LOGINOcean’s POVLong after her message came in, I was still staring at my phone. The screen was still lit up, her message sitting there like it weighed more than it should.Her response was simple, casual and harmless but it didn’t feel harmless.It felt like a door closing softly, not slammed but closed all the same. Pushing my hand into my hair, I leaned back into the couch, my jaw tightening as I read it again and again like the meaning would change if I stared long enough.“She said no, didn’t she?” Calvin’s voice cut through my thoughts.I didn’t look at him or answer either which, apparently, was answer enough.He let out a low whistle from where he was sprawled across the other end of the couch, one arm thrown over his head like he had all the time in the world.“Ouch.”“Shut up,” I muttered, finally locking my phone and tossing it onto the coffee table.He sat up immediately, his eyes lighting up with amusement.“Oh, it’s bad.”“It’s not bad.”“You look like someone just told yo
Chapter 31Astrid’s POVSleep came in pieces.It was not the deep and peaceful kind that wrapped around you and pulled you under, but the restless kind where your mind never really shut off. I lay curled on my side, my blanket half tangled around my legs and my face buried into my pillow as faint sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of our dorm.My head was still heavy, not from alcohol this time but from everything else.Ocean, Reis, Caitlin and that picture.God, that picture.Even in my half-asleep state, I could still see it so clearly.Ocean and Reis standing side by side and smiling like they didn’t hate each other.And that third boy in the background, the one who looked so much like Ocean…The thought barely had time to settle before my phone rang.The sound cut through the quiet like a blade making me groan softly as I shifted deeper into my pillow, trying to ignore it.Whoever it was could wait as I wasn’t in the mood.My phone kept ringing. It was relentless, annoy
Reis’s POVThe parking lot was quieter than usual.It was the kind of quiet that settles after a long day, when the noise of people fades into the background and all that’s left is the low hum of engines, distant chatter, and the occasional slam of a car door.I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets as I walked toward my car. My jaw was tight and my mind was running in circles.Practice had been brutal, not physically.It was the tension, the looks and the unspoken words hanging in the air every time Ocean and I ended up on the same side of the rink.It was getting worse and I knew it.In fact, everyone knew it.Hugh had pulled me aside twice already, telling me to get my head straight and stop making everything personal.But how the hell was I supposed to do that when everything was personal. When every time I looked across the ice I saw him and when every time I thought about him I saw her with him looking at him the way she used to look at me.My grip tightened inside my pockets
Astrid’s POVI couldn’t stop smiling.It was completely and utterly ridiculous but I couldn’t help it.I was sprawled across my bed, staring up at the ceiling like it held the answers to everything. My lips curved into the kind of smile that made my cheeks ache. Every few seconds, I would turn onto my side, then onto my back again, then bury my face into my pillow like that would somehow contain whatever was happening to me.It didn’t because the moment I closed my eyes, I was back there in his room and on his bed.My heart fluttered wildly in my chest as I replayed it for what had to be the hundredth time.The way he had looked at me, the way his fingers had brushed my cheek and the way his voice dropped when he asked if I was going to overthink it.And then, the kiss itself.God. A quiet giggle escaped my lips before I could stop it, and I rolled onto my stomach, kicking my legs slightly against the mattress like a complete fool.“What is wrong with you?” Dawn’s voice interrupted
Astrid’s POVThe moment he said those words, I crossed my arms over my chest, watching him carefully.His jaw was tight and his gaze was somewhere far off like he wasn’t really here. The tension around him hadn’t disappeared, even after everything that just happened outside.If anything, it had only shifted into something quiet, heavier and more dangerous.Sucking my teeth, I tilted my head slightly, studying him. “You’re really not going?” I asked.He let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck before finally meeting my eyes then he said, “No.”There was no hesitation in his voice, no second thoughts either. Just a quiet finality that made something in my chest tighten.“I’m sorry,” he added after a moment, his tone softer now. “You probably wanted to go. I just…” he paused, searching for the right words. “I don’t feel like being around people right now.” He added after a brief silence. I stared at him for a second longer, then shook my head immediately.“No,” I said quic
Ocean’s POVThe moment I heard her voice, something inside me snapped.Not visibly, not in a way anyone else would notice but internally, everything tightened.Caitlin chose to be here of all the places and of all time.The moment she said those words, I felt Astrid shift beside me.Her body went tensed, like she already sensed the shift in the air, even if she didn’t fully understand it yet.Smart girl.I didn’t turn immediately, I didn't acknowledge her right away because I knew, the second I did, it would become real.But then Astrid moved like she was about to leave and that snapped me out of it.My hand shot out before I could think, fingers wrapping around her wrist, and pulling her back toward me.She stumbled slightly, her shoulder brushing against my chest as I steadied her.“We will leave together,” I muttered under my breath, low enough for only her to hear.Her head tilted slightly, confusion flashing across her face, but she didn’t pull away.Slowly, I turned to face Cait
Ocean’s POV The moment I stepped into the club, my eyes automatically started to scan the room. I wasn't looking for Calvin and the guys. I already knew they were at the VIP session of the club. Reis Blaze, he is the person of interest for me and I didn’t bother pretending otherwise, not even t
Astrid’s POV“Hey, relax,” Ocean cooed, tightening his grip on me. “I'm relaxed,” I lied through my teeth and he knew it. The moment we reached the entrance of the club, I knew I had made a mistake which was too late to correct now. The bass from the music was pulsing through the floor beneath m
Astrid’s POVThe city lights blurred past the window like streaks of liquid gold.Finally, Ocean was satisfied with my look and now we are on our way to wherever he was taking me to. Pressing my lips into a thin line, I kept my eyes fixed on my phone, pretending to scroll through messages I wasn’t
Astrid’s POVI hated all of them.Every single dress hanging inside that fitting room felt like a personal attack.They were either too tight, too short, too revealing, too loud and the most annoying part of it all was they were too, not me.Sulking, I was staring at my reflection in the mirror whi







