เข้าสู่ระบบTiffany’s POVI got an official notice for school delivered in mail. When I got the pop-up notification, I set out my fingers to slide it away because I had developed the habit of skimming subject lines and moving on. But there was something about this particular one that made me pause.“Office of Legal Affairs — Student Conduct Review.”I opened it standing in the middle of my room and read it through twice.The language was different from anything I had seen before. It was precise and formal and listed specific terms I had never seen applied to a student situation, ‘coordinated unlawful entry, documented coercion, potential institutional liability.’“What the fuck is this.” I muttered to myself, reading the mail over again word to word.I walked to my desk and stood very still for a moment.Then I picked up my phone to call Amber.“Have you heard anything? About Hazel. About what she’s doing.”“What do you mean?” Amber’s voice was cautious.“Hold on, let me add Chloe to this call.”
Hazel's POVI opened my eyes and caught Jaxon staring at me from his couch. I was surprised that I'd gotten this much sleep after everything that happened last night. After breakfast, we sat together on his couch, watching the footage Brielle handed over to us four times before I wanted to look away.Each replay made my stomach twist harder. The first time, all I could see was myself. The second time, I noticed the pauses. The third time, I caught the way Tiffany kept stopping the recording and making me start again.By the fourth, I couldn't ignore it anymore.My eyes moved toward the left before every retake. My voice sounded flat whenever I repeated a line. Every hesitation, every restart, every correction was right there on the screen.Anyone paying attention would know I wasn't speaking freely. Jaxon set down his phone on the table, disrupting my thoughts."This is enough to stop her." He spoke upI wrapped both hands around my mug. "Stop her, how?""She's been sitting on her ve
Jaxon’s POVI knew Hazel’s stay in the dorm was out of the way. I looked at Hazel sitting in the passenger seat with her arms still wrapped around herself and decided without overthinking it.“I am taking you home with me.. You can't stay here tonight.,” I said.She looked at me. “Jaxon…”“Don’t.” I put the car in drive. “You can argue with me tomorrow.”She didn’t argue. She turned back to the window and watched the campus move past us and said nothing.When we got home, she sat on the couch and pulled her knees up the same way she had done in the car. I went to the kitchen and made tea because it was the most useful thing I could think of that wasn’t talking.I set the mug on the table in front of her.She looked at it, then at me. “Thank you.”“Don’t thank me yet,” I said. “I’m still figuring out what I’m doing.”Something moved at the corner of her mouth. Not quite a smile but close enough that it loosened something in my chest.We sat in silence. I wasn’t going to push it. Whatev
Jaxon’s POVThe cheerleader stood outside in the parking lot light, one hand still raised from where she had tapped the glass. She was standing alone but she looked almost as unsettled as Hazel did.Hazel’s breath came out sharp. “That’s Brielle.”“From the squad right?”“Yes.” Her voice flattened. “Don’t open the window.”But Brielle was already shaking her head, both hands up now, palms out, something urgent in her expression that didn’t read like a threat.I opened the window just a little in case she wanted to do anything stupid.“I’m not here to cause trouble,” Brielle said immediately. “I just… I need five minutes. Please.”Hazel’s jaw was tight. “You were there tonight.”Brielle closed her eyes for a second. “I know.” “Then you have nothing to say to me.”“Hazel.” Her voice cracked slightly. “I am here to help you. Please just… five minutes. That’s all.”I looked at Hazel. She was staring at Brielle through the glass with an expression that had many emotions. She gave me a s
Jaxon's POV I sit in my car outside Hazel’s dorm for a moment longer, engine still running, hands gripping the wheel. Sasha’s words keep replaying in my head… Hazel was alone and targeted, Tiffany and her group striking the moment she was alone. The campus felt too quiet, the streetlights casting long shadows that did nothing to calm the knot in my stomach. I had driven fast, but now that I was here, a wave of dread held me in place. What if I was too late again? I finally killed the engine and stepped out. The night air was cool and heavy. Inside the dorm, the hallway stretched quietly and unnaturally empty. My footsteps sounded too loud as I moved toward the entrance lounge. That was when I saw her.Hazel sat curled in a dim corner near the side entrance on the bench, knees drawn up, arms wrapped tightly around herself. The overhead light barely reached her, leaving half her face in shadow. Even from a distance, I could tell she wasn’t fully present. Her shoulders were slumped, h
Jaxon's POV I sit alone in the living room, the house wrapped in silence. The clock ticked past ten pm, but sleep felt impossible. My phone is on the coffee table. Hazel hadn’t answered any of my calls or texts since I last saw her. Every attempt I make goes to voicemail or sits unread. I have been feeling uneasy for hours, a low hum under my skin that refuses to settle. Something was wrong, deeper than her usual distance after everything had exploded online. I keep replaying our last conversation in my head, searching for anything I could have missed… I know my apology wasn't enough.I rub my eyes and lean back against the couch, trying to convince myself she just needs space. But my mind went through every worst-case scenario. That’s when my phone suddenly rang. Sasha’s name flashed across the screen. I answer immediately, my stomach already tightening.“Jaxon?” Her voice cracks, thin and strained in a way that instantly told me this wasn’t a casual check-in. “Thank God you picke
Hazel's POV The moment Jaxon’s lips touched mine, I felt immense heat course through my body like wildfire.The tingling sensation was just too electric.Every nerve ending came alive, every coherent thought scattered like they were never there. His hands were everywhere—my waist, my back, grazing
Jaxon’s POVHazel’s hand was warm in mine as she pulled me away from Trey, her grip firm and relentless.I could still feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, the urge to give Trey a piece of my mind never really fading. “Hazel, you’re about to make a mistake by not choosing me!”Trey’s voi
Hazel’s POVJaxon’s car pulls up in front of my dorm like a scene straight out of a movie I take a quick look at myself one more time on my phone's reflection before finally stepping out in sight.My white crop top clung to my waist in perfection, in contrast with his jersey paired with my short s
That evening, my phone buzzed while I was brushing my teeth and I almost ignored it until the screen lit up and I realized that the notification was for my blog—WildLifeMy heart did a small, stupid jump. I rinsed my mouth quickly and picked up the phone, towel still draped around my shoulders. The







