I can't believe what I'm seeing.
Celeste, standing there in the hallway, laughing and talking like nothing’s wrong—like she didn't just ignore me in m ath class. She’s talking to Nathan, of all people. Liam’s brother.
I glance at Tamrin beside me, her eyes glued to the scene, and my stomach twists. She looks devastated. It’s like everything we’ve been trying to figure out, all the texts, all the times we reached out to Celeste, didn’t matter at all. She’s moved on.
But the worst part? It’s not with us.
Before I can say anything, Presley’s already fuming. I can practically feel the heat radiating off her. She’s pacing, her arms crossed, her face a mask of frustration.
“Do you see that?” Presley hisses, her voice sharp and cutting. “She’s over there, acting like you don’t even exist. Talking to some random boy like we’re nothing.”
Tamrin
When I get home, I already feel the weight of the day settling into my shoulders. Between the weird energy at school and seeing Sadie and Tamrin, I just want to disappear into my room and be alone for a while. But as I step into the house and drop my bag by the door, my phone buzzes in my pocket.It’s Liam.Come to the backyard.-LiamI stare at the message, my heart speeding up for no good reason. It’s Liam, so of course I shouldn’t be surprised by whatever this is. I glance out the kitchen window and see him standing there, hands shoved into his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet like he’s waiting for something.A tiny smile tugs at the corner of my mouth despite myself. What’s he up to now?I step outside, and as soon as Liam spots me, his face breaks into this massive, excited grin. The kind of smile that lights up his entire face, making him look like a little kid who just got
Text to Celeste,I’ve been sitting here for what feels like forever, trying to find the right words, and honestly, I don’t even know if there are any that can fully explain how I feel right now. I’m hurt, Celeste. Really hurt. I keep thinking about everything that’s happened, and I just can’t shake it. You didn’t tell me about Nathan. Your first boyfriend, and I had to hear it from someone else? How is that fair? How am I supposed to feel?We’ve been through everything together, and now you’re shutting me out when it matters the most. It feels like I’ve been replaced, like you don’t need me anymore. And I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth. You’re my best friend — or at least, I thought I was yours, too. We’re supposed to share these moments, right? We’re supposed to be there for each other, but now it feels like I’m on the outside looking in, and I h
The moment I step into Liam's car, a rush of excitement mixed with anxiety hits me. He flashes that trademark grin of his—the one that always makes my heart race—and before I know it, we’re on the road. The engine purrs beneath us as we pull away from my house, and I feel like I’m diving headfirst into something thrilling yet unnervingly unpredictable.The sun is setting, casting a golden light across the horizon. Outside the window, the world blurs into streaks of amber and pink as Liam speeds down the highway. The radio plays softly, a mix of hip-hop beats that make the moment feel even more surreal.“So?” he asks, glancing at me with a smirk that both reassures and rattles me.“So? ,” I say, though my stomach twists at the thought of being away from familiar places, especially with him.I feel, his eyes focused on the road ahead. “You look like you're ready to jumpout of this moving car” He sa
We step out of the car, and the atmosphere immediately hits me. The scent of gasoline mingles with the buzz of excitement, and the low hum of engines fills the air. A few go-karts sit lined up in the distance, their sleek frames gleaming under the lights.Liam leads me through the crowd, and I can feel the mix of exhilaration and anxiety building again. I catch sounds of laughter, teasing remarks about who’ll win tonight. It’s lively, and there’s so much energy here that’s impossible to ignore, but I can’t hel
I storm into the restaurant, my heart racing and anger boiling beneath. I can’t shake the feeling that something is seriously wrong. Celeste has been different lately, distant and I just know Nathan has something to do with it. It’s all his fault.As I walk through the doors, my eyes scan the room until they land on him, sitting at a small table by the window. He’s lost in his phone, looking so relaxed, so casual, as if nothing in the world could bother him. I can’t take it anymore. My feet move on their own, pushing me toward him, and before I know it, I’m standing right in front of him, fire in my eyes.“Nathan!” I shout, my voice cutting through the soft chatter of the restaurant. He looks up, startled, and his casual demeanor falters.“Yeah?” His confusion is written all over his face, but I’m beyond caring.“You!” I point a finger at him, my voice rising with each word. “I
The adrenaline still courses through my veins as Celeste and I step off the go-kart track. I can’t help but smile at her infectious laughter. The sun is starting to set, casting a golden glow over everything.“I suck at this!” she exclaims, grabbing me by the arms, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I was bumping into everyone! But I had so much fun!”Her joy is contagious. I stand there, speechless, captivated by the way her face lights up. She’s radiant, and for a brief moment, I forget about everything else—the chaos of my life, the pressures of being who I am, the expectations that weigh me down. Right now, it’s just her and me, sharing this moment of pure, unfiltered happiness.“Bumping into everyone was part of the fun,” I reply with a smirk, trying to keep my cool even though my heart races. “I think you might have taken out a few competitors along the way.”Celeste giggles,
As soon as I get home, the silence hits me. The thrill of the day, the laughter, the lightness—it all starts to fade as I step through the front door. The house feels cold, empty, and suddenly way too quiet. I kick off my shoes, still smiling to myself about the go-karting. Liam’s goofy grin and the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the world... It was nice. Too nice.I drop onto my bed, pulling out my phone, wanting to relive the fun for just a little longer. I scroll through my messages, but one notification g
The clock on my phone reads 12:23 AM, and I’m still wide awake, staring at the ceiling. The soft glow from my bedside lamp barely cuts through the darkness, but it feels too bright for how I’m feeling right now. Tamrin’s text replays over and over in my mind, each word weighing heavier than the last. I can’t shake the ache in my chest, the guilt twisting deeper with every passing minute.I try closing my eyes again, willing sleep to come, but it’s useless. My mind won’t stop running. The hurt in Tamrin’s message, the sadness in her words—it’s all too much. I toss and turn, trying to find some kind of comfort, but the emptiness in the room swallows me whole.My thoughts drift, and before I can stop myself, Liam’s face appears in my mind. His smile from earlier, the way he looked at me during the date, that sparkle in his eyes when I laughed—it was so easy, so carefree. It felt good. Too good.But n
The night is thick with shadows, and I stay hidden in plain sight, leaning casually against a streetlamp with a cigarette in hand. I’ve been watching her for over a month now. Celeste. She’s Liam’s weakness, though I doubt she even realizes it. She’s always surrounded by people, especially that annoying shadow of his—Nathan. Liam’s brother never leaves her side, like some overprotective lapdog. It’s irritating, but not unexpected. Liam plays his cards close, and Nathan is just another pawn in his meticulous game.Still, every pawn has its limits.Celeste is standing at the curb now, laughing at something Nathan said. The sound is soft, light, so painfully out of place in a world like ours. She has no idea the storm she’s standing in the middle of. She’s oblivious, a delicate flower in the middle of a battlefield. And I’ll admit—there’s something almost amusing about it.But it’s not am
The office feels too small, like the walls are closing in on me. I can’t sit still. Every step I take feels like I’m walking a tightrope, my mind racing with possibilities, each one darker than the last. Travis sits on the worn leather couch in the corner, his expression unreadable. He’s calm, the way he always is, but I know him well enough to see the tension in his jaw.“Liam,” he says, his voice measured. “You need to breathe. This isn’t helping.”I ignore him, my boots thudding against the floor as I pace. “How does this happen, Travis? A clean pickup. No cops. No outside eyes. And yet my product is gone, my guy’s in the hospital, and there’s a message waiting for me like it’s a damn game.”Travis leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’re not going to figure it out by pacing holes into the floor. Sit down. Let’s think this through.”I st
The warehouse feels suffocating. The air is thick with tension, and every sound—footsteps, whispers, the scrape of crates being moved—grates on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. My fists are clenched so tightly my knuckles ache. Every cell in my body is screaming for release, for violence, for something to break.I sit at the edge of the makeshift desk, staring at nothing, replaying Eric’s words over and over in my head. They’re coming for more. They’re going to take everything from you. My empire is being chipped away, and all I can think about is how much I want to make whoever did this pay.A shuffle of hesitant footsteps behind me pulls me from my thoughts. I don’t turn around. “What?” I snap, my voice low but sharp enough to cut through the room.The kid—barely old enough to shave, one of the newer runners—steps forward. He’s holding a clipboard, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. &ldq
The warehouse is buzzing when I arrive, but it’s not the usual controlled chaos. It’s tense, electric. I can feel it in the air before I even step out of the car. Men are pacing, muttering, looking over their shoulders like shadows might suddenly turn into threats. The second I walk in, the room quiets, their eyes darting toward me like they’re waiting for an explosion.I don’t blame them. I’m furious.I move through the crowd, heading straight for the back office where I know Eric, one of my most reliable runners, is waiting. He shouldn’t even be here. From what I’ve been told, he barely made it out of the ambush alive. He should be in a hospital bed, getting stitches and painkillers. Instead, he’s slumped in a chair with his arm in a makeshift sling, his face pale and slick with sweat.“Eric,” I say, my voice sharper than I intended. “Tell me everything.”He winces as he shifts in the chair, his hand trembling as he runs it through his hair. “It—it was supposed to be a simple pick-u
The Ferris wheel's gentle hum fades behind us as we step off, and for a moment, everything feels calm, like the world’s giving us a break. Celeste’s laughter hangs in the air, Tamrin and Nathan’s chatter filling the space around us as we walk toward the food court. It’s a perfect night—just the four of us, blending into the crowd, no one looking twice at us, no one questioning who we are. For once, it feels like I can breathe.Then my phone buzzes, jolting me back to reality. I glance at the screen and feel my heart drop. The name flashing there is one I’ve dreaded seeing tonight. For a second, I think about ignoring it, letting it fade, but I know that’s not an option.“Be right back,” I say, stepping away from the table. I catch Nathan’s eyes as I move off to the side, and he gives me a slight nod. He knows better than to ask, but I can see the concern in his eyes.As I answer, the voice on the other
I stand at the cotton candy stand with Presley, the smell of spun sugar in the air, debating whether to get pink or blue. Presley leans into her choice, laughing, and I almost forget how tangled everything feels these days. I turn around to scan the crowd, hoping to spot a familiar face—anything to take my mind off everything with Tamrin and Celeste. Then I see them, a cluster of faces in the distance, laughing and close. My stomach drops.Tamrin is standing with Celeste, Nathan, and Liam. And they’re not just standing around, either—they look like they’re together, sharing that easy, familiar vibe you only have when you're close. My gasp is barely audible, but Presley catches it. She turns to look where I’m staring, her eyes narrowing as she sees the group for herself.“What the…? Tamrin?” Presley says, clearly stunned, her face hardening as she takes it all in. It’s like watching something surreal unfold. I can b
I catch sight of Tamrin the second Nathan calls her over, her face cautious, her eyes bouncing between Celeste and me. I force a polite smile as she approaches, but inside, I’m grinding my teeth. Her showing up means we’re back to pretending—like everything between Celeste and me is just casual, like she’s not the only person on my mind right now. I know Celeste feels it too; the forced smile she gives Tamrin is too practiced, too stiff. The whole scene feels like a well-rehearsed lie, and I hate it.Without saying a word, I start walking toward the Ferris wheel, letting my steps make my frustration known. It’s high up there, away from prying eyes and hushed whispers, a place where maybe, for a few moments, we don’t have to act. I dig into my pocket, pull out a few crumpled bills, and pay the attendant for a cab big enough for all of us. I glance back, calling them over.They gather around, and as we settle into the cabin, it’s
The carnival’s music and laughter fill the air, but my focus is entirely on the two figures in the distance—Celeste and Liam, standing by one of the game booths, his arm just brushing hers as they both laugh. My heart pounds as I watch them, each laugh of theirs twisting something in me. Sadie’s words flood back: Maybe we judged her too harshly… Maybe we’re wrong about all of this. It feels like a thorn in my side, nagging at me as I linger on the edge of the crowd.They’re close, too close. The way Liam’s looking at her, even from here, I can feel the intensity. I can’t stop the thought from creeping in—what if they really are together? I can’t shake it, and it’s eating me alive. Suddenly, I realize I need to talk to her, to find some kind of answer in her face, some way to know the truth without jumping to conclusions. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll apologize. I push my way through the crowd, my feet carrying
The sun’s just about to dip below the horizon, casting this deep orange light over everything as we step onto the carnival grounds. It’s cool, that kind of perfect evening breeze coming off the ocean. The sound of waves rolling up the shore blends with the laughter and music around us. I glance over at Celeste and see her smiling, her hair catching the last bit of daylight, and for a moment, I feel… content. Peaceful, even.Nathan is already pulling ahead, grinning like a kid on holiday, dragging us toward the game booths. There’s a lightness to the whole scene that feels rare these days. It’s almost surreal.“Come on, Liam,” Celeste teases, looking over her shoulder at me. “Let’s see if you’re any good at carnival games or if it’s all talk.”I laugh and pull her gently toward the shooting game booth, waving a couple of tickets to the guy behind the counter. “Think you’re up for a real challenge?” I ask, raising an eyebrow as I hand her a plastic rifle.C