NoahThe echo of Savannah’s voice wouldn’t leave my head. Maybe Leo was right. ‘I made a mistake thinking you were any different.’Those words stung more than any punch I’d taken in my life, and I decided it was time to end this, if not for me, at least for her. I had to make sure she didn’t become a victim of the dangerous choices I made for myself.I walked with my hands stuffed in my hoodie pocket, my hood up, and my head low, replaying the fight in my head, the look she gave me before she walked away. I could tell she was deeply disappointed, and I don’t know why, but that cut deeper than I could imagine. She wanted me to be something better. Someone better. But here I was, heading straight into the kind of mess she’d been begging me to leave behind.I told myself this wasn’t about me. This was about her. If I could get them to back off, maybe she’d see I was trying. Maybe I could still pull myself out of this before it was too late.My stomach was a knot as I continued walking, m
NoahThe frat house was buzzing when I got back. The music was still blasting loudly from the living room speakers, and the air smelled like cheap beer and weed. A couple of the guys were sprawled on the couches, shouting over some video game.I’d barely stepped inside when Ryan smirked at me from across the room. “Yo, Noah,” he called out, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “what did that skank want?”The word hit me like a punch to the gut, and before I even thought about it, I crossed the room in three strides, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him against the wall. The sound of his back hitting the plaster made the whole room go quiet and turn in our direction.My chest was heaving loudly, like any moment now, my heart could explode. I could feel the blood pounding in my ears as I shot him an intense gaze. “Say that again,” I growled, my voice low but sharp enough to cut.Ryan’s smirk suddenly vanished. His eyes went wide, darting to the guys around us. “Yo, chill, man.”“Chill
SavannahThe air outside Noah’s frat house felt heavier than the fight itself. There were people everywhere, flashing their phones with their voices overlapping in a storm of whispers that followed. I could feel the heat on my face as I stood there, partly from embarrassment and partly from anger.The pictures were already spreading around. I could see the smirks, the curious glances, and didn’t need anyone to tell me that this was bad, really bad.I looked straight at Noah, and something shifted within me. He was standing there, chest rising and falling fast, his jaw tight from the fight. The mere sight of him right now was so disappointing, I couldn’t help but shake my head, slow and deliberate, letting him know exactly how much this disappointed me. I didn’t wait for him to speak. I just turned and started walking.My heels hit the pavement harder than I meant them to, but I wasn’t going to slow down. I needed space. I needed to breathe.“Savannah!”I heard him behind me, his voice
Leo“You think you can walk in here, threaten me, and just leave?” Noah’s voice echoed loudly behind me as I made my way towards the door. His tone was sharp and cocky. “I’ll do whatever I feel like. And if you show up here again, it won’t end well for you.”I stopped and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Then a slow smirk crept onto my face.Turning back, I walked toward him with steady steps, closing the space between us. His friends shifted in the background, all puffed up like they were ready for a show, but I kept my eyes locked on his.“I’m here now,” I said, my voice low but sharp. “So… what are you going to do?”Noah’s friends started clapping and egging him on. “Whoop his ass, Noah!” one shouted. Another laughed like they’d just been handed the best entertainment of the night.Noah hesitated, and I could see it. For all his talk, there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes.“Savannah wouldn’t want this,” he said finally.I scoffed and took a step back with a disappointed look. I
LeoThe walk to Noah’s frat house felt like it took forever, even though my steps were fast and my fists were already curling at my sides. I didn’t have a minute to stop and think over anything, and truthfully I didn’t want to. I wasn’t going there to talk. I wasn’t going there to play nice. I’d seen enough, and if Noah thought he could keep circling around Savannah, pulling her into his mess, then he needed to hear it from me, loud and clear.By the time I reached the frat house, I didn’t even bother knocking. The music spilling out from inside was too loud anyways for them to hear me, but it wasn’t enough to drown out my anger. Without any hesitation, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The smell of beer and cheap cologne hit me immediately.Noah was across the room, lounging like he didn’t have a care in the world. His little crew noticed me first and a couple of them straightened up, stepping forward, already trying to play guard dog.“Move,” I said, my voice low but sharp
I had barely stepped into the main courtyard when Leo appeared out of nowhere. He didn’t just walk up to me, he more of jumped right in front of me, like he was trying to cut me off before I could even think about leaving.The look on his face wasn’t good, which made me even more disturbed. I wasn’t ready to talk to him or Noah yet, but I guess I had no other choice now. His brows were drawn together, his jaw was tight, and his gaze was unblinking. “What were you doing with those men?” he demanded.I froze. “What men?”“Don’t play dumb with me,” he snapped. “I saw you. I saw you with them.”His voice was sharp, almost shaking with something between anger and worry. My stomach twisted because I knew exactly who he meant, but I wasn’t about to let him come at me like that.“You saw me?” I repeated slowly, giving him a look, and then it seemed as if everything dawned on me all at once, and my brows twisted in annoyance. “Wait, are you following me?”“I’m not stalking you,” he shot back,