Lindsay POV The dinner was a marvel, an experience that felt like a warm hug in the form of food and company. Emma Weiss insisted that I try every dish she had prepared with such care, and I couldn’t deny how much it made me feel welcomed. "My lasagna recipe is famous," she said with a proud smile,
Lindsay POV We arrived at the hotel after a night that still echoed in me like a good dream. Wyatt was exhausted, which wasn’t surprising after such an eventful day at the Weiss house. He fell asleep almost immediately after I put him to bed, a slight smile on his face that made me feel that, despi
I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. "But what if... what if I mess it all up again? I’m not perfect, Matt. I have my flaws, my scars." He smiled, a smile both gentle and confident. "No one’s perfect, Lindsay. I’m not either. But you know what? My dad, Killian... he’s not my biological
Max POV The club was a circus of flashing lights and bass that made the floor feel alive, pulsing like a heart about to burst. The air reeked of gin and tonic, sweat, and overpriced perfumes, and I was at the bar counter, swirling the ice in my bourbon, watching the crowd throw themselves onto the
Annie POV It was the first day of classes at college, and the tension between Abby and me still hung in the air like an invisible fog. Though we shared the same dorm, we didn’t speak to each other. We ignored one another completely, pretending the other wasn’t there. I spent my time interacting
“I know, I know,” he laughed, a light sound that seemed to brighten the space between us. “I couldn’t believe it myself when they accepted me. But it was a chance I couldn’t pass up.” I nodded, trying to find something to say that didn’t sound like the chaos swirling in my head. Caleb here, at the
Annie POV I was still standing in the hallway, Caleb’s words echoing in my head like a poorly tuned radio. He wanted to surprise me by coming to Oxwell. He still thought about me. He thought I was jealous. Each of his sentences looped endlessly, and I tried to figure out what I felt—anger, confus
Annie POV A month had passed since the first day of classes, and it felt like the universe was determined not to let me have any peace. Caleb was everywhere—in my classes, in the hallways, at every corner of the campus—always watching me from a distance with those brown eyes I once found comforti
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