The morning sun streamed through the tall glass windows of Preston High, and the campus buzzed with the usual chatter — footsteps echoing against polished floors, lockers slamming, laughter spilling down the hallways. But something about today felt lighter. Maybe it was because Asher and I had walked into school together, fingers brushing, sharing quiet smiles that drew more than a few stares.Asher didn’t seem to care. In fact, he leaned in closer, his hand brushing against my waist as we walked. “You’re smiling too much,” he teased. “People will think I’m funny or something.”I nudged him playfully. “Or they’ll think I finally found a reason to be happy.”That earned me one of his soft, crooked smiles — the kind that made my heart skip, even after everything. He looked at me like I was something rare. Like I was his peace.We walked into Mr. Hale’s classroom just before the bell rang. The moment we stepped inside, the room went quiet. A few students whispered, and I caught snippets
The street was quiet, washed in the soft orange light of evening when I finally spotted him — hands shoved in his pockets, his strides long and quick like he was walking away from more than just me.“Asher!” I called, my voice cutting through the air.He didn’t stop right away. It took a second shout — louder, breathier — before he turned, his expression half shadowed, half conflicted.I jogged up to him, my heartbeat thudding, both from the run and from the tension that hadn’t faded since Adrian showed up.“You walk fast,” I muttered, slightly breathless.He raised an eyebrow. “You were busy,” he said flatly. “Didn’t want to interrupt.”The edge in his voice stung more than I wanted to admit. I crossed my arms, trying to sound casual. “You’re mad.”“I’m not mad.”“You’re totally mad.”He looked away, jaw flexing. “Maybe a little.”I sighed. “You left without your car. Why didn’t you just drive off dramatically like you always do?”That earned me a small, reluctant smirk. “It’s at the
The air between us still buzzed softly from Asher’s kiss when the sound of footsteps made me freeze. A familiar voice — low, calm, but slightly hesitant — broke through the quiet.“Ivy.”I stiffened before I even turned around. I’d know that voice anywhere.Adrian.He stood a few steps away, hands tucked in the pockets of his black jacket, his hair a little messy like he’d been running his hand through it too many times. There was something different about him — his usual confidence had been replaced with something quieter, heavier.Asher’s arm tensed slightly beside me, the warmth from his hand fading as he straightened.“What do you want, Adrian?” His tone wasn’t sharp, but it was edged — careful and cold.Adrian’s eyes flicked briefly to him, then back to me. “Can we talk?”Asher scoffed. “Talk? After everything your mother did to her?”I touched his arm gently. “Asher, please—”But he wasn’t done. He took a step forward, voice rising. “She humiliated her, Adrian. Threw money at he
By morning, my eyes felt raw from crying. The world outside my window was soft and gray — that kind of washed-out light that makes everything look tired. I hadn’t really slept; I’d only drifted in and out of a haze of memories. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Mrs. Pierce’s face, the way she looked at me like I was something she’d scraped off her shoe.When my phone buzzed again, I didn’t need to check to know who it was.Asher.He’d called through most of the night — message after message, his name lighting up the screen like a pulse I couldn’t ignore. But I did. Because I didn’t know what to say. Because how do you tell someone that the world they live in just spat you out?I shoved the phone under my pillow and sat up, my body aching, my head heavy. Mum was already up, moving quietly in the kitchen, pretending not to watch me too closely. Dad had left for work earlier, though I could still feel the weight of his anger in the air — the kind that doesn’t need shouting to be loud.B
By the time I reached home, the night had already swallowed the streets. The air was cold, biting at my skin as I walked the last few blocks barefoot — I hadn’t even realized I’d left my shoes somewhere on the sidewalk. My hands were shaking, the crumpled bills pressed tightly in my fist like a wound I couldn’t hide.The house was quiet when I reached the porch — too quiet, except for the faint hum of the generator and the occasional bark from a distant dog. The light in the living room was still on, and I could see my mother through the window, folding laundry with that tired rhythm I’d grown up watching.My throat tightened.I pushed open the door gently, but the sound still startled her. She turned — and when she saw me, she froze.“Ivy?” Her voice was a whisper at first. Then louder. “Ivy, what happened?”I tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. My lips trembled, and the only thing that escaped was a strangled sob.In two steps, she was in front of me, her hands cupping my f
The silence in the Pierce mansion felt heavier after Mrs. Pierce’s voice sliced through the air.She didn’t have to raise it — her words carried power without volume. That kind of quiet, restrained sharpness that only the rich seemed to master.I turned toward her slowly, my palms damp, my pulse tripping over itself.Her expression was calm — too calm — and that scared me more than if she’d been angry. Her lipstick was flawless, her pearls gleamed under the chandelier, and her eyes… they held that cold, polished kind of disdain that said she already knew how this conversation would end.“Come with me,” she said simply.I followed her down the hallway — every click of her heels echoing like a countdown. The living room lights dimmed behind us as she led me into her private study, the one lined with glass shelves and expensive art I’d only ever dusted from afar.The door closed with a soft click. The sound felt final.Mrs. Pierce turned to face me, arms folded lightly across her chest.