LOGINI rolled from my back onto my side, eyes slowly parting open as my hand reached for the phone beside me on the bed. My room was still dim at 6 a.m., faint dawn light barely touching the windows. I tapped the screen awake. The glow lit up my face. I squinted, heart lifting with fragile hope as I scrolled through notifications, inboxes, the school’s social pages, news apps— anything that might say my car had been found.Nothing. No messages. No updates. Just silence.I dropped the phone onto the mattress with a soft thud and rolled onto my back, staring blankly at the ceiling. My chest rose and fell slowly beneath the blanket. For a few seconds I just breathed in the quiet, eyes tracing the faint shadows above. A quiet breath escaped me. How do I tell Tony? The thought spiraled, tightening my stomach.I shut my eyes briefly, then opened them again with another sigh. Pushing the blanket off, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and rose to my feet. I padded quietly to Liam’s crib. He
Without a word, she extended her arm, my bedroom key glinting in her palm."Liam is asleep. I’ll be back tomorrow.""Thank you," I whispered, taking the cold metal from her fingers.Maggie didn't say anymore words.She brushed past my shoulder, her coat rustling as she stepped out onto the porch before I could utter another apology.I whirled my head around, watching over my shoulder as her rigid silhouette marched down the driveway, climbed into the very cab I had just vacated, and vanished down the street.The car's headlights swept across the glass facade of the penthouse as it turned the corner, plunging the front yard back into shadow.I let out a long, ragged breath, turned back around, and quietly clicked the front door shut.As I crossed the expansive, minimalist living room, my eyes locked onto Lily.She was lounging on one of the plush white couches.The moment our eyes met, a sharp smirk spread across her lips.I immediately rolled my eyes and looked away.I had absolutely
Moments later, the soft electronic chime of the ride-share notification vibrated against my cupped right palm, pulling my eyes downward.I held the phone over my lap, the screen illuminating my pale face in the dim library waiting room.Your driver has arrived.A hollow, heavy breath escaped me.It did absolutely nothing to ease the sharp, aching knot tightening deep in my lower belly.The very last thread of hope— the fragile delusion that maybe, just maybe, my car would be recovered before I had to leave— evaporated into thin air.I pushed myself up from the plastic chair.At the sudden movement, the eyes of the two campus security officers seated across the room flickered sharply toward me.My gaze shifted between them."I'm leaving. I have to go home."The first officer gave a solemn nod.The second leaned forward, hands resting on his knees."I know you're stressed, but the school is doing everything we can to recover your vehicle as we speak and bring the thief to justice. I’ll
My heart began to beat a frantic rhythm against my ribs.I started to walk slowly through the wide lot, my eyes sweeping across every single SUV. My thumb pressed steadily down on the lock button of my key fob, so it would chime to life or flash its lights if I passed it without noticing.It never did.The faster I moved through the rows of parked cars, checking them one by one, the harder my heart hammered.I circled the entire parking lot three agonizing times before the terrifying reality finally dawned on me:My car had been moved.Maybe stolen.My legs felt heavy, dragging like lead weights as I turned and stumbled back toward the library entrance where two campus security officers were stationed."Excuse me," I said as I reached them.My voice was shaking violently, and I gestured weakly toward the lot."Does it... does it happen that tow trucks come into the parking lot and tow vehicles away?"“What do you mean, tow trucks coming into the parking lot and towing vehicles away?”
The restroom door clicked shut behind me, the sound muffled by the heavy corridor walls.Walking down the narrow hallway, I stepped back into the vast open space of the library’s third floor, into aisles of towering bookshelves. I moved through the rows, slipping past occupied and empty reading tables, my rubber-soled shoes silent against the polished floor.Reaching our table, I slid back into my wooden seat. Mary’s gaze flickered up from her notebook, her eyes tracking my movement for a brief second before she plunged back into her work.I opened my laptop, pulling up my digital study materials right where I had left off, my eyes locking onto the glowing screen.Not long after, a heavy shadow stretched across the glossy wood of the table.Someone was approaching.My eyes flickered toward the figure, then snapped right back to my screen. In a tenth of a second, I leaned closer to Mary."Psst," I called silently, trying to catch her attention without making a sound.Her head lifted fr
“I-I…” He stammered softly, pausing, then continued with a breath. “I’m just gonna go straight to the point. I find you very attractive. Is there by any chance you’re single?”The question caught me off guard. I tried to keep my face neutral, but my eyes betrayed me as I glanced toward Mary. She met my gaze with an amused smile before I shifted my attention back to Pete. “I’m sorry, but I’m not single.”“You’re not?” Mary’s voice cut in immediately. She leaned back in her seat, one eyebrow raised in surprise, lips parted.“I’m not,” I laughed lightly, my gaze shifting awkwardly between them before settling on Pete again.“Okay,” Pete nodded slowly, offering a gentle, understanding smile. “Take it as a compliment. You’re very beautiful.”“Thank you,” I smiled back politely.He turned and walked away. As soon as he was out of earshot, I spun toward Mary, voice lowering to a whisper. “Why would you say that?”“Say what?” She shrugged lightly, innocent expression on her face.“That I’m si
Minutes later, I navigated the quiet, tree-lined road home. With a final turn, the glass penthouse came into view. I veered into the driveway and killed the engine behind Lily’s red Chevrolet truck. I stepped out, opened the trunk, grabbed all the bags, shut it, and locked the car before heading to
AVAA Week LaterThe Glass Penthouse.I stopped at the door to my bedroom, fingers resting lightly on the cool metal handle. Twisting it downward, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The soft click of the door shutting behind me sealed the quiet space. My gaze immediately settled on Liam’s c
TONYHours LaterTony eased his McLaren W1 into an empty space, the engine’s soft rumble fading as he cut it off.For a moment he didn’t move.Just sat there under the dim glow of the dashboard lights.Then he reached toward the passenger seat, flipped open his wallet, and pulled out a thick band o
LILYA Few Days LaterA Beauty Salon, Upstate New YorkLily sank deeper into the styling chair, the backrest tilted comfortably beneath her as one of the salon workers carefully worked through her wine-colored hair.The salon buzzed with activity around them.Hair dryers hummed.Water ran somewhere







