Nina I didn’t want to admit that it broke my heart to tell Enzo we couldn’t be together, but it was the right thing to do. We would be toxic together, and besides -- there was just too much drama surrounding the pseudo-relationship we already had for a real relationship to be able to blossom. Ad
Nina “Fancy seeing you here,” Justin said with an oddly warm smile. “Can I sit with you?” I bit my lip and glanced around quickly, half expecting Lisa or someone else to be snickering nearby as if this was all a prank -- but there was no one else. It seemed as though he came alone. Why was he ac
Out of sight, out of mind. The shot we took at the bar started to hit, and soon I was dancing along with my friends. It felt good just to let loose without having to deal with any drama -- just us three girls. I was glad that I had been paired up with them as roommates in our first year of college
Enzo I was just sitting down to watch a movie and drown my sorrows in a bowl of popcorn when my door suddenly burst open. “What the fuck?!” I shouted, jumping up from my couch and spilling popcorn everywhere. My eyes widened as I saw Luke come in, his skull exposed, carrying a limp Nina
Nina I woke up to the sound of thunder and howling wind in a dark bedroom that was not my own. Where was I? I slowly sat up, peering through the cracked door that led to another room. I could make out the silhouette of a man on the couch. He was watching a scary movie on the TV. It sounded like
“I’ll take you home when you’re able to walk without collapsing,” Enzo replied, his words immediately followed by a sudden crash of thunder that made the TV flicker. “Also, there’s a typhoon.” I shuddered and pulled my knees up to my chest. Wordlessly, Enzo stood and grabbed a throw blanket from a
Nina When I got home, Jessica and Lori were both furious. “Where were you!” Jessica yelled as soon as I walked in the door. I didn’t even have a chance to hang my jacket up. “You totally ditched us,” Lori chimed in, folding her arms across her chest. “We thought you got kidnapped or something. Th
“Uh… hey,” I said nervously with a little wave when I realized that she was indeed headed straight for me. “Hey, bitch,” she growled, not hesitating for a second before her hand flew forward and grabbed one of my braids, yanking me toward her. “Ow!” I yelped, trying to wrench my hair free from her
Nina The warm summer breeze brushed across my skin as I stood on the patio, clutching my robe tightly around my body. Laughter and splashes echoed up from the pool below, where our friends were already gathered for our big end-of-summer party. I should have been down there too, soaking up the ve
“What... what do you mean?” He braced his hands on the doorframe, leaning in closer with a heavy sigh. “I mean, by the time I caught up to them this morning, I only saw them long enough to get that photo before they were boarding a speedboat and taking off. Hell, I’m still not even totally sure wh
Nina My breath caught in my throat as I pulled open the front door expecting to see excited party guests, only to be immediately met with the sight of Luke’s grim expression. His brow was furrowed in a deep frown, his lips pressed into a tight line—clear signs that something was very wrong. “Luk
Nina I huffed out a breath as I hoisted the oversized cardboard box higher in my arms, carefully navigating my way through the living room. Strings of fairy lights poked out haphazardly from the top, and I could feel the weight of glass jars and other assorted decor inside shifting precariously wi
Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond. “Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but
Enzo The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne. But even she wasn’
Shaking my head, I turned without another word and stormed out of the fitting room. I took the two strides across the hall to Jessica’s fitting room and knocked on the door, folding my arms across my chest. “Jess? You in there?” There was a muffled thump in the fitting room, followed by the soun
Nina “How’s it looking in there?” I called out, rapping lightly on the wooden door of Jessica’s fitting room. “Um… decent, I guess?” her muffled voice floated back a moment later, although I could sense the uncertainty in her tone. “Decent? That’s it? Come on, Jess, this is your wedding gown w
Had I really known him at all, I wondered? Or had I merely been too self-absorbed and naive to see past the facade of unshakable command he projected? After a long silence, I found my voice. “Why didn’t he ever tell me that?” “He didn’t want you to see his weakness, I suppose,” Angelica replied