“A little accident?” Jessica said, standing. “I saw you coming! You totally did that on purpose!” The new girl pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “I did not! There’s a rug here. See? I tripped on it.” “Bullshit,” Jessica growled. “And you ruined her brand new dress. You should buy her a new on
Nina I woke up the next morning feeling somewhat excited to the dance, which was finally happening that night. After everything that had happened recently, Jessica and Lori were right when they said that I needed to relax a little bit and have some fun. Of course, I could only have so much fun with
As I walked, I considered my possibilities. I could try to contact that witch and see what she had to say, assuming she was even a real witch and not just a scam artist. Maybe she could somehow help me find Enzo, or even Luke, and then Luke could help me open a portal if he hadn’t gone to the werewo
Nina I reluctantly returned home after my conversation with Myra. There was an undeniable lump in my throat; if Lewis really was watching me so closely, and if he truly was apparently so hell-bent on making sure that I couldn’t bring Enzo or Richard back that he would even go so far as to take Luke
Nina That night, it was finally time for the dance. I put on my new dress and did my hair and makeup with Lori and Jessica, then headed over to the auditorium. The dean surprisingly put together a lovely dance despite the circumstances. There were streamers and balloons adorning the auditorium, li
The dean put a plastic crown on Eli’s head; I thought it was over then, but that wasn’t even the worst part. We had to dance together. The DJ began playing a slower song as we walked down the steps together. I felt everyone’s eyes on me as we nervously began dancing, with our hands clasped uncomfo
Nina “Nina,” Justin said, shaking my arm. “What are you doing?” I blinked, shaking my head as I returned to my senses. “S-Sorry,” I said. “Just zoned out.” Justin was silent. When I looked at him, he looked angry and jealous, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. “Did you enjoy your dance?
Nina After the new girl, Sadie, ran out with a wig in her hands, my friends and I lost ourselves laughing on the bathroom floor. The ridiculousness of the situation made me temporarily forget about what I had seen in the girl’s strangely familiar eyes, as well as what Justin had said to me earlier
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