تسجيل الدخولShould I have argued more? Pushed him until he actually heard me instead of brushing it off with that easy grin? Probably. The words were right there on my tongue but the song was still playing, the lights were soft and romantic, and I could already feel the night tilting if I made this a thing. I didn’t want to ruin it so I just let it go and forced a smile instead, rested my head back on his shoulder, and letting the music carry us. “Okay,” I murmured. “Whatever.”Tyler’s arms tightened around me like that settled everything, and we swayed through the rest of the slow song in silence. After a while the track faded out, the lights brightened a little, and the DJ’s voice came over the speakers again.“Alright, everybody, can I have your attention please?” The spotlight cut through the ballroom, sweeping across the crowd until it landed on the stage at the far end. “It’s that time! Will all prom king and queen nominees please make your way to the stage for a grand entrance? Let’s gi
Lia's eyes flicked past me to where Tyler and his friends were still laughing by the punch table, and I could see the way her jaw tightened. She’d seen the whole thing. But she didn’t say a word about it.Instead she pulled me into a hug that felt a tiny bit too tight, like she was trying to squeeze the awkwardness out of the air between us. “You look insane,” she complemented. “That dress is even better in person. Seriously, Saraphina, you’re glowing.”I hugged her back, breathing in the familiar coconut scent of her hair spray, and laughed. “You’re one to talk. Yellow is definitely your color.”She pulled away and grinned, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes the way it usually did. She glanced over my shoulder again, quick, then back to me. “So… Tyler seems… excited tonight,” she said, keeping her tone light, neutral, like she was commenting on the weather instead of the fact that my date had just publicly grabbed my ass in front of half the lacrosse team.I shrugged, twisting the
Tyler’s grin widened, and he offered me his arm like we were in some old-school drama. “Ready to make an entrance, Saraphina?” “Absolutely,” I said, looping my arm through his and letting him lead me down the front steps toward his car parked at the end of the circular driveway. It was a sleek black sedan—nothing flashy, but clean and shiny. He opened the passenger door for me with a little flourish, and I slid in, the emerald fabric of my dress pooling around my legs. He jogged around to the driver’s side, started the engine, and pulled away from the mansion. The house lights faded in the rearview mirror, along with the faint sound of Micah yelling something about “breaking my promise” from the front door. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and sank back into the leather seat. Tyler reached over and turned the music up just enough. “You really do look incredible,” he said again, glancing sideways at me as we rolled through the neighborhood gates. I laughed, t
Even as it bothered me a bit, I shoved the image down deep and refused to look at it again. Today was going to be perfect, and I wasn’t about to ruin it by overthinking like some paranoid movie character.Mason dropped me off at the salon, and I let the familiar smell of shampoo and hairspray swallow me whole. The stylist chattered the whole time, twisting my hair into soft waves that fell just right, pinning in little sparkly clips that caught the light every time I moved. I stared at myself in the mirror and tried to believe the girl looking back was really about to live out the night I’d pictured a thousand times.By the time I got home, the afternoon had slipped away like it was in a hurry. I locked myself in my room, and started preparing my makeup, then wore my dress that hugged every curve exactly the way I’d hoped, and then the heels I’d practiced walking in for weeks. Before I knew it, my phone buzzed on the dresser and it was a text from Tyler: On My Way, Beautiful. Be Th
My room was still a bit of a mess because of last-night excitement but I didn't have time to dwell. I splashed water on my face, brushed my teeth until they felt minty-fresh, and threw on a cute hoodie and jeans so I wouldn’t show up at the salon looking like I’d just rolled out of bed. A quick swipe of gloss, a spritz of the perfume Mom got me for my birthday, and I was good. Or at least presentable.When I thumped back down the stairs, and to the dining area, the whole place smelled like heaven. Breakfast was already plated and waiting on the table, with fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fresh fruit, and a stack of pancakes. Joanne gave me a little nod and a smile as she wiped and arranged the dish.I slid onto a seat and dug in without ceremony, shoveling eggs and pancakes in alternating bites. Micah was still working on that half-eaten apple at the other end of the dining, kicking his legs under the seat. Mom and Dad were sipping coffee and pretending not to hover, but I caught
I caught up to Micah at the top of the staircase, his dinosaur-pajama butt already halfway down the steps. I trailed behind, tying my messy bedhead into a quick bun so I wouldn’t look completely feral when I hit the kitchen. And there they were. Mom and Dad. Being all… ugh. Lovey-dovey first thing in the morning. Gross. Dad had her backed up against the marble island, his arms looped around her waist while she laughed into his shoulder, coffee mug still in her hand. He was whispering something in her ear that made her swat at him playfully, her robe slipping off one shoulder. They looked like they were in their own little bubble, all soft smiles and inside jokes, like they’d forgotten the rest of the world existed. Or at least forgotten they had kids who could walk in at any second. I fake-gagged loud enough for them to hear. “Seriously? It’s not even eight a.m.” Mom glanced over, cheeks pink, but she didn’t pull away. “Good morning to you too, sweetheart. Sleep well?” “Until a
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:・ The drive home was quiet, but not the awkward kind. Gage’s hand stayed on my thigh the entire time, thumb tracing slow, absent patterns through my jeans. Every once in a while he’d squeeze lightly, a silent reminder that he was thinking about me. I stared out the window, watching the
NOAH°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:・I stumbled out of Mia’s apartment building, the door slamming shut behind me like a final fuck-you from the universe. The cold air hit me like a brick wall, slicing through my coat and straight into my bones, but I barely felt it. Honestly? I don’t feel a fucking thing anymore.The
I shook my head against his neck, tears threatening again. “Please. Just… don’t stop.”He went still for a heartbeat. Then his arms tightened around me, one hand sliding up to cradle the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair, the other pressing firm against the small of my back.“You’
Ellis nodded like that explained everything. “Ah. The classic Noah limbo. Women hate that shit, bro. They want labels, clarity, whatever. Me? I stay single for a reason. Girls are complicated as hell. One minute they’re cool with casual, next minute they’re crying because you didn’t text back fast







