LOGINMarcel was waiting by my locker when I walked into school the next day.He looked terrible. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was messy, and his black hoodie was wrinkled like he had slept in it. But when he saw me, his gray eyes lit up with something that looked almost like relief."I heard what my father did," he said, his voice rough. "I am so sorry.""It is not your fault." I reached for his hand, squeezing it tight. "But we need to talk."He nodded, his jaw tight.---We met in the art room after school, the door locked, the blinds drawn. I told him everything. About his father's threat. About the check. About my mom's strange reaction.His face went pale. "Your mom knows my father?""She would not tell me how." I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering despite the warmth. "But she was scared. Really scared."Marcel ran a hand through his hair, his eyes wild. "I did not know. I swear, I did not know.""I believe you." I looked at him, really looked at him. The boy who had been m
The diner was quiet that Tuesday afternoon, the lunch rush over, the afternoon lull settling in like an old friend. I was wiping down the counter, the smell of coffee and bacon grease clinging to my uniform, when the bell above the door chimed.I looked up, my customer-service smile already in place.It froze on my face.Marcel's father stood in the doorway, his expensive suit immaculate, his cold gray eyes fixed on me with predatory precision. He was tall, like his son, with the same sharp cheekbones and dark hair. But where Marcel's eyes held storms, his father's held ice."Miss Monroe," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "We need to talk."Rosie appeared beside me, her round face creased with concern. "Sir, can I help you?""This is a private matter." He did not look at her. He did not look at anyone but me. "I suggest you give us a moment."Rosie hesitated, her eyes darting between us. I nodded, my throat tight. "It is okay, Rosie. I will handle this."She retreated to the kitchen
My first day at Rosie's was a Tuesday. The diner was small and worn, with cracked vinyl booths and a jukebox that only played songs from the 80s. The smell of coffee and bacon hung in the air, and the owner, a round woman named Rosie, greeted everyone who walked through the door like an old friend."You must be Ashley," she said, her smile warm. "I heard you needed a job.""I do," I said. "I am a hard worker. I promise."She laughed, handing me a pale blue uniform and a white apron. "I like you already."The work was hard. I was on my feet for hours, carrying trays and wiping tables and dealing with customers who were rude or demanding or both. But it was honest. It was real. It was mine.---Marcel found me at the diner two weeks later.He walked in, his black leather jacket still on, his gray eyes searching the room until they landed on me. I was behind the counter, filling a coffee pot, my uniform rumpled, my hair falling out of its ponytail."Ashley," he said, his voice soft.I di
Liam showed up at my house on a Saturday morning, his truck idling in the driveway, his hands gripping the steering wheel like he was afraid to let go. I watched him from my bedroom window, my heart a tangled mess of guilt and confusion.He looked different. Tired. His usual easy smile was gone, replaced by a tight, determined line. He was wearing a simple gray hoodie and jeans, his hair messy, his eyes dark with something I could not name.I opened the door before he could knock."Liam," I breathed."I need to talk to you." His voice was steady, but I could hear the effort it took to keep it that way. "Can I come in?"I stepped aside, my stomach churning. The house was quiet, my mom at work, the smell of stale coffee and cinnamon lingering in the air. Liam sat on the worn couch, his hands clasped between his knees."I have been doing a lot of thinking," he said, his eyes fixed on the floor. "About us. About what happened.""Liam—""Let me finish." He looked up, and the pain in his br
The world outside ceased to exist. There was only him. Only us. The feel of his skin against mine, the sound of his breath in my ear, the way he whispered my name like a prayer.Afterwards, we lay tangled in his sheets, my head on his chest, his fingers tracing lazy circles on my bare shoulder. The room was dark, the only light coming from the moon outside his window."I have to go," I whispered."I know."I sat up, looking for my clothes. He watched me dress, his gray eyes soft in a way I had never seen before."Ashley?"I turned."This has to be a secret," he said. "My father cannot know. Tiffany cannot know. No one can know."I nodded, my heart sinking. "I know."He reached out and took my hand, pulling me back onto the bed. "But that does not mean I do not want you. It does not mean this is not real.""Then what does it mean?"He was quiet for a moment. Then: "It means I am trying to protect you. From my father. From the fallout. From everything."I kissed him one last time, soft
Liam did not answer my calls. He did not answer my texts. He did not look at me in the hallways. He simply existed in the same space as me, a ghost who refused to acknowledge my presence.It was worse than anger. It was silence. The kind of silence that spoke louder than any words.Jess found me crying in the bathroom after third period. She did not ask what happened. She just pulled me into her arms and held me while I sobbed."I messed up," I whispered. "I messed up so badly.""He kissed you," Jess said softly. "You did not go looking for him.""But I kissed him back." I pulled away, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "Liam saw. He saw everything."Jess's green eyes were filled with sympathy and frustration. "What do you want, Ashley? Because you cannot keep doing this. You cannot keep bouncing between them. It is not fair to anyone. Not to Liam. Not to Marcel. Not to yourself."I did not have an answer. Because the truth was, I did not know what I wanted. I wanted safety. I w







