BLAIR’S POVLara’s Instagram post this morning was all but forgiving. Even though she said she forgave me yesterday, the post said otherwise. I didn’t mean to check. I had just been scrolling through my feed, minding my business until I saw it. Maybe it was because I stalked her for so long that it made it pop up. Or maybe the universe just enjoyed messing with me. “You weren’t chosen, sis. You were just convenient.” That was what she posted.I could tell that she was throwing direct shade at me, and the last part struck a nerve. “I was just convenient?” She was definitely not over things, even though I apologized to her. And if I needed any more confirmation, it came the second I turned the corner in the hallway and saw her waiting by my locker. But she wasn’t alone. Two of her friends stood beside her with their arms crossed, ready to pounce at me. I recognized both of the girls from a couple of Lara’s Instagram posts and I knew this wasn’t a coincidence. This was an a
KADE’S POVI paced behind the basketball field, holding my phone tight in my hand. Things were getting out of control and I needed to end it, no matter what came next. Lara just had to go. I couldn’t continue with such a suffocating relationship.I took a deep breath and checked my phone screen. I’d been waiting for my father to call back, and finally, my phone buzzed in my hand. His name flashed across the screen and I answered immediately. “Hello, D—” “I was in a meeting,” he cut in sharply, almost impatiently. “This better be important.” I drew in a deep breath, gripping the phone tighter. “It’s about Lara,” I informed him. There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. Then, his voice finally came, “What about her?” “I don’t think I can continue with dating her,” I said, forcing the words out before I could talk myself out of it. “It’s just not working out.” He exhaled loudly into the phone, and I could already hear the lecture coming. “We had a deal,
BLAIR’S POVI was sitting in bed, trying to focus on my writing and not the sound of Kade’s game in the background. It wasn’t too distracting, but I just couldn’t stop glancing towards him.Kade must have finally gotten bored because he turned to me and I quickly looked away before he could notice that I’d been staring.“What are you doing?” He asked, sitting up.“A project.” I didn’t bother looking up to meet his gaze but I knew that he nodded, like he actually believed me. “Really thought you were never going to speak to me again,” he added. “I’m working on it,” I muttered. He chuckled, clearly amused, but before he could say whatever was on his mind, the door swung open. I looked up, and my stomach dropped. It was Lara and she was standing at the entrance with a suitcase in one hand with smaller bags hanging off her arm. What the hell. “What are you doing?” The words slipped out before I could stop them. Lara rolled her eyes. “What does it look like? I’m moving in.”
Blair’s POV “Kade?” I called through my cracked voice. My feet were barely stepping over each other as I ran alongside the stretcher, my fingers holding Kade’s arm tightly like he’d disappear if I let go. Kade had suddenly collapsed, his body shaking uncontrollably as he struggled to breathe. The first thing I had done was to call the emergency number, and waiting for them took like forever. We were finally at the hospital and he was being rushed in. The nurses were barking orders and a doctor soon joined us. “What happened to him?” The brown skinned doctor asked, the question specifically directed to me. I shook my head because I honestly didn’t know. “One minute he was talking and the next, he was like this,” I answered, pointing at Kade whose eyes were closed now. “Please, save him,” I cried. The doctor barely acknowledged my plea as he turned to the nurses. In a professional voice, he gave his orders, “Get him to trauma one. Start an IV and push two milligrams of Atro
BLAIR’S POVRobert stepped closer, his expression darkening. "What did you just say?" "Poisoned? How?" Mom put a hand over her mouth, glancing at me. The doctor adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, keeping his face carefully neutral as he explained. "I’m sorry but your son was poisoned with Greenfox leaves." He hesitated for a second before continuing. "We managed to get most of it out of his system, but his recovery will be slow. As you all know, Greenfox puts someone in a coma and we’re past the critical stage, so he’ll live. But I can’t say when he’ll wake up." I barely heard the rest. My chest tightened, and a sharp pain shot through my ribs as I clutched at them. My body shook as I tried to make sense of what I’d just heard. I struggled to steady my breathing, my thoughts racing. Kade was in a coma from Greenfox poisoning? Where did he even get the leaves? I turned to Robert, who barely reacted. But I saw how his fists clenched at his sides, perhaps in an effort t
BLAIR’S POVRobert slowly collected the bottle from the guard, bringing it up to his nose and inhaling deeply. His expression darkened almost immediately and he pulled his head back. “This has Greenfox in it,” he said, frowning deeply. He turned his gaze to the room, his eyes shifting from me to Lara. “Whose bottle is this?” Before I could even process what was happening, Lara’s hand immediately shot out, her finger pointing straight at me. “It’s Blair’s,” she said sharply and I froze, my mouth opening and closing as I thought of what to say. But my body locked up as every pair of eyes landed on me and I helplessly stared at my Mom, but her gaze was questioning too.“It’s not…” I stammered as my heart pounded against my ribs, and my mouth went dry. “No,” I finally whispered, shaking my head. “I didn’t—” My voice broke, and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak louder. “I didn’t and would never hurt Kade.” Robert’s eyes studied me but I couldn’t guess what was going through
BLAIR’S POVLike Robert ordered, I decided to go to school today. When I arrived at the building, I dragged myself toward class, totally exhausted. My body ached from lack of sleep and my head was heavy with thoughts I couldn’t get rid off. I had spent the entire night staring at the ceiling, wetting my pillows with tears. No matter how many times I turned over, no matter how hard I tried to close my eyes, sleep never came. All I could think about was Kade. He was lying in that hospital bed, unconscious, fighting for his life. And there was nothing I could do. There was no antidote, neither was there a guarantee that he would even wake up. “All we can do is wait,” the doctor’s words echoed in my mind and the helplessness was eating me alive. It was a good thing Lara didn’t come back to the room last night. Her absence made me really glad because if she had come back, I wasn’t sure I would have been able to control myself. I was sure that she was behind this. I didn’t care what
BLAIR’S POVJaxon’s words echoed in my head, but I just stared at him like he had completely lost his mind. Did he really think I would consider this stupid offer? After everything I went through just to get him out of my life? That I would run back to him just because everyone was whispering about me again? Trying to turn my life into a nightmare?“Get out, Jaxon,” I said in a cold voice. I pointed toward the door, my eyes not leaving his face. “I’m not interested.” He tilted his head, a slow smirk curling his lips. “You’re so damn stubborn,” he muttered, pushing himself off the doorframe and stepping closer. I immediately tensed, glancing around. No one was in the bathroom. It was just both of us and the hallway outside was empty. My heart pounded hard against my ribs. I hated the way he was looking at me, like I was something he could just take and looking back from time to time as if he was checking if anyone was watching.“Stay back,” I warned in a sharper voice, making my vo
BLAIR’S POV Kade’s jaw clenched hard and I could feel the war waging inside him. His instinct to protect me was louder than any logic. But he also knew the kind of shit storm we’d be dragging ourselves into if he got in the way. Besides, I knew I was innocent and he knew that too. So after a long, burning second, he gave a stiff nod. He didn’t say anything, just let his hand fall from my hand. I gave him a small smile and followed the officers out of the dining hall, keeping my head high. Everyone watched with wide eyes and the whispers only grew wider, like I was already wearing the stain of guilt. The men led me into an office that smelled like old paper and something faintly acidic. I was taken to the drug investigation officer who was a bulky man with a sour face. He motioned for me to raise my arms and I did. Wordlessly, he and another woman searched me thoroughly but not invasively, probably disappointed they didn’t find pills sewn into my bra strap or something. Then
Blair’s POV I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief. So this was Mrs Priscilla’s grand plan? A psychologist? When she said we would be working with delinquents, I thought we would suffer through punishments. I definitely did not expect to sit through a therapy session. Community service, they said. Not group therapy. I didn’t sign up for this nonsense. And yet, here I was, perched awkwardly on a hard chair while the psychologist with her tightly pinned hair and gentle, annoying smile tried to pick apart my brain. What did they even expect to achieve with this? Make us hold hands with delinquents and sing songs about teamwork? Did Mrs Priscilla really think I would open up about myself? And even if I did, what next? Lock us up with criminals? “Tell me, Blair,” the psychologist cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. I’d been expertly avoiding her gaze, like maybe if I ignored her long enough, she’d give up. I didn’t get such luck as she went on with her question. “How
BLAIR’S POV Harper didn’t answer right away. She looked down, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her dress, pulling at a loose thread, perhaps buying herself time. Then she shrugged. “I was never jealous of you when you started dating Jaxon, Blair.” she started and I scoffed. “Is that so?” “I was actually happy for you,” she said in her own defense. “You were my friend and I never looked at Jaxon in a romantic way or anything like that until he started texting me.” “Hmm,” I mumbled, crossing my arms. “So he made the first move, huh?” “You were the one who gave him my number,” she said, her voice rising. “That was because you were my best friend!” I shot back, matching her tone. “Fine, I was naive but you knew exactly what you were doing when you fucked him.” She shook her head like I got it all wrong and I decided to stay quiet so that she would explain. “Jaxon texted me first,” she repeated in a quiet voice. “It was just friendly at first. Until he began flirting with
BLAIR’S POV The screech of the door opening was the first thing I heard from my sleep, followed immediately by that painfully familiar voice that irritated me, coming through the quiet like a trumpet. “Get up, all of you!” I groaned and buried my face deeper into the pillow, but it was useless. I was starting to believe that Mrs. Priscilla’s voice could wake the dead. I forced my eyes open and there she was, towering by the door like a villain straight out of a bad dream. I squinted at the still-dark sky outside the window. The sun wasn’t even out yet. Couldn’t the moon goddess strike this woman with a temporary cold or something? Just long enough for us to get a full night’s sleep? “If your back is still on the bed in the next thirty seconds, you’ll be assigned more responsibilities today,” she snapped and I groaned loudly, pushing myself up. “We’re going hiking,” she announced with way too much energy for someone who clearly fed off our misery. “You’ve got twenty minutes to
BLAIR’S POV I tugged my jacket tighter around me, hating how the cold wind kept sneaking past the fabric like it was on a personal mission to freeze my bones. Winter wasn’t here yet, but it sure as hell was announcing itself like an unwanted guest. I blew air into my palms for warmth, glancing at my phone. It was already two minutes past eight. Seriously? Mrs Priscilla had barked at us about being here at eight sharp. Where was she now? “This is all your fault, Blair,” Harper snapped and I turned to her. Her arms were crossed like a spoiled brat who’d just been told no for the first time in her life. “We wouldn’t be here freezing if it wasn’t for you.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Of course, she’d find a way to twist this around. God forbid Harper takes any responsibility for her miserable life. Apart from freezing my ass off, being dragged away from the comfort of my room, my warm bed, and decent food, forced to spend two hellish weeks around criminals… yeah, the ch
BLAIR’S POV I tugged my jacket tighter around me, hating how the cold wind kept sneaking past the fabric like it was on a personal mission to freeze my bones. Winter wasn’t here yet, but it sure as hell was announcing itself like an unwanted guest. I blew air into my palms for warmth, glancing at my phone. It was already two minutes past eight. Seriously? Mrs Priscilla had barked at us about being here at eight sharp. Where was she now? “This is all your fault, Blair,” Harper snapped and I turned to her. Her arms were crossed like a spoiled brat who’d just been told no for the first time in her life. “We wouldn’t be here freezing if it wasn’t for you.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Of course, she’d find a way to twist this around. God forbid Harper takes any responsibility for her miserable life. Apart from freezing my ass off, being dragged away from the comfort of my room, my warm bed, and decent food, forced to spend two hellish weeks around criminals… yeah, the ch
BLAIR’S POV I scratched my nails into the skin of my palms as I waited. I had named Sherry as Harper’s accomplice and now, we were waiting for her to be brought here. The door opened and Sherry was marched inside, her eyes darting around like she already knew she was in trouble. My heart thudded so hard against my ribs, but I managed to keep my face cold. I had to pull this off. I just had to. Across the room, Harper shifted in her seat. She was trying too hard to look calm, but her body betrayed her. She kept trying to make eye contact with Sherry but I caught her gaze and didn’t bother hiding my glare. I hoped she was smart enough to realize her little plan had exploded right in her face. The leader turned to me. “Alright. Over to you, Blair. You asked for Sherry to be brought in. Well, here she is.” I nodded and then got on my feet. I felt the eyes in the room hook on me, but I only looked at Sherry. “I asked for Sherry,” I started in a clear voice, “Because she’s the one
Chapter 91Blair’s POVThe car barely rolled to a stop when we got to school before the driver turned to us, his tone unusually stiff. “Your father asked me to take you both straight to the administrative wing. He’s expecting you both in the dean’s office.”My brows pulled together. “Now?”He nodded, and I glanced at Kade. His brows lifted, and we shared a look. This could not be good.We were just getting out of a roller coaster ride and I was already bracing myself for the storm from Robert and my mom. I could already imagine the raised voices, long-winded lectures, the kind of dressing-down reserved for kids who didn’t know any better. I wasn’t in the mood to be treated like some clueless teenager who had stumbled into trouble. Not after everything. But we couldn’t refuse.When we got to the administrative building, we stepped out of the car and I let out a sharp breath. My skin was already prickling with tension but Kade took my hand in his and held it tightly.“We’ll be fine,” h
Blair’s POVAfter leaving the drug enforcement office, I decided to visit Beth at the clinic inside the detention center. Being at a hospital reminded me of the time when Kade was unconscious and hospitalized due to poisoning. Walking down hallways while trying to locate Beth’s ward, I remembered how disoriented I was at the time. After he recovered, I prayed to never have to visit a hospital again. Well, here I was. Finally finding the ward, I walked over to Beth’s bedside, barely breathing myself. I looked around, taking in the soft hiss of the machines connected to her. I also took note of the slow rising and falling of her chest. She looked so small tucked under the hospital sheets and I wiped at my cheeks roughly, furious that I was crying again.“You’re a good girl,” I whispered, running a finger over her smooth cheek. “The only good thing about this place.”I swallowed the lump in my throat. Beth had dreams—big ones which she told me about. She wanted out of the detention c