Se connecterCHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHTBy the time Maya and I reach the third boutique, I’m starting to suspect she invited me out today solely to torture me.“I still think this is ridiculous,” I mutter as I trail after her through another sea of glittering dresses. “Prom is literally in three months.”“Exactly,” Maya replies without missing a beat. “Do you know how fast three months goes by?”“Yes.”“Well, apparently not, because you’re acting like we have all the time in the world.”I snort softly as I run my fingers along a rack of dresses. The boutique is bright and airy, filled with girls our age dramatically emerging from fitting rooms like contestants on a reality show.Everything in here looks expensive enough to give me heart palpitations.“You only hate this because you’re scared that you’ll look too good,” Maya says, smirking.“No,” I disagree. “I hate this because I can practically hear my mother asking how much every dress cost.”“Well,” Maya says
Tyler’s POVCold evening air bites against the back of my neck as I jog onto the practice field behind Coach and Alex.My shoulder feels tight beneath my pads, not painful exactly, but unfamiliar in a way I still haven’t gotten used to. Every movement reminds me that something inside me was cut open and stitched back together.Coach tosses me a football. “Warm up slow,” he warns. “You start overcompensating again, I’m pulling you.”“I know,” I mutter.“Do you?” he asks dryly.Alex snorts beside me. “He definitely doesn’t.”I flip him off before stepping back and rolling my shoulder carefully. The stands are mostly empty except for one familiar figure curled up near the middle row with a sketchbook balanced on her knees.This is the third practice Lila is waiting behind to watch, and she has no idea how grateful I am for her presence.Even from here, I can tell she’s drawing me. Every few seconds, she glances up at me, then back down at the pa
The first thing I notice when I walk into Tyler’s bedroom after school is that he cleaned it.Don’t get me wrong, he’s usually clean… for a teenage boy. But this is next level.His floor is visible, practically sparkling, his desk is organized, and even the stupid pile of hoodies that usually lives in the corner of his room is gone.I narrow my eyes suspiciously as I set my bag down beside the easel that he bought me – which I’ve paid for by the way. I sent him the money last night, even though I still have a feeling he didn’t tell me the exact cost for everything.Still, knowing I paid for them makes the prospect of using them less burdensome.“Who are you,” I ask slowly, “and what have you done with Tyler Brooks?”Tyler, who is sitting at his desk with a laptop open in front of him, looks up with a grin. “You noticed.”“I think I can see my face in your floor.” I glance around again in disbelief before laughing softly under my breath. “Did your mom
I barely get to talk to Tyler all day.Dad decided to drop me off at school for some “bonding.” Though I barely hear a word he said because I’m still mad.Then, Tyler and I hardly have a class together. And when we do, one of us is usually asked to stay behind by the teacher. By the time the last bell rings, I’m so apprehensive that my palms have gotten super sweaty.I spot him leaning against his car in the parking lot, spinning his keys around one finger. My heart pounds softly as I wonder what kind of mood he’s in, with the news of next week’s scrimmage flying around.However, the closer I get to him, the more I see the grin on his face. And it is way too smug for someone who I thought would be in a bad mood.The second he sees me, his entire face comes alive. It still does something ridiculous to my chest every single time. “There she is,” he says as I approach. “My favorite stalker.”I snort. “You wish.”“You literally waited outside my last cla
I’ve now resorted to going on morning runs in order to successfully avoid my parents.Cold air burns my lungs as my sneakers pound against the pavement. The sky is still painted in soft shades of blue and pink, and the sun has barely begun to rise over the quiet neighborhood.For once, nobody is awake to tell me what I should be doing with my life. No lectures about finals, questions about Harvard, or warnings about Tyler. It’s just me, the sound of my breathing, and the ache in my legs.I turn a corner ahead harder than necessary, trying to outrun the frustration simmering beneath my skin.It’s been three days since the disaster in the garage, and the air in my house still feels tense enough to choke on. Mom barely talks to me unless it’s about studying, and every time Tyler’s name comes up, her mouth tightens like she swallowed something sour.A distraction, that’s all she sees him as now.She doesn’t know, or even want to, the boy who bought me art su
Tyler’s POVLila doesn’t even notice that I’m not driving her home. That’s how I know how completely checked out she is.I glance at my side, watching her stare out the passenger window quietly. Her cheek rests against her hand while the late February sunlight flashes across her face in streaks of gold and shadow.Sighing, I turn back to the road. Then, I make the turn toward my neighborhood instead.Only then does she finally blink and look over at me. “Where are we going?”“Trust me,” I say.That gets a tiny reaction out of her at least. She lifts one brow slightly. “That usually ends badly for people.”I snort softly. “For other people maybe.”She shakes her head faintly, but she doesn’t argue again.The closer we get to my house, the tighter my grip becomes on the steering wheel. Because honestly? I have no idea if this is a good idea.All weekend I kept thinking about her face in that garage. The way she looked standing in front of h







