Laura “Who had the brilliant idea of hiring Barney? My daughter is loving it,” I said with a giggle as I watched Annie playing with the party entertainer, who was wearing a Barney dinosaur costume. There were more than twenty children there playing and having fun with my daughter; they were her
“I don’t know, honey. The last time I saw him at the prenatal appointment, I almost couldn't resist hugging him. I don’t think I could handle it this time,” she replied. I gently held her arm and caressed her. “And why do you have to hold back?” I suggested it with a smile. Ava shook her head. “
Laura “What the heck, huh? What a big crazy sweeper!" exclaimed Suzy, as we all looked at Jason quite shocked. Had he really dressed up as Barney to sneak into my house while my daughter's party was going on? Well, why couldn't I be surprised? I lifted my hand to him. “Give me my cell phone,” I
“Mommy, why can’t Daddy live with us?” Annie asked, sitting very close to her father. I sighed, biting my lower lip, unable to talk about it. “Annie, honey. Mommy and I are no longer together, that's why we can't live together anymore,” Jason explained to the girl. “Really? How sad,” she lamen
Laura Sometimes I felt like fighting Jason was like fighting a sea breeze. How would I deny my feelings while insisting on staying? How could I avoid those blue eyes looking at me so deeply? What did he want? I did everything to make him hate me—to make him hate me and never want to look at my face
I knocked on Suzy's bedroom door gently, but there was no response. So I decided to go in slowly. “I’m sorry, Suzy. Can we talk?” I asked as soon as I entered, but there was an open suitcase on top of the bed where she was taking her clothes from the closet and throwing them on the bag angrily. “But
Ava I was kneeling in front of the main door of Laura's apartment, seconds after Suzy left. My eyes were wide, and an expression of horror was written on my face. It could only be a nightmare! “Why did Suzy leave? When will she come back?” I heard Annie asking desperately. “Calm down, Annie. Su
“Annie is calmer now,” I said to reassure Laura, because I could see a worried line forming in the space between her eyes. She gave a wry smile and nodded. “Thank you,” she said. I gave a slight shake of my head and picked up the disposable cups again. “Terrence must be talking to her right now,
Annie POV I was still on the dance floor, the warmth of the masked boy’s body against mine, my head resting on his chest as the slow music guided us. The sound of his heartbeat against my ear was almost hypnotic, and I let myself get lost in that feeling I couldn’t quite explain. He’d just said s
I swallowed hard, Caleb’s words coming back to haunt me. “Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we’ve gone too far?” He’d said that at the mall, and I’d hung up on him, but now they echoed in my head. Annie had hurt me, yes. The fight in the dorm, the way she called me fake, like I was trash she
Abby POV I was leaning against the wall of the ballroom, the cup of punch in my hand already warm and forgotten, as I watched Annie dance with that masked boy. The soft lights of the ball cast shadows over them, and even from so far away, you could feel something in the air—a chemistry almost tangi
Anne POV I was there, trying to at least pretend I was enjoying the party with Summer, letting the loud music and spinning lights distract me from the weight pressing on my chest. Summer danced beside me, throwing her arms up with that endless energy of hers, and I tried to keep up, forcing a smile
“She’s an idiot,” Summer said, crossing her arms as she looked at me with concern. “You okay?” “Yeah,” I lied, grabbing a cup of punch just to have something to do with my hands. “I just… I just want this to stop, you know? For people to leave me alone.” Before Summer could reply, I felt him befor
Anne POV It was the day of the freshman ball, and I stood in front of the mirror in my dorm room, the blue dress Summer had insisted I buy staring back at me. The fabric draped lightly over my body, the delicate sleeves and simple cut highlighting my shoulders and collarbone in a way I knew was bea
“Why do you keep hanging out with them, Abby?” he asked, and now there was a note of concern that annoyed me even more. “You know Madison’s not good for you. She uses you, and you let her.” “It’s none of your business,” I shot back, my voice sharp. “I do what I want, Caleb. Bye.” I hung up before h
Abby POV It was a lazy Sunday, and I was at the mall’s food court, waiting at the counter to pick up snacks for myself and the “new friends” I’d managed to latch onto. The smell of grease and cheap coffee filled the air, and the hum of conversations mixed with the muffled pop music from the speaker
Caleb, Abby, Madison, Nadia—they all spun through my head like a broken carousel. I wanted to tell my parents everything, collapse and ask for help, but the thought of seeing disappointment in their eyes—or worse, them trying to intervene at Oxwell to “save” me—made me swallow the words. I had to fi