Annie It was as if the world around us had disappeared. Peter and I were having one of those perfect days, where everything seemed possible, where there were no worries, just fun. 2000s pop music played softly through the store's speakers, and it felt like the soundtrack to our story was starting t
Lindsay When my doorbell rang, and I went to answer it, I frowned when Gideon Bathory was there at my door. "You? What do you want here?” I asked, being more surprised than intrigued. Since I divorced him, he never came directly to me, he always sent someone to pick up his son and then returned him
Lindsay “I'm talking about you, Lindsay,” he said. “I want you back.” I chuckled skeptically. "What are you doing now? Why are you saying this? Do you really want me to believe that?” I asked being skeptical of his words. I mean, our marriage had taken years and all that time I was doing everythi
Annie The park was shining, illuminated by a thousand colored lights. I looked around, marveling at the place. I had never been to an amusement park at night, and the vibrant atmosphere made me feel like I was in a movie. Peter looked just as excited as I did, with his eyes shining and a wide smile
Annie "My name doesn't matter," he replied, with a calmness that made me suspicious. “Your Dad told me to come get you. It’s time to go home.” My heart was pounding in my rib cage. How the hell had my Dad found me? Peter and I had been so cautious until now, we hadn't left behind any clues that wo
Annie Peter and I ended up having to go to an inn because it was late at night and my father's men were scattered throughout the city. We needed to stay hidden and wait for those men to leave so they could give us a drink so we could continue our journey. The room was average with rough decor and
Annie Peter and I had to leave that guesthouse because the men sent by my father were already almost at our door with the intention of coming to get us. “How the hell did they find us?” Peter asked, upset, as he and I ran out of the inn. I was also so confused, and I was sure we didn't leave an
Laura I was sitting on my bed while staring at my cell phone in my hand. I was making yet another call to Annie, another one of hundreds in fact. She refused to answer all my calls; her cell phone was out of range, but I still kept calling because if I didn't, I would feel completely useless. I h
Annie POV Peter Morton’s face was just inches from mine, staring at me. The electric blue of his eyes was so close I could see his irises dilating and contracting. “You okay, Lady Ann?” he asked. I sighed with a small smile, half in delight. “It’s been a while since anyone called me that.” Actual
Annie POV The masked boy—who I didn’t want to admit was Peter—took me to an upscale, comfortable hotel where I could spend the night safely, away from everything, and try to regain my composure and figure out what to do next. “You can stay here,” he said calmly, though his voice still carried a hi
Annie POV The masked boy led me through the dark campus, his hand firm in mine as we ran away from the ballroom. My legs trembled, the blue dress swishing with each step, and tears still streamed down my face, hot and relentless. The sound of the shouts, the judgments, still echoed in my head, bu
“No choice?” He cut me off, his tone incredulous. “Are you serious? You chose to help Madison make that video. You chose to plug it into the projector. And now Annie’s out there, broken, while you try to run from the responsibility. This doesn’t fix anything, Abby. It wasn’t supposed to end like thi
Abby POV I was there, tucked away in the shadows of the ballroom’s corner, my heart still racing as I watched the chaos I’d helped create unfold. The giant screen kept playing that horrible video, distorted and manipulated clips of Annie echoing through the room like a final verdict. People poin
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