THE LINE BETWEEN US
Autumn Simeons had loved Damian McLaren for as long as she could remember. From childhood to their teenage years, he was her safe place, the one person who made life feel lighter. But while Damian came from wealth and privilege, Autumn’s life was far simpler—and his heart seemed to belong to someone else. She kept her feelings hidden, choosing to be the best friend he could rely on.
That fragile balance broke when Damian got a girlfriend who saw Autumn as a threat. Tension grew until, without warning, Damian cut her out of his life completely. One day they were inseparable; the next, he treated her like a stranger.
Months later, fate intervened when Damian’s mother, worried about his slipping grades, asked Autumn to tutor him—unaware of the rift between them. Both protested, but their parents insisted.
Now, forced into the same space, Autumn must face the boy she still loves, who seems to resent her presence. His girlfriend’s shadow hangs over every exchange, and unspoken history simmers beneath the surface. As old feelings resurface, Autumn realizes some lessons can’t be taught from books—they live in stolen glances, unsaid words, and memories that refuse to fade.
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Chapter: CHAPTER SIXTEEN My ankle healed faster than anyone expected.By Monday, the bruising had faded into faint shadows and the swelling was nearly gone. I still limped a little, but it was nothing compared to the throbbing pain that had kept me trapped in bed last week. For once, I felt grateful to walk down the halls of school again, even if the fluorescent lights buzzed too loudly and the chatter of other students pressed like static against my ears.Taylor stuck close, carrying half my books even though I kept insisting I could manage. His only response was a shrug and a grin, like it was a personal sport to ignore me when it came to things like this.“Locker looks like a crime scene,” he teased as I tugged the metal door open. The inside was a disaster, papers shoved carelessly, a sweater hanging half off the hook, and what might have been a granola bar fossilized in the corner.“Don’t judge me,” I said, trying to shuffle through the mess for my chemistry notebook.“Too late. I’m judging. Hard.”He le
Last Updated: 2025-08-20
Chapter: CHAPTER FIFTEEN I barely remember drifting off last night, just that Taylor’s voice had been the last sound in the room. Soft, steady, carrying something warm enough to keep me from collapsing all the way into pieces.Now, the only thing I’m aware of is the ache in my ankle and the faint sound of someone breathing on the floor.Taylor.He was curled up in a mess of blanket and pillow like some oversized kid, one arm tossed across his face, chest rising and falling steadily. He’d stayed. He’d actually called his mom last night to let her know he wouldn’t be back. I’d caught the brief shadow across his expression then, his voice low, almost hesitant as he told her. For just a second, his features had clouded over, heavy and lost in thought. But almost as quickly, he’d shaken it off, plastering on his usual grin, throwing me some half-teasing comment about how I’d ruined his plans of eating the cookies himself.Mom had told him about the remaining Cookies in the kitchen. He’d lit up like it was Christm
Last Updated: 2025-08-20
Chapter: CHAPTER FOURTEEN The box slipped.I don’t even know how it happened, maybe my grip loosened, maybe my hands just gave up, but one second the ribbon-tied cookies were pressed against my chest like a lifeline, and the next, they tumbled from my fingers.I scrambled after it, lunging forward, desperate to stop it from hitting the floor, desperate to keep myself invisible a second longer. But fate wasn’t merciful tonight. The container hit the hardwood with a hollow thud that echoed far louder than it should have in the small room.Both of them froze.Damian’s head snapped up, his mouth still damp from her kiss. Marianne shifted away from him immediately, irritation twisting her features as she smoothed down her blouse. She looked annoyed, no, more than that, she looked like she wanted me gone before I even dared breathe.Damian’s eyes locked on me, confusion flickering across his face. “Autumn?” His voice was sharp, disbelieving, like he wasn’t sure I was real.I stood there, frozen halfway between break
Last Updated: 2025-08-19
Chapter: CHAPTER THIRTEEN I stayed in my room all day, curled up against the headboard, my curtains drawn tight enough to swallow most of the sunlight. The world outside kept moving, I knew that much, the dull hum of traffic filtered faintly through the glass, voices sometimes drifted past the house, but for me, time just… stopped.I wasn’t tired, but my body refused to move. I couldn’t read. Couldn’t focus. The laptop sat idle on my desk, Taylor behind it, a pile of notebooks untouched beside it. All I could do was stare at the ceiling and feel this heaviness pressing against my chest.The image wouldn’t leave my head. Damian holding Marianne. His arms wrapped around her like they belonged there. His face buried in her neck like she was home.And me? I was the outsider watching from a distance with a stupid box of cookies pressed to my ribs.I thought maybe the ache would fade by evening, but it only grew sharper, needling deeper, and by the time I dragged my laptop onto my bed to drown myself in movies, I al
Last Updated: 2025-08-19
Chapter: CHAPTER TWELVE I woke up before the sun.At first, I thought it was just one of those mornings where sleep slipped through my fingers too early, but as I lay there staring at the faint outline of my curtains, I realized what it really was, my mind simply wouldn’t shut off.Today was Damian’s game.The thought pressed on me like a weight. I rolled over, burying my face into the pillow, hoping maybe I could drown it out, but it didn’t work. My chest ached with a question I’d been trying to avoid since yesterday. Wass I even supposed to show up?He had invited me. I remembered the way his voice had carried that casual confidence, like it was a given I’d be there. And yet, after everything—the cafeteria, Marianne, the way he hadn’t said a word in my defense, was I still supposed to just appear at his sideline like nothing was wrong?I hugged the pillow tighter. A part of me screamed no. Stay home, bury yourself in textbooks, pretend the world beyond exams didn’t exist. But another part of me whispered
Last Updated: 2025-08-19
Chapter: CHAPTER ELEVEN Closing time crept up faster than I thought.The last bell had already rung, and students spilled out of classrooms like water breaking through a dam, filling the hallways with chatter and the squeak of sneakers on the polished floor. Normally, this was the part of the day where I’d gather my books, clutch my lunchbox tighter than necessary, and head toward the gate with one thought in my mind: wait for Damian.And so I did.I found myself at the same spot I always lingered, just outside the school doors, standing near the railing where the setting sun always threw long shadows across the pavement. The air was cooling, the heat of the day finally giving way to something gentler.The longer I stood there, the heavier the realization pressed against my chest. Of course he wasn’t coming. Marianne had made it perfectly clear at lunch, my place in his car had already been filled.I hugged my arms around myself, embarrassed at how childish it suddenly felt. Standing here, waiting for him li
Last Updated: 2025-08-19
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