leaning against Oliver's Jeep and Jake standing next to Oliver. Is Oliver giving them a lift home? I move in closer to hear what they are saying."You don't mind? We don't want to intrude," Tyler says to Oliver. Oliver claps Tyler's shoulder and laughs."Nah, not at all. My mother would love to have you guys over," Oliver says. I back away from them and turn to walk home. I am not going to ride in the same car as Tyler and I don't want to sit next to Jake.I still can't believe the author made me fall in front o
By the time practice is over, my legs ache something fierce, and my arms feel like they might fall clean off. I just know I’ll be paying for this tomorrow. But it’s worth it. The adrenaline, the teamwork, the rush of landing a perfect spike. And, of course, the sheer joy of wiping that smug "You’ll never get that ball" look right off Cora’s face when I absolutely do.I sling my towel around my neck as we walk off the court, still catching my breath. Cora nudges me with her shoulder as she shakes her head.“You’re getting cocky,” she says, though she’s grinning.I let out a breathy laugh, rolling my shoulders. “Nah, I’m just getting better,” I say, shooting her a cheeky wink.Cora huffs, but she’s amused. “You’re insufferable.” She shoves me lightly, and I stumble in mock offense.“Oi!” I exclaim, holding a hand to my chest. “Violence. Unbelievable.”She snorts as we step into the hallway, the distant sounds of practice still carrying from the gym. It’s mostly empty now, save for a few
I wake up and immediately know I’m in trouble.The light streaming through the curtains is too bright, too unforgiving. When I groggily reach for my phone, my stomach drops.“Oh, shit,” I groan, bolting upright.Jake, the smug bastard, is still lying in bed, arms folded behind his head, watching me like I’m the most entertaining thing he’s ever seen.“Something wrong?” he drawls, his voice deep and lazy.“I’m late, you absolute tosser!” I scramble to untangle myself from the sheets, nearly face-planting off the bed in the process.Jake just smirks. “You weren’t complaining about time earlier.”I throw a pillow at him. He catches it midair, still looking far too pleased with himself.I don’t have time to argue. I’m already halfway to the bathroom, muttering a string of expletives under my breath. The shower is the quickest I’ve ever taken. It’s just enough to rinse off before I hop out, towel barely secured around me as I rush to throw on the first outfit I gather. My shirt is wrinkled
The first thing I notice when I wake up is the warmth beside me is gone.My eyes snap open while my heart lurches in my chest. The bed is empty. The sheets are slightly rumpled where Jake had been, but he’s nowhere in sight.Panic flutters through me before I hear the soft sound of water running. A second later, the bathroom door opens, steam curling around the edges and Jake steps out.My breath catches.His damp hair falls messily over his forehead and droplets of water trail down his bare chest. A towel hangs low on his hips. Very low.When he sees me awake, a soft smile spreads across his face."Morning," he murmurs.Before I can respond, he crosses the room in two strides and climbs back into bed. He pulls me into his arms like he never wants to let me go. His skin is warm and fresh from the shower. He smells incredible."You okay?" he asks, his lips ghosting over my temple.I nod, relaxing against him. "I thought you left."His arms tighten around me, his voice turning serious.
I don’t move. I forget to breathe.Jake takes a small step closer.My pulse jumps. My fingers twitch at my sides, but I stay rooted in place. His golden eyes flicker with something unreadable in them and he pauses. Just for a second. Like he is hesitating. Like he is considering something.And then he makes up his mind.The space between us disappears and his lips brush against mine. Soft, tentative, almost careful. My breath catches. He’s warm, the scent of him wrapping around me. I don’t even think before kissing him back. My hands lift so that my fingers graze the sharp cut of his jaw and I melt into him.The moment swallows me whole. My mind flickers back to every time we’ve done this before. Kissing him on the couch at his cabin, that first stolen kiss that changed everything. The way I kissed him after the game back at my house, adrenaline and excitement still thrumming through me. The time we kissed on the football field, alone. I remember the smell of grass. And Jake. And the
I walk through the crowded hallways, my bag slung over one shoulder. I am still floating from this morning. My skin is buzzing with warmth, a lingering trace of Jake’s arms around me. It’s ridiculous how much I missed him, how much lighter everything feels now that things are okay again. I find myself replaying the moment in my head over and over. The way his arms tightened around me, the way his lips brushed against mine so softly. I don’t think I’ve ever woken up feeling so content.Cora practically materializes at my side, looping her arm through mine in one fluid motion.“So,” she says, her lips stretching into a knowing grin. “I need to find a dress for prom.”I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “And this is my problem because…?”She stops dead in her tracks, gasping dramatically like I’ve just insulted her entire family lineage. A couple of freshmen glance at her in alarm before scurrying past. “Katherine Lauder, do not tell me you’re not going.”“I wasn’t even thinking
I wake up slowly to warmth, my body curled against Jake’s. My head is nestled in the crook of his neck. His steady breathing soothes me and his arms are still wrapped around me. He holds me as if even in sleep, he refuses to let go. I don’t move. I don’t even think about moving. I stay there, sinking into his steady presence. I focus on the way his scent fills my senses and how his chest rises and falls under my palm.Memories flicker through my drowsy mind. I remember the last time this happened. The couch and the soft hum of the television in the background. I had fallen asleep like this and it was Allison who woke me up. Jake had been holding me then too, just like this. Like he never wanted to let go.The memory makes me tighten my hold on him, burying my face deeper into his neck. He’s here. He’s really here. Safe, warm, real. The relief is overwhelming. Now there is nothing pulling me away. There is no reason to leave this perfect warmth. Carefully, barely even breathing, I li
I trace small patterns on Jake’s arm, my head resting on his shoulder. His hold around my middle is firm, reassuring, his body pressed against mine like an unshakable force in the chaos of my emotions.The tears have not stopped. They keep coming, each one dragging more guilt to the surface. Jake’s arms tighten around me as if he can somehow keep me together when I feel like I might shatter.I focus on the steady rise and fall of his breathing. I try to anchor myself in the warmth of his presence. As I cry, my heart aches for him too. He has suffered because of me, endured so much because of the choices I made. Each sob makes me want to apologize over and over, to take it all back, but I know I never can. The damage is already done. And yet, here he is, holding me, staying with me, despite everything.Something shifts in that moment. For the first time in months, I don’t feel completely alone. Jake’s presence helps me breathe through the pain, grounding me in the moment.Time stretc
My eyes flutter open as I wake up, a soft groan escaping my lips. My body stretches out against the sheets, actually rested. It has been quite a while since I felt this rested. The light seeps through the curtains and covers the room in a muted glow.I blink at the clock beside my bed. The numbers blur together before they finally click. Oh shit.A jolt of panic shoots through me as I sit up too fast, my heart pounding. I’m late. Way too late.Adrenaline kicks in and I scramble out of bed. I yank on a loose hoodie without bothering to check the mirror. My shift at the diner. I was supposed to be there hours ago.I hurry down the stairs, my feet stumbling over themselves while I try to shake off the grogginess. When I reach the kitchen, I freeze in the doorway.Jake is sitting at the table, a plate of breakfast in front of him. My mum is chatting away, smiling like she has not seen him in years. Well, she has not seen him in months. My stomach twists, a strange mix of guilt and grati
The shrill beeping of Kate’s alarm jolts me awake. I groan, my hand fumbling for the offending noise. I finally find the button and silence it. She does not even stir, still tucked into the blanket like she does not have a care in the world.I roll out of bed, rubbing a hand over my face before glancing back at her. Peaceful. Oblivious. Shaking my head, I grab a shirt from the floor and throw it on before stepping out of the room.The faint smell of coffee hit me before I reach the kitchen. Her mom stands at the counter, humming quietly as she flips through a magazine. When she sees me, her face lights up.“Jake!” she says with a warmth I have forgotten. “Oh, it’s so good to see you.”She crosses the room in a few quick steps and wraps me in a hug. I stand there awkwardly for a second, then pat her back.“It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Lauder,” I say, managing a small smile.“Oh, stop it with the ‘Mrs. Lauder.’ It’s Ellie.” She pulls back with her hands on my arms as she beams up at m