LOGINEli’s POVWhen I finally arrived home in Hudson Falls, Wisconsin, I parked my car and slammed the vehicle door shut, barely remembering to grab my keys as I sprinted up the familiar concrete driveway. My chest was pumping from the adrenaline of the three-hour drive, my knuckles white as I gripped the handle of the front door and threw it open, expecting to find a scene of total medical chaos.But I was shocked to see that Piper was doing alright.She was sitting on the couch and crocheting, curled up in the corner of the sectional under a fleece blanket, a ball of pink yarn rolling on the carpet near her slippers as her fingers worked a pair of plastic needles with total ease. There were no paramedics or oxygen tanks anywhere near her.
Kas POVThe bright afternoon sun began to dip below the horizon across the campus sidewalks as Simone and Bree waved goodbye and headed back to their dorms. The moment I was alone, the quietness around me became heavy again.A part of me felt guilty for what happened with Luca. I kept playing every single interaction we had over and over in my head, wondering if I had led Luca on, if my friendly greetings in the hallways had been taken the wrong way, or if I had missed a massive warning sign.Maybe I had somehow led him on without knowing. I needed to see him one last time all by myself to know what had really happened. I couldn’t just sit on my ass anymore, wondering about the hidden reasons behind his terrifying actions. I needed to look him in the eyes and hea
Kassidy's POVThe very next day, I found myself on a wooden bench on campus and watching the other students walk past, feeling like I was still completely disconnected from the regular university routine. My body was tired, but Bree and Simone had refused to let me stay locked up in my dark bedroom for another afternoon.“You need the vitamin D, Kassidy,” Bree said, leaning across the table while her tight blonde corkscrew curls bounced around her face. “Sitting in that house is only going to keep your brain foggy. Look at this shade, it’s the perfect spot.”“She’s right,” Simone added, adjusting the colorful headbands she used to keep her thick black afro out of her eyes. “We aren’t going to make you talk about the hospital or that trash bag Luca. We just want you to sit out here with us.”Simone had bought three cold cups of green tea from the campus café, and the bitter, earthy taste was actually helping to clear the dry feeling from my throat.“I’m glad you guys forced me out,” I
Eli's POVI predicted that my behaviour during the party some days ago would backfire. So, when I was called into the Coach's office after practice the next day, I went without question. I didn't even bother changing out of my practice gear, my heavy skates clacking loudly against the concrete steps as I made my way toward the athletic department.I pushed open the heavy frosted glass door of Coach's office, and the mood inside was instantly sour. Coach didn't offer me a seat. He was sitting behind his wide oak desk, his jaw set so hard the muscles in his cheeks were twitching. "Good morning, Coach." I offered a greeting regardless. "You wanted to see me?"Coach silently pushed an iPad across the polished wood until it tapped against my knuckles.I looked down—it seemed to be a paused YouTube video. I reached forward and pressed play without picking the device up. The screen showed a shaky, high-definition clip taken from a phone in the middle of the crowded hallway at that party. It
Kassidy's POVThe familiar sight of our shared house didn't feel the same when I finally walked back through the front door. The doctors had run their final tests, flushed the remaining toxins out of my blood, and signed the discharge papers, but stepping back into regular life felt strange. I was still numb to it all. I could hear the cars driving past the street outside, and I could hear my friends talking in low voices, but none of it was really registering. It felt like I was watching my own life through a thick sheet of glass. The terror of that night had faded into a dull quiet, leaving my mind blank and heavy.I was tucked into the corner of the living room sofa, buried under three thick wool blankets to keep the lingering cold out of my bones. My feet were resting comfortably on Celeste's thighs, who was rubbing my feet with slow pressure to help my circulation get back to normal. Eli was sitting on the opposite armchair, his eyes never really leaving my face as he tracked ev
Kassidy's POVThe smell of sharp rubbing alcohol was the first thing that drifted into my senses. When I opened my eyes, I realized I was in a hospital. The ceiling above me was made of white industrial tiles, and a steady, rhythmic electronic beep hummed right next to my left ear. A thin plastic tube was taped firmly to the back of my hand, leading up to a clear bag of fluids hanging from a metal pole. I wasn't feeling too well, so I knew something was wrong. My mouth felt dry, like it was lined with sand, and a dull ache was pounding right behind my temples. My limbs felt heavy and unresponsive when I tried to shift my weight against the stiff mattress.I blinked against the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights, my mind struggling to piece together how I had ended up in a medical ward. The last thing I could distinctly recall was standing around the dining room table at the hockey house, celebrating a victory, and taking a long drink from a cold plastic water bottle that Luca had h
Kassidy's POVThe rain started at four forty-seven in the evening. I had no umbrella, and I had no rain jacket. All I brought was a tote bag with a notebook in it that I absolutely could not afford to replace. The bus stop was a seven-minute walk from the campus gates. I was already having the wors
Kassidy's POVI left the house that morning without even eating my cereal. I needed air and distance and to be somewhere that wasn't that house. Quietly, I grabbed my bag, pushed my feet into my sneakers, and walked out the front door before anyone could say anything else to me.Other college fres
Kassidy's POVWhen I woke up the next morning, the first thing I did was grin at the ceiling like an idiot.For about thirty seconds, I felt so warm, boneless, and stupidly happy, replaying the previous night in a loop that my brain seemed very committed to.Eli Deering had kissed me. Eli Deering h
Kassidy's POVEli Deering could go straight to hell.That was what I told myself, anyway, as I pulled my black dress over my hips and stepped back to look at myself in the mirror. I needed to believe it.The alternative was sitting alone in that room, stewing in the particular kind of smallness tha







