MasukMy body sags with relief as soon as last period ends.I trudge out of class, with Maya beside me, already dreading the whispers and pointed stares no doubt waiting for me in the hallways.A tall, gangly boy, that I recognize as a junior suddenly stops in front of Maya and I. “Here,” he says, then shoots out his arm.Confused, I stare at the single white rose in his hand, then back at his face. “What…”I don’t get to finish my question before he grabs my hand and shoves the rose into my palm, then runs off. I turn to Maya, my mouth open. “What the hell?”“Hey, Lila,” a chorus of voices call.Swiveling to the side, I watch as a couple of giddy girls skip over to me. They each hand me single white roses. “You’re amazing, girl,” one of them says, before they all run off, giggling.From then on, for every step Maya and I take towards the exit, students I barely know keep stopping me and handing me roses, some awkward and some overly excited. And by the tw
Tyler’s POVThe second Jamie disappears from the cafeteria, the entire room erupts.People pretend not to stare while obviously staring, phones already appearing in their hands. I can practically feel the attention turning toward Lila like a spotlight, which I know she hates.I look down at her immediately. She’s gone still beside me, and her fingers are tightening around the edge of the table so hard her knuckles pale.“Lila,” Maya says softly.“I’m fine,” Lila answers too quickly.Bullshit.I push back my chair before I even think about it. “Come on.”Her eyes flick toward me, and she looks overwhelmed enough that it almost physically hurts to look at her.As soon as she nods, I grab both our trays before she can touch hers, moving closer instinctively the second she stands. If anyone has something stupid to say or try, they’ll have to go through me first.Alex catches my eye as we start toward the cafeteria doors. His brows lift slight
By lunchtime, I’ve barely retained a single thing from any of my classes.Every time I tried to focus, my mind drifted helplessly back to Tyler – his hands on me, the way he’d looked at me afterward like I was something precious, and the fact that I’d woken up this morning with a stupid smile on my face before immediately burying it in my pillow out of embarrassment.And now, as I walk into the cafeteria balancing my tray, my stomach twists all over again at the prospect of seeing him for the first time since he dropped me off at home yesterday.I spot Noah already sitting at our table with Maya, and the sight alone makes warmth bloom in my chest.Things between us have slowly begun settling back into that familiar friendship again after Jamie imploded their relationship. And even though there’s still an occasional awkwardness between us, having him back at our table feels right.Maya waves dramatically the second she sees me. “Finally. I was two seconds awa
I only ring the bell once before Tyler opens the door… shirtless.And for one humiliating second, every coherent thought leaves my body.My gaze catches on the sharp line of his collarbone first, then drifts lower before I can stop it – over his tan skin, the faint definition of muscle, and the white bandage wrapping his healing shoulder and upper arm – he must have finally had his cast removed.I swallow when my eyes go all the way to the low waistband of gray sweatpants hanging dangerously from his hips.His hair is damp like he just got out of the shower, and he smells faintly like soap. He blinks at me in obvious shock. “Lila?”Somehow, I forget how words work.“You’re staring,” Tyler says slowly.Heat rushes violently to my face. “Shut up.”The corner of his mouth twitches despite the exhaustion written all over him. Up close, he looks terrible. Dark circles sit beneath his eyes, and there’s tension in his face like he hasn’t properly slept
The smell of paint and turpentine hangs thickly in the garage as I drag another frustrated streak of blue across the canvas.“Okay,” Maya says from behind me, “that brush stroke looked personal.”I ignore her, forcing my concentration on the easel before me.The late afternoon sun spills through the open garage door, catching the metallic silver finish of Maya’s new car parked proudly in the driveway. She’d spent the first twenty minutes after arriving dramatically introducing me to every feature inside it.“Seriously, though,” she continues, sprawled across the old couch in the corner of the garage. “At this point, I’m worried for the painting. It didn’t do anything to you.”“I’m not taking my anger out on the painting.”Maya raises a brow. “You literally stabbed the canvas with your brush like five minutes ago.”I glance at the mangled streak of color near the corner and sigh. “That was a mistake,” I say, even though we both know what a terrible li
Walking into the park feels like stepping into an alternate universe.The fair is long over, and so, the park has reverted to its usual uneven path and the same old benches scattered beneath trees that haven’t quite decided if they’re ready for spring yet. It seems like ages ago since Tyler and I had our first date here.Sighing, I continue straight ahead, focusing on why I’m here.Almost immediately, I spot Noah sitting on one of the benches near the pond. His elbows are braced on his knees, his hands loosely clasped together, and his head is slightly bowed, like he’s been staring at the ground for a while.“Hey,” I say as I walk up to him.He looks up, and I instantly feel terrible. The expression on his face is the same calm one he always has, but it seems dulled around the edges this time. “Hey.”I sit beside him, leaving just enough space between us to not feel like I’m intruding. “What happened?” I ask gently after a while.Noah exhales through







