Chapter One: The Only Good Thing Left

Noah's POV

‘Well fuck me’

The email arrived while I was staring at the empty chair across from where I sat.

My phone buzzed once. Then again

I almost ignored it, afterall nothing good ever came through it in the last year.

Not since the hospital calls.

Not since the accident that took my father and months later, my sister too.

‘Congratulations. We are pleased to inform you…

My breath caught as I read it twice and then a third time to be sure my brain wasn't playing a cruel trick on me.

I had been accepted.

Evergreen Academy.

The most prestigious school in the state for supernaturals. The only school people whispered about like it was a different world entirely.

I didn't exactly feel the fireworks I was meant to feel, the excitement that came with the privilege of having to attend such a school.

Instead it was just… relief. Because this thin piece of hope was the only good thing that had happened since my life fell apart.

“You cannot stay here and drown in memories Heather, You need to start over, for you. For her”

My mother's voice rang in my head from weeks ago,

I swallowed hard, the only reason I even applied was Jason.

My boyfriend of five years. Jason said he applied too and just like that we planned college together.

Late night calls about dorms, walking across campus hand in hand and that made something like hope flicker inside me.

I stood from the table, grabbing my bag. I didn't even finish my drink because I needed to tell him.

The sun was beginning to set when I reached his house, I had walked this path so many times that it felt stitched to my skin.

I didn't knock on his door, when did I ever have to knock? His mother knew me, his father and everyone who knew Jason knew he had a girlfriend named Noah.

As I stepped inside, laughter floated down the hallway.

A girl's laughter.

Surely Jason didn't own a sister overnight, could be an aunt or some sort of cousin but I told myself to not be ridiculous.

My steps slowed regardless, each of them quieter than the last, until I reached his door.

“Are you serious? She still talks about her sister?" the female voice said, amusingly. “It's been over a year"

My chest tightened, something sharp instinctively clawing up my throat.

I could ask myself a million questions where one of them would be what a girl was doing in my boyfriend's room and why did it sound like they were talking about me?

I moved closer to the door and caught a glimpse of her.

It wasn't his cousin nor his aunt, it was Tiffany Huston from biology class.

The girl who always smiled too brightly at him was now laying half naked on his bed.

My stomach twisted and the grip on my bag strap tightened as his voice followed

“Noah makes everything about her," he said. “I get it, tragic shit happens but I can't breathe around that kind of weight anymore…"

Almost like he scoffed.

And who was Noah?

Me of course.

My stomach dropped so violently that I had to press my hand against the wall to stay upright.

Tiffany laughed softly. “So why are you still with her, you should just tell her to bugger off"

“And then be the jerk who dumped his grieving girlfriend? Hell no. I've just been waiting till summer's over" he shrugged and suddenly that made my throat close to the point I felt my breath cease.

“I get it, girls like that always like to play victim” she scoffed "but hey, everyone knows you're both going to Evergreen …

“Oh please, I didn't even apply to that shitty school..."

My vision blurred.

My grip slipped on my phone, and I barely caught it before it hit the floor.

Every word of his felt like a knife carving shapes into my chest.

“That was just something to keep her stable," he continued. “I was never going to that overrated college,"

“And I heard that school's for wolves with demented minds" she said flirty

“You got that one right, worse is she thinks we're building a future”

I could hear her faint giggle again as I placed my palm on the side of the door, silently wishing the earth would open up and have me.

Never thought the day would come and the only person I thought was on my side was actually just using me for goddess knows what.

I dragged my feet backwards.

"She's dragging me down,” he said, his voice harder now. "No wolf, no drive, just sadness. I can't move forward with someone like that"

“You know, I'm glad you're back to your senses, you're going to be the next Alpha after your father, no Alpha should carry around someone else's burden" she purred.

“I mean, don't get me wrong I loved her, never seen someone so naive and gullible but I stayed because I felt bad." He finished “five years is a long time but I'm not wasting my life trying to fix someone who doesn't even try to fix herself any longer"

“It's fine afterall she's just a useless omega who's father owned no important title till he died…” they both laughed it off, again.

Meanwhile, something inside me cracked.

Five years of loving him through high school, through every insecurity and mood and game, five years of believing I wasn't alone without realizing he only endured my presence, only stayed back because he felt pity.

Pity.

I hated that feeling, it was why people filled the chairs of my dad's funeral even when he barely knew three people out of the crowd and now it was why Jason stayed, thinking about it now, it all made sense.

No one would want to be with a weak omega who was dealing with the loss of her father and her sister, especially not Jason Sullivan, whose father was the Alpha of the pack.

I was stupid to think Jason could put up with all my baggage.

My chest felt hollow as I looked down at my phone, the acceptance email glowing on the screen.

He never applied?

The future I thought we shared, never existed.

And suddenly, the letter didn't feel small anymore.

It felt like a door.

I didn't confront him nor storm into the room, it was bad enough that I heard everything by mistake and worse if he tried to deny.

I didn't cry either, some betrayals were too complete for drama, I stepped back quietly, each movement deliberate as if one wrong motion would shatter me.

Outside, the evening air felt colder and I walked without direction at first, I had cried my eyes out for my sister's death to be willing to cry for this.

Dragging him down.

Out of pity.

Wanting to dump me.

The words repeated until they stopped hurting and my resolve started hardening.

When I finally reached home, my mother hurried from the couch she sat, seeming worried.

“I was just about to call you… where did you go?” She asked softly.

I looked up, feeling empty.

"Nowhere” I said then paused "I think we should start preparing for Evergreen ”

My mother studied my face. " I thought you didn't want to go..”

I didn't tell her Jason was the only reason I picked up the form and not her constant nagging.

"Fresh start” I shrugged "plus, I got in”

I said as I turned away and headed to my room, I slumped on the edge of the bed and opened the email again.

My finger hovered over the confirmation link.

For months, I believed depending on him was what I needed to get through everything.

But now, I understand something different.

I pressed ‘Accept’ and for the first time since the funeral, I chose something for myself.

I didn't know what waited for me there but I knew one thing.

I was choosing change.