LOGINThe night settled softly, like it wasn’t ready to make demands.Lola sat cross legged on the bed, laptop open but untouched, the glow of the screen reflecting thoughts she wasn’t ready to face. Outside, laughter drifted up from the quad college life in motion, unaware of the quiet gravity in her roo
Morning didn’t rush them.Sunlight slipped in gently, catching dust in the air and painting the room in soft gold. Lola woke with a strange, unfamiliar feeling peace. The kind that didn’t disappear the moment she opened her eyes.She was still in the middle.Jake lay on his back to her left, arm ben
The lights were off, but no one was asleep.Lola lay on her side, facing the wall, listening to the soft rhythm of breathing behind her. The room felt different in the dark smaller, warmer, more honest. There was no tension pressing down anymore, no threat humming under the surface.Just awareness.
Night arrived quietly.Not like before no alarms in Lola’s chest, no edge in the air. Just the soft hum of the dorm settling down, doors closing, laughter fading into low conversations and music drifting through walls.Lola stood at the window, arms folded loosely, watching the lights outside blink
The afternoon stretched out in a way that felt unfamiliar.Not tense.Not hurried.Just… open.Lola walked across campus with Jake and Damon flanking her not guarding, not hovering, simply there. The whispers still existed, but they were background noise now, like traffic she no longer needed to loo
Morning light slipped through the blinds in thin, pale lines.Lola woke slowly, awareness returning in layers. Warmth first. Then weight. Then the quiet certainty that she wasn’t alone.Jake was half-reclined against the headboard, one arm relaxed behind her shoulders, his breathing slow and even. D
The room was too quiet after his words. You’re mine, Lola. They echoed in her head like a promise and a threat. Her chest heaved against his, her hands still fisted in his shirt as if letting go would shatter everything. “Jake…” she whispered, her voice unsteady, equal parts resistance and surrend
“Jake…” She tried to form a protest, but her voice broke on his name. He reached out, fingertips brushing her cheek, feather-light but enough to make her shiver. “You don’t get it, do you? You’re not just another rumor. You’re the one thing I can’t ignore.” The words threatened to undo her. She wa
The laughter outside the door didn’t fade. It grew bolder, louder, each taunt pricking Lola’s nerves. “Bet he’s got some girl in there again.” “Or two.” “Jake never plays fair.” Lola’s breath caught. Heat flared in her cheeks not from Jake’s mouth still grazing her collarbone, but from the thoug
The room was still thick with heat. The sheets clung to their damp skin, their breaths uneven, as if their bodies hadn’t yet accepted that the storm was over. Lola lay sprawled across Jake’s chest, her hair plastered to her forehead, her heart still hammering. She felt his chest rising and falling







