TRENTS POVI watched Ella from my spot sprawled on the living room couch, unable to suppress an adoring smile as she sat cross-legged on the floor, brow furrowed in intense concentration over her textbook. Leave it to her to turn a lazy Sunday afternoon into an impromptu study session.As if sensing my eyes on her, she glanced up, strands of her chestnut hair falling across her face. Those big, soulful eyes of hers narrowed when she caught me staring instead of studying like I was supposed to be."You know, staring at the textbook doesn't actually constitute reading it," she teased.God, she looked so adorably smug in that moment. Heat crept up the back of my neck as I quickly pretended to straighten up, cracking open the calculus book she'd all but forced into my hands earlier."Easy for you to say, Mrs. I Breezed Through Calculus With Flying Colors," I shot back, snapping the textbook closed. "Some of us mere mortals actually have to put in effort to understand this mind-numbing non
TRENT'S POV TWO DAYS AGO AT MR MATTHEWS OFFICE "So are you telling me that this was the reason Daniel was acting that way before he disappeared?" His gravelly voice sliced through the silence. Slowly, I rose from the plush leather chair, squaring my shoulders. "Yes, Mr. Matthews," I stated. "It wasn't just family issues that made him go off the rails back then. There was more to it, sir." I watched him intently, taking in the rigid set of his broad shoulders, the tense lines etched across his forehead. This powerful titan of a man was clearly grappling with some immense inner turmoil. At last, he came to a halt, hands stuffed into his pockets as he lifted his eyes to meet my stare once more. "I warned him that this was getting too dangerous," he murmured. "I told Daniel we needed to stop this idiotic digging before it was too late." He shook his head slowly, jaw clenching. "But I know how stubborn he gets once he got a notion stuck in his head. I didn't know he still contin
ELLA’S povI stared down at the crumpled divorce agreement papers in my hands, my heart clenching painfully. Ever since the other day when Trent freaked out after seeing these, that look of anguish on his face has been burned into my mind.What could possibly be in these legal documents that shook him to his core like that? I've pored over them a hundred times and can't find anything too abnormal - just the standard jargon about the separation of assets, custody agreements, all the typical divorce minutiae. Sure, seeing my dad's name printed there is always a harsh reminder of his absence from my life. But other than a few brief pangs of melancholy, these papers never broughtup such a dramatic reaction before. So why now? And why from Trent of all people?Ugh, I just don't get it! I flopped back against the pillows with a frustrated huff. Absentmindedly, I reached for my phone, instantly navigating to Trent's text thread like I'd done a million times over the past few days.Only th
Ella's POVOkay, this was getting a little out of hand. As I glanced up at Ryan from the frilly pink dress I was currently swimming in, I couldn't help but giggle at the oversized bow on the back."You've got to be kidding me with this one," I teased, giving a little twirl that made the poufy skirt flare out ridiculously. "Do I look like a giant cupcake or what?"Ryan's eyes danced as he shook his head. "Maybe not that particular number," he chuckled. "But don't worry, we'll find the perfect dress for you yet."I threw up my hands up. "Ryan, you really don't have to do this, you know. A simple 'thank you for being such an awesome tutor' would've been just fine." "Ah, but where's the fun in that?" he countered with a wink. "Consider this my way of showing a truly exceptional teacher my gratitude."Rolling my eyes, I retreated back into the changing room to slip out of the cupcake catastrophe. As I shimmied into the next potential option Ryan handed over the door, my mind drifted back
Ella's POVMy feet could barely keep up with how fast I wanted to go. I wasn't just walking anymore - I was practically running, unable to contain my excitement at the thought of finally seeing Trent again. With each hurried step, I replayed his text over and over in my mind. "Ella, we need to talk." At last, I turned the corner onto his quiet neighborhood street, his house coming into view. And there he was, patiently waiting for me out front like he'd said. The sight of Trent's tall frame standing on the porch made my heart flutter wildly in my chest. Oh, my handsome, silly boyfriend - did he have any clue how much I'd missed laying eyes on that warm smile and tousled hair of his?Before I could stop myself, I came barreling towards him, his arms opening in anticipation of my embrace.But rather than leaping into his waiting arms like I'd imagined a million times, my emotions boiled over into something else entirely. Without warning, I started beating his chest with a breathless
ELLA'S POV I sighed as I approached the cafeteria table where Amelia and Susan were already seated, their hushed chatter immediately audible even from several feet away. They had their heads bent together, speaking in those excited, rapid-fire tones that could only mean one thing - they were dissecting every last detail about the Couples Dance again."I'm thinking we go for a bold red lip," Amelia was saying, making an exaggerated kissy face. "You know, really make a statement with the makeup."Susan nodded enthusiastically. "Ooh yes, that would be stunning! Especially if we do my hair up in those loose, tousled waves to contrast with the harsh lip color."I felt my eyes rolling halfway to the back of my head as I slid into the open seat across from them. Don't get me wrong, I was excited for the dance too - what girl wouldn't be at the prospect of getting all dolled up and being the center of attention for a night? But these two had been utterly obsessed recently, and it was gettin
TRENT'S POVI leaned against the library wall, trying to look all chill and casual as I waited for Ella to show up. We'd agreed to meet here for a study session before the big test. Not gonna lie, I kinda loved these little academic get-togethers with my girl. Sure, the subject matter usually went way over my head. But anytime I could kick back and admire Ella's brilliant mind in action was a total win for me. My eyes lit up as I finally spotted her familiar figure approaching through the courtyard. That gorgeous hair bouncing with every step, those long legs carrying her effortlessly. But then I noticed the two unwelcome figures flanking her - Lucinda and that dickwad boyfriend of hers, Damien. Of course those losers would try messing with my girl again. Knowing her though, she could probably put those jerks in their place all on her own just fine. Sure enough, I watched with pride as Ella held her head high, completely unfazed by whatever crap Lucinda was spewing at her. Tha
TRENT'S POV “Are you...are you still playing basketball?" Tom asked, voice rasping out the words. I couldn't help but smile at the question - of course that would be one of the first things on his mind after all this time. "Yeah, buddy. I never gave it up," I assured him softly, pulling out my phone. With a few taps, I pulled up a team photo - me front and center, basketball clutched under one arm and a wide smile on my face as I posed with my teammates. "See? I'm the captain of the school team now."Tommy's gaze drifted over the image and my chest swelled with pride as his cracked lips curved into a smile. "I'm so happy...you didn't give up on this, Trent. It's what you've always wanted.""It's what we always wanted, Tommy," I corrected gently, reaching out to take his hand in mine. I gave it a soft squeeze as our gazes locked again. "You and me, remember? We were gonna take the basketball world by storm together."Tom's eyes shone with sadness that tugged sharply at my heart. God,