BLAIR’S POVI was sitting in bed, trying to focus on my writing and not the sound of Kade’s game in the background. It wasn’t too distracting, but I just couldn’t stop glancing towards him.Kade must have finally gotten bored because he turned to me and I quickly looked away before he could notice that I’d been staring.“What are you doing?” He asked, sitting up.“A project.” I didn’t bother looking up to meet his gaze but I knew that he nodded, like he actually believed me. “Really thought you were never going to speak to me again,” he added. “I’m working on it,” I muttered. He chuckled, clearly amused, but before he could say whatever was on his mind, the door swung open. I looked up, and my stomach dropped. It was Lara and she was standing at the entrance with a suitcase in one hand with smaller bags hanging off her arm. What the hell. “What are you doing?” The words slipped out before I could stop them. Lara rolled her eyes. “What does it look like? I’m moving in.”
Blair’s POV “Kade?” I called through my cracked voice. My feet were barely stepping over each other as I ran alongside the stretcher, my fingers holding Kade’s arm tightly like he’d disappear if I let go. Kade had suddenly collapsed, his body shaking uncontrollably as he struggled to breathe. The first thing I had done was to call the emergency number, and waiting for them took like forever. We were finally at the hospital and he was being rushed in. The nurses were barking orders and a doctor soon joined us. “What happened to him?” The brown skinned doctor asked, the question specifically directed to me. I shook my head because I honestly didn’t know. “One minute he was talking and the next, he was like this,” I answered, pointing at Kade whose eyes were closed now. “Please, save him,” I cried. The doctor barely acknowledged my plea as he turned to the nurses. In a professional voice, he gave his orders, “Get him to trauma one. Start an IV and push two milligrams of Atro
BLAIR’S POVRobert stepped closer, his expression darkening. "What did you just say?" "Poisoned? How?" Mom put a hand over her mouth, glancing at me. The doctor adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, keeping his face carefully neutral as he explained. "I’m sorry but your son was poisoned with Greenfox leaves." He hesitated for a second before continuing. "We managed to get most of it out of his system, but his recovery will be slow. As you all know, Greenfox puts someone in a coma and we’re past the critical stage, so he’ll live. But I can’t say when he’ll wake up." I barely heard the rest. My chest tightened, and a sharp pain shot through my ribs as I clutched at them. My body shook as I tried to make sense of what I’d just heard. I struggled to steady my breathing, my thoughts racing. Kade was in a coma from Greenfox poisoning? Where did he even get the leaves? I turned to Robert, who barely reacted. But I saw how his fists clenched at his sides, perhaps in an effort t
BLAIR’S POVRobert slowly collected the bottle from the guard, bringing it up to his nose and inhaling deeply. His expression darkened almost immediately and he pulled his head back. “This has Greenfox in it,” he said, frowning deeply. He turned his gaze to the room, his eyes shifting from me to Lara. “Whose bottle is this?” Before I could even process what was happening, Lara’s hand immediately shot out, her finger pointing straight at me. “It’s Blair’s,” she said sharply and I froze, my mouth opening and closing as I thought of what to say. But my body locked up as every pair of eyes landed on me and I helplessly stared at my Mom, but her gaze was questioning too.“It’s not…” I stammered as my heart pounded against my ribs, and my mouth went dry. “No,” I finally whispered, shaking my head. “I didn’t—” My voice broke, and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak louder. “I didn’t and would never hurt Kade.” Robert’s eyes studied me but I couldn’t guess what was going through
BLAIR’S POVLike Robert ordered, I decided to go to school today. When I arrived at the building, I dragged myself toward class, totally exhausted. My body ached from lack of sleep and my head was heavy with thoughts I couldn’t get rid off. I had spent the entire night staring at the ceiling, wetting my pillows with tears. No matter how many times I turned over, no matter how hard I tried to close my eyes, sleep never came. All I could think about was Kade. He was lying in that hospital bed, unconscious, fighting for his life. And there was nothing I could do. There was no antidote, neither was there a guarantee that he would even wake up. “All we can do is wait,” the doctor’s words echoed in my mind and the helplessness was eating me alive. It was a good thing Lara didn’t come back to the room last night. Her absence made me really glad because if she had come back, I wasn’t sure I would have been able to control myself. I was sure that she was behind this. I didn’t care what
BLAIR’S POVJaxon’s words echoed in my head, but I just stared at him like he had completely lost his mind. Did he really think I would consider this stupid offer? After everything I went through just to get him out of my life? That I would run back to him just because everyone was whispering about me again? Trying to turn my life into a nightmare?“Get out, Jaxon,” I said in a cold voice. I pointed toward the door, my eyes not leaving his face. “I’m not interested.” He tilted his head, a slow smirk curling his lips. “You’re so damn stubborn,” he muttered, pushing himself off the doorframe and stepping closer. I immediately tensed, glancing around. No one was in the bathroom. It was just both of us and the hallway outside was empty. My heart pounded hard against my ribs. I hated the way he was looking at me, like I was something he could just take and looking back from time to time as if he was checking if anyone was watching.“Stay back,” I warned in a sharper voice, making my vo
BLAIR’S POVIt took less than thirty minutes for Robert, my mother, and Lara to arrive because the men had called them immediately. Meanwhile, the hallway outside my room was already crowded with people craning their necks to get a look inside. Whispers filled the air as everyone suddenly had an opinion. My entire body was trembling as I shook my head over and over. This couldn’t be happening. “I knew she did this.” Lara’s voice came and she was yelling at the top of her voice. She stepped forward, glaring at me and shaking her head in disdain.“I just can’t believe you would do something like this” she continued, acting like she was barely holding back tears. “Kade treated you like you were his own blood. He defended you everytime, yet you poisoned him?!”I felt too weak to defend myself at this point. I wished I could scream at her, to throw her fake tears back in her face, but my throat felt too tight to get any words out. I knew that she was just putting on a show. If anyone sh
BLAIR’S POVI woke up feeling worse than ever. Lying here in Robert’s estate made me feel like the world was againt me. My body ached from the tension of the past few days, and my head pounded with exhaustion. Sleep had been useless. I kept tossing and turning, haunted by Kade’s unconscious face and the horrifying accusations being thrown at me. I had no idea how he was doing, if he was awake or if he was still in a coma. And worst of all, most people thought I was guilty. With a sigh, I reached for my phone, intending to call Robert for get an update. I needed to know what was going on. I couldn’t just stay locked up in a mansion, doing nothing.The moment I unlocked the screen, my heart stopped. I’d received numerous notifications: some were tags from Instagram, messages and even missed calls. My stomach clenched. Who the hell were these people? And how did they get my number? I hesitated before opening my messages, already knowing it would be bad. Well, my gut was right becaus
KADE’S POV “Someone did this!!!!” My body jolted up as my eyes flew open. I tried to orient myself, disoriented for a second, unsure of where I was. Then I saw Blair standing in the doorway, her clothes in her hand, dripping with water all over the floor. Her hair hung in messy strands, and her eyes were wide with rage as she glared at Jaxon and Harper who were seated on the other side of the room.“Who did this?” she screamed, her voice carrying pure, unfiltered anger. I pushed myself up, my heart racing as I looked around, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. “What happened?” I asked, my voice still rough from sleep, but I made sure that the concern was clear in my tone. Blair's finger shot out toward her suitcase, which was now nothing more than a soaked pile of clothes. "Someone drenched it with water," she snapped. "All my clothes are wet now. I have nothing to wear." I could see the frustration on her face, her usually put-together appearance completely go
Kade’s POVHer back felt stiff under my palms and there were knots of tension along her spine that I massaged with my thumbs. She let out a shaky breath, her head tilted forward as I kneaded her shoulders.“Honestly, this is the worst time of my life,” Blair groaned, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into the pillow. I huffed a low laugh, still massaging in slow circles across her muscles. “Worse than when I got poisoned?” I asked, half-teasing but only because I didn’t want to admit I’d been thinking the same thing all day — about how much shit she’d been put through. She was quiet for a moment, then she mumbled, “I’m actually contemplating it.” She let out a dry, tired laugh. “I can’t believe I spent the whole day lifting bricks like some prisoner in a labor camp.” Before I could reply, she pushed herself up abruptly, her hair spilling over her shoulders in tangled waves. She turned to face me and with a serious face, she said, “This is forced labor. Literal forced lab
BLAIR’S POVI looked around the storage room, still struggling to believe this was really happening. The place was filthy. Dust covered everything, empty boxes were lying around, the walls looked like they would crumble in any second, and the floor was nothing but broken wood and scattered trash. Mrs. Priscilla stood in front of us as if this disaster was something to be proud of.“Boys and girls,” she called with a crooked smile, like she wanted to offend us. “This is your first assignment,” she said and my stomach twisted.Jaxon frowned and asked, “What exactly are we supposed to do here?”Mrs. Priscilla turned to him and answered, “You’ll tear down the wall near the pipeline, rip up the damaged flooring, and clear out every piece of debris in this room. I want it spotless.”I couldn’t stop myself as I grumbled. “You have got to be kidding.”She acted like I hadn’t said anything. Her finger shot out, pointing at me first, then at Jaxon. “You two will work on that wall.”My jaw drop
BLAIR’S POV“Wake up!”My eyes snapped open, my head aching like I’d been pulled out of a nightmare. Except this was the nightmare.Mrs. Priscilla’s shadow came over me and I looked up to see her hands on her hips as she glared down at me. I scrambled to my feet even though my legs were wobbling and wiped my eyes to blink away the sleep in them. What the hell was the time? And why was she standing in our room like some deranged rooster at the crack of dawn?Beside me, Kade groaned, half-buried under his thin blanket. He turned away from Mrs. Priscilla, pulling the sheet higher over himself. His hair stuck up in every direction, the dark strands messy from sleep, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop from smiling.Mrs. Priscilla wasn’t nearly as amused. She marched over to his bed with all the grace of a military general and tapped her fingers sharply against his forehead. “Up. Now.”Kade’s groggy mumble came muffled from under the blanket. “Go away with your fat hands.”M
BLAIR’S POV I tugged my jacket tighter around me, hating how the cold wind kept sneaking past the fabric like it was on a personal mission to freeze my bones. Winter wasn’t here yet, but it sure as hell was announcing itself like an unwanted guest. I blew air into my palms for warmth, glancing at my phone. It was already two minutes past eight. Seriously? Mrs Priscilla had barked at us about being here at eight sharp. Where was she now? “This is all your fault, Blair,” Harper snapped and I turned to her. Her arms were crossed like a spoiled brat who’d just been told no for the first time in her life. “We wouldn’t be here freezing if it wasn’t for you.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Of course, she’d find a way to twist this around. God forbid Harper takes any responsibility for her miserable life. Apart from freezing my ass off, being dragged away from the comfort of my room, my warm bed, and decent food, forced to spend two hellish weeks around criminals… yeah, the cherry
BLAIR’S POVMrs. Priscilla was a woman who seemed like a myth in Northvale. Many called her “the absolute nightmare” and she was notorious for her methods in bending and stretching students till they became perfect. And here she was, standing in front of us, looking completely in her element. Her expression was neutral, yet somehow filled with an energy that made my stomach sink. The way she surveyed the room, like a queen inspecting her soldiers, only made my anxiety worse. Why did Mr Gregory have to involve her?Mrs Priscilla cleared her throat, and he gave her a nod. “Go ahead,” he said, like he was handing us over to a prison warden. The woman clasped her hands together and began to speak. “I’ve been informed that the four of you have been rather… naughty.” I swallowed hard. That word, coming from her mouth, sounded like the start of a horror movie. Kade, beside me, still looked lost, like he was waiting for someone to tell him who the woman was. Of course, he didn’t know.
BLAIR’S POVI looked at Kade as I listened to the recording, realizing he was the one who made it. He smirked and I looked away, turning my attention to Harper who had just walked into the cafeteria, and was now staring into her phone.And then the whisperings started. “Oh, look who finally decided to show her face.” Someone let out a loud, mocking laugh. “Harper, how does it feel to steal your best friend’s leftovers?” A fresh wave of murmurs spread across the hall. “She really thought Jaxon was worth it?” “What a jealous little wench. Blair leveled up, and Harper just couldn’t take it. She just has to go after her friend’s boys.“She and Jaxon deserve each other, two pathetic losers.” “Who does that?”I sat still, putting a hand under my chin and watching the scene unfold. I tilted my head, wondering how Harper was feeling now that she was being treated like a joke. She seemed to have been so untouchable for so long, and now that she’d fallen, everyone was getting their
KADE’S POVWe finished basketball practice and Jaxon still did not show up. Or maybe he didn’t come to school at all, because he was being ridiculed. If that was the case, it was funny because how could he not have the balls to take what he always dished out?As I was undressing in the locker room, my teammates complained about being hungry.“We’re going to the cafeteria. You coming, Kade?” Jasper called, standing at the door.“You guys can go without me,” I replied, waving them off. “I’ll join you soon.”“Aight.”They left and I was alone in the locker room. I relaxed for a while, listening to a new jam Craig shared. Afterwards, I took a cold shower and changed into my clothes before texting Blair.“”Hey princess, where are you?””Her reply didn’t come immediately and I was about calling when I got a text notification from her.“”I just left the dean’s office. Meet up at the cafeteria?””“”You bet,”” I texted back.I barely made it three steps out of the locker room before coming fa
BLAIR’S POVI woke up to Kade beside me, his arm lazily draped over his eyes, and his chest rising and falling. For a second, I just watched him, soaking in the quiet. It wasn’t often that things between us felt this… peaceful. When he finally stirred, blinking at me, a lazy smile curved on his lips. "You watching me sleep? That’s kinda creepy, princess." I rolled my eyes, stretching my arms over my head. "Shut up. I was just making sure you were still breathing." He chuckled, pushing himself up on one elbow and planting a kiss on my lips. "I meant what I said last night, Blair. I won’t let things like this come between us again. I’ll communicate more. Promise." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Swear it." He held up three fingers like a scout. "Swear on my life." Then, as if reconsidering, he added, "Okay, maybe not my life. But I swear." I smirked. "Good. Because if you pull another disappearing act, I’ll hunt you down." He let out a low laugh, ruffling my hair. "I’d like