LOGINPOV: ACE"Who pushed Vine?"Nothing. Everyone stilled, not knowing how to get out of this mess that one dullard pushed them into. Deep inside me, I was praying for the culprit to snap. Begging whatever god was left in here to give me someone to hurt. I needed a throat to grab. I needed to feel a bone break in my hands just to shut up the screaming static in my head."Are we all deaf today?" I asked, my voice being all terrifyingly quiet. I stepped off the stage, dragging the bat. The scraping sound followed. "Maybe my words have been too subtle for your tiny brains. Maybe I need to start ripping off legs right now to jog your memory."I stopped right in front of some seniors. I knew them. From the hockey teams. They weren't left out in the dread that everyone felt. "You," I said, pointing the bat at Miller. "You were near the gym area. Who did you see?"Miller swallowed so hard I heard his throat click. "I... I think… I saw her. I saw Vine walk into the pool room. She was on her pho
POV: ACEI looked up to see hundreds of faces that I normally wouldn't even care about. The silence in the room was so fucking thick, I could tell that everyone could feel my rage and was trying to control how they breathed. What was the use? They didn't know to fucking keep their hands to themselves before causing actual damage. I kicked the double doors shut and the noise just boomed through the huge ceiling.I started walking, and I watched everyone scramble out of my way, bumping into chairs and each other like I was a ticking time bomb.I stopped right in front of a guy in the third row. He was holding a baseball bat (probably some dumb event prop). He was shaking so bad the bat was rattling on the floor.I didn't say a word to him. I just reached out and took it. He didn't say a word. If anything, he was doing his possible best to make sure our eyes didn't meet. Dude looked like he was about to pee his pants.I pulled my hockey puck out, dropped it, and used the bat to drag it
POV: ACEThe car was still rocking from how hard I slammed the brakes when I jumped out. I didn't even bother closing the door. I didn't care if someone stole it. I didn't care if it rolled into a bloody ditch.The school was a mess. People were wandering around, looking at the pool building with those wide, stupid eyes. I pulled my phone out, my thumb nearly cracking the screen as I hit Leo’s name."Where?" I barked the second he picked up."The training tank. The old wing. Ace, man, it’s bad. Kai pulled her out but—"I didn't wait for the rest. I was already sprinting.My lungs were burning, but I could hardly feel it. I didn't feel the pavement under my boots. I just felt this black, suffocating weight in my chest that kept getting heavier with every step I took.I burst through the doors of the training tank. The smell of chlorine hit me like a damn brick.And then I saw her.She was lying on the cold, blue tile. Kai was kneeling over her, hands shaking, looking totally wrecked.
POV: ACEI hated it here. I just wanted to get the fuck out of here. I was slumped in a chair that probably cost more than a mid-sized sedan, tossing my hockey puck up and down. The constant thudding against my palm was the only thing keeping me from losing it. My uncles, my cousins, and a couple of board members were all gathered around the table, and they were all currently using me for target practice."You’re slacking, Ace," my Uncle Urus barked, slamming a folder onto the table. "Your grades are slipping, your focus on the team is erratic, and we all know why. You’re obsessed with that girl. She's nothing but a distraction.""Oh," I muttered, not looking up from the puck."It’s embarrassing," another cousin chimed in. "The Callahan name carries weight, and you’re dragging it through the mud for a pet project. Get your head in the game. The scouts are watching, but so are our competitors.""Sure.""Is that all you have to say? We are talking about your future! The legacy of this
POV: VINEHe actually did it. Drew actually polished my shoes. I watched a fraction of his ego die as he stared at me while standing up.When we finally walked out, I turned to face Ace, a displeased look on my face. "That wasn't necessary, Ace," I said, my voice barely a whisper once we were far enough away. "The list was enough. Making him do that... it felt like too much."Ace stopped walking and turned to face me. He didn't look guilty. He didn't even look like he cared. He just reached out and gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him."Don't forget your place, V," he said, his voice dropping into that low, dangerous territory. "Sure, you’re the big guy when it comes to Drew now. You’ve got the power to make him crawl, and I’m making sure he does it."He leaned in closer, his thumb brushing against my jawline."But don't get it twisted. I’m still the big guy when it comes to you. Whatever I say... goes. Capisce?"My face got super hot, and it wasn't a cute blush. I looked do
POV: VINESeriously, it's hilarious how fast things fall apart when you just yank the right string.Everything was the same, but the air wasn't so gross without Drew around to torture everyone. It was like this thick cloud finally lifted. You could actually hear people laughing in the quad and not instantly think they were making fun of someone.I was heading toward the administrative wing when Clyde jumped out of nowhere."Vine! Oh my god, girl, do you have any idea how crazy the forums are right now? Everyone is saying—"She stopped dead. Her eyes dropped to my side, and her jaw practically hit the floor.Ace was right beside me, and he was still holding my hand.His grip was chill, almost bored, but his thumb was tracing these slow circles over my knuckles. It was such a total boyfriend thing to do, which was all the more reason it looked completely wrong for him to do. To me of all people. Clyde's face went from hyped to full-on terrified in like, a split second."I—I’m so sorry!
VineI saw him drag his mother out of there, into another room perhaps, and while I battled with the thoughts of whether to leave him there, and go back to my hostel so he doesn't feel I was intruding so much into his privacy, and staying behind and comforting him in ways that I didn't really know
VineMinutes later, Clyde walked into the restaurant with an unfamiliar young man tagging along.He was in a grey sweater and black trousers.He said something funny and Clyde laughed as her eyes scanned the area until they met mine and it dropped slightly, then she rushed to where I was sitting an
Ace My fingertips touched her left nipple and I felt it harden. My eyes lowered as she unconsciously clenched her thighs together before she made an excuse and rushed out.I could feel my dick getting hard by the mere brush of my fingers and I couldn't help but want to leave for the restroom."Exc
Vine"This is the girls' bathroom. Get out."I said, swallowing a hard lump down my throat, as a feeling of guilt for treating a kind person that way washed through me."Look at me." He said.And I found myself slowly raising my face at the mirror, his reflection showing beside mine.I had seen tha







