Nina “Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll go with you.” My mom let out a relieved sigh. Without a word, she rushed over to me and pulled me into a tight hug. I felt myself tense under her touch for a moment before I relaxed and wrapped my arms around her. For a long time, we held each other, crying, and eve
As we passed through the doors to the airport, all I could think about was Enzo. Already, I missed him more than anything. It felt as though I was leaving an entire half of my own body behind. Did he feel the same? Where had he gone when he climbed out of the window? As I stood behind my mother and
Nina Enzo kissed me. He didn’t pull away suddenly, or kiss me by accident. He kissed me softly and deeply, with his hands cupped around my cheeks. His scent overwhelmed me, making me relax into his body. It felt as though we were floating on a cloud, and everything else fell away. When we finally
I frowned, turning my head to look over at him. Even in the darkness, I could see his form in the bed next to mine. “Yeah,” I whispered, shutting my eyes. “I guess we both are.” He was silent again for some time. Then, without a word, I heard his bed creak and opened my eyes to see him approaching
Enzo I returned to campus with Nina with a weight lifted out of my heart in knowing that she was still by my side, but there was still so much we had to deal with. I still couldn’t shake the feeling that my fated mate was truly the owner of the scarf my father gave me, but at the same time, Nina’s
Nina “Are you ready for the game tonight?” I hardly heard Tiffany’s question as I wistfully stared out the infirmary window. Ever since I came home, I couldn’t get Enzo and the feeling of his arms around me out of my mind. I wanted him to be with me so badly, but he became distant from me again al
The referee dropped the puck, and the game began in a flurry of movement. The rink was alive with the sound of skates slicing through the ice and the clatter of sticks colliding. Enzo and Matt worked together to create a fast break, passing the puck back and forth as they advanced down the ice. The
Nina We decided to go to the sports bar in town to celebrate Enzo’s victory. I walked along with the rest of the team, but trailed behind with Lori, Jessica, and Luke, who had also all decided to come. All we were missing in our friend group was James; if only I knew where he was and could trust th
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