Danilo's POV Aunt Elisa's voice only grew louder in the hallway as she called out to me, I could barely hear her footsteps before she reached me. Damn! This woman is fast.“Danilo, I was calling you. Are you avoiding me?” she asked, tapping my shoulder with that no-nonsense energy she always carried.I turned around slowly, working hard to keep my face neutral. No flinching. No guilt. Just blank politeness.“I’m not avoiding you, Aunt. I just... felt like I walked in on something I wasn’t supposed to.”She let out a throaty chuckle, the kind that made it clear she wasn’t embarrassed. Not even a little. “You saw me kissing my woman and ran away like your pants were on fire. Don’t tell me your father finally succeeded in turning you into a homophobe?”I gave her an awkward laugh, scratching the back of my neck. “No, he hasn’t. But let’s be honest, this town can make anyone a little scared to flaunt love like that.”Aunt Elisa tilted her head and placed her hands on her hips, like a qu
Danilo's POV I left the house the second Rosa pulled out of the driveway. She waved like usual, completely unaware that I had already packed a small duffle bag with treats for Sofia and stashed it in my trunk earlier. I wasn’t sure how to feel. This wasn’t exactly something I planned for, sneaking out of my father’s house to visit a girl I didn’t know in a hospital room just because her brother, who may or may not hate me, said so. But I was doing it anyway.Traffic was light. I guess the universe really was making it easy for me.The hospital parking lot buzzed under the fluorescent lights. Cold wind cut through my hoodie as I stepped out of the car and made my way toward the main entrance. The last time I was here, I barely got in before I was told my mother and brother had died on arrival. Safe to say, it was the saddest day of my life. I took in a deep breath as if to center myself before taking further steps. My sneakers squeaked on the polished tile floor as I walked up to the
Danilo’s POVThere’s always something weird about school parking lots after the last bell rings. It’s like the silence hits differently, too still, like everyone’s pretending the day wasn’t full of drama, hormones, secrets, and social minefields. I stood by my car, keys in hand, watching Antonia hop into Lloyd’s truck. She threw her head back laughing at something he said. I couldn’t hear it, but whatever it was, it definitely had her going. I waved as they pulled away. Her curls bounced behind the glass like they didn’t know what stress was.I was just about to slide into my car and call it a day when I heard the sharp, unmistakable click of heels behind me.I didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was.“Guess who’s your Maria,” Harper’s voice curled over my shoulder, sickly sweet like perfume you didn’t ask to smell. She stepped in front of me, her grin wide and smug, like she’d just claimed something that wasn’t hers.Her lipstick was that deep, dramatic red, the kind that
Carter’s POV I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. After grabbing Danilo’s shirt in the hallway like I was some overprotective boyfriend from a CW show, I’d been stuck in this weird haze all goddamn day. Like I left a piece of myself in that hallway with him. Just… hanging there. Hovering. Buzzing in my chest. I wasn’t supposed to care. He was just some quiet kid with too many secrets and sad eyes and a body I shouldn’t be thinking about, but was anyway. I had a plan, simple, controlled, keep people at arm’s length and never let them in too deep. People like Danilo? They messed with the order. They made you want. That was dangerous for someone like me. And yet here I was, ignoring Kylie Monroe’s flirty touches during lunch. Ignoring her soft laugh and her hands trailing up my thigh under the table. That was new. Normally, I'd be all over her. She was hot, willing, and didn’t ask questions. But today? I couldn’t stop seeing his face. Couldn’t stop hearing his voice wh
Danilo’s POV Antonia tugged me by the arm like she was dragging me toward a fire.“We have to move faster if we want to see it before the vultures rip it down,” she said, her voice buzzing with excitement.I let her lead me through the crowded hallway, past classroom doors and cliques huddled by lockers. My brain still felt foggy from Carter’s intense presence earlier, his possessiveness, his question about Beckett, the way he said I’ll take matters into my own hands like he actually meant it. I hadn’t even had time to unpack the weird cocktail of fear, heat, and confusion boiling in my chest.But now? Now the school musical was back at the front of my mind.We turned the corner near the theater wing, and sure enough, a dozen or so students were crowded around a single sheet of paper taped to the bulletin board. Excited whispers, groans, and the occasional “what the actual hell?” filled the air like static.Antonia elbowed her way to the front without hesitation, dragging me in her w
Danilo’s Pov “I want you to take care of my little sister in the hospital this evening,” Carter repeated, his voice low, rough, and absolute.I blinked up at him, still trying to wrap my head around what the hell he just said. “Wait... what?”Carter’s jaw clenched like he was losing patience. “You heard me, Dumpster Boy. Keep her company. She hates hospitals. She likes having people around her. Just sit with her. Talk. Don’t be weird.”My lips parted, but nothing came out. The request, no, the order was so random it nearly short-circuited my brain. Why me? Of all people?“She’s got her friends, right?” I tried. “Or your mom? A nurse?”Carter leaned in slightly, eyes sharp enough to slice skin. “You’re not listening. I said, you. Not her friends. Not my mom. You!”“Right. Okay.” My brain was still scrambling to catch up. “But why—?”“Because,” he cut in, voice even lower now, “you’re not like the others. You’re quiet. You actually listen when people talk. She can trust you. Don’t know