Novels by Maymuna Ibrahim

Zoey.If there was ever a time I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear forever, it was tonight. The second I stepped into that party, it felt like the walls closed in. Loud music vibrated through my bones, and bodies pressed everywhere, moving like one giant, sweaty wave. The smell of cheap beer and perfume punched me in the face the moment I walked in.Kieran greeted me first, grinning like he’d just won a bet. “Look at you, princess. Didn’t think you’d actually show up.”I forced a smile, smoothing my black mini dress down my thighs. “Yeah, well. Gotta commit to the act, right?”Rowan was next, tossing a red solo cup to me. “Fake girlfriend duties, huh? Drink up. You look like you need it.”I caught the cup but didn’t drink. My fingers shook too much to even bring it to my lips.Casper just watched from across the room, eyes narrowed like he was studying me for some pop quiz. Emrys offered me a soft nod, his curls bouncing slightly when he turned.Everyone stared at me as I hung

Zoey.I woke up to my phone buzzing like a damn alarm in my ear. My head felt heavy, like I hadn’t slept at all which was true. I had tossed and turned all night, thinking about that stupid photo over and over again.‘Play along or I will.’ Those words kept taunting me, almost driving me crazy. When I eventually fell asleep the whole hockey team visited me in my dreams. It was like I was being haunted.I groaned, when I heard another buzzing sound coming from my phone, rolling over I smacked my hand around until I found my phone on the floor. The bright screen nearly blinded me. It was a notification from our campus gossip feed.I couldn’t help but groan. Our campus feed was basically a digital jungle. People posted everything, from cheating scandals to fights behind the dining hall. Once, someone uploaded a video of a cheerleader hooking up with the chess club president in the library basement. Another time, there was a whole thread about a professor caught leaving a frat party at 3

Zoey.Kieran eyes were still on me. It was like he was in a staring contest. “You gonna stand there all day, or you going to come teach us, princess?”Rowan snickered, leaning back with his arms spread wide. “She looks like she might faint. You sure she’s not going to cry, Kieran?”I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. Kieran leaned forward even more, his smirk widening. “Careful, sweetheart. We do bite.”The room felt like it was shrinking around me, the air was thick and it made me feel jittery. I really didn’t want to be here. These guys were bad. Everyone of them. It was like standing in the middle of a storm you knew would swallow you whole.The fact that I used to be close to be Orion’s girl, their biggest rival made things worse. I have also been in on some of Orion’s shenanigans which I was sure they didn’t like. I remembered one night so clearly it still made my stomach twist. Orion and his teammates had trashed Riverview’s lot after a heated game,

Zoey.My life was a complete mess after catching my boyfriend Orion Gritton, the star hockey player from Oakwood University cheating with a cheerleader. That alone would’ve been enough to wreck me. But getting dumped by him in front of the entire state during his big game? That was a new level of humiliation.All I wanted to do afterward was crawl under my blanket, disappear forever, and pretend none of it happened. But life doesn’t work like that. I had to get up eventually, had to step out of my tiny dorm room and face the world again.So today, I forced myself to get dressed. I tugged on my favorite oversized Riverview University hoodie and a pair of ripped black jeans that felt like armor more than clothing. I shoved my hair into a loose ponytail, even though a few stubborn strands kept falling around my face like they were mocking me.When I finally arrived at Riverview University’s main campus I let out a tired groan as I stared at the building. I stayed there for a moment, not