LOGINIt glints softly and as I run my thumb over it, it grounds me. Tethers me to the present and reminds me that I am not alone.The panic doesn’t disappear, but it eases just enough for me to breathe again. Just because they’re suing me doesn’t mean my life or my career is over. It feels catastrophic,
SIERRAI’m sitting on the couch, laptop open in front of me, pretending to read through research articles, but I can’t get my mind to focus. At this point I think I won’t be able to focus on anything until everything is cleared.The company hasn’t sent their lawyers, but I know it’s not a matter of
Just thinking about it makes bile rise in my throat.Slowly, I reach into the drawer and pull out Chloe’s diary. I need something solid. Something real. Something to anchor me.My fingers tremble slightly as I flip it open and turn the page.[We all used to hang out even though it wasn't often, but
She freezes, just for a second, before her face smooths out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”I advance on her slowly. “So you’re going to play stupid?”“I really don’t know…”“Jocelyn.”I say the name and watch her closely… Then I see it. The widening of her eyes and the split-second panic
For a second, everything freezes. My hand tightens around the car door handle, my feet rooted to the ground.“Mr. Wood?” Blaze’s voice pulls me out of the paralysis.“Are you sure?” I ask.“Yes,” he replies. “I ran through security footage. They’ve been meeting at least twice a week.”I inhale slowl
“If I remember correctly,” she says coolly, “you stopped me.”“That’s because I didn’t want us to sleep together before I officially made you mine,” I reply. “And before I could do that, you told me to get out.”She scoffs. “What did you expect? You basically rejected me and even after that, I gave
I haven’t left this hallway in two days. It’s The same white walls. The same hum of machines behind the glass. The same antiseptic stench clinging to my clothes.I’ve counted every flicker on the heart monitor. Every rise and fall on the graph that tells me Sierra’s still here. I’ve memorized that s
It’s not long after Benji and the rest leave when Lilly bursts through the doorway like a ray of sunshine, her hair tied in a messy bun, her face bright even under the harsh hospital lights.“Guess who’s officially getting discharged?” she says, her voice bubbling with excitement.I can’t help but s
“No” I snap “What you’re doing It’s disrespectful. It’s tarnishing her memory.”Sierra takes a step forward, her voice cool. “Is this really about Chloe, Brook? Or something else?”My stomach drops. I remember the conversation we had in the parking lot. How she easily figured out my secret.I school
At the sink, I pause and stare at my reflection while washing one hand, careful not to wet the one in the cast.My honey-blonde hair is a tangled mess. Someone tried to braid it, but it didn’t help much. It looks like a bird’s nest. There’s a deep cut on the side of my forehead, stitches glinting un







