LOGINHours Later— AVA'S POV. That Same Day. The Glass Penthouse. I sat at the edge of my bed, slowly scrolling through TikTok. The sounds from random videos filled my room. One moment it was music. The next it was somebody dancing. Then a cooking video. Then another trend I didn't understand. My thumb moved lazily against the screen. I was already dressed. A loose armless shirt hung comfortably over my frame. Black maternity pants hugged beneath my belly. Today was finally the day. The hospital had asked me to come in to have my bandages removed. For good. No more wrapping. No more wound care appointments. No more sleeping carefully to avoid aggravating the injury. I couldn't wait. My eyes flickered to the top of my screen. 1:34 PM. My appointment was at two. Still a little time left. I dropped my phone beside me and exhaled. A few moments later, my phone vibrated. A notification appeared across the screen. Your ride has arrived. "Alright." I grabbed my purse f
The Following Morning. Lily's eyes parted open slowly. The white ceiling above her swam slightly in her vision. "Ahh..." A groan slipped from her throat as she shifted beneath the blanket. A dull headache pulsed behind her eyes. The room was bright. Far brighter than she would have preferred. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second before turning onto her side. That's when she saw him. A man lay asleep beside her. Still completely out of it. A soft snore escaped him. Lily froze. Then everything came rushing back. "Fuck." The whisper slipped from her lips. Fragments of the previous night flashed through her mind. The party. The music. The alcohol. The glances they'd exchanged across the room. The way he'd eventually walked over to join her and Hailey. The easy conversation. The laughter. The flirting. The drinks. The decision to leave the crowd behind and find somewhere quieter. "Fuck..." She sat upright abruptly. The movement made her headache spike. Her
A Week Later.At 7PM.Lily's Luxurious Studio Apartment Off Campus.Megan’s birthday.Lily and Hailey stood in the dining area that blended seamlessly into the luxurious living room.The table before them was crowded with snacks, disposable plates, bottles of alcohol, soft drinks, and bowls of finger foods arranged neatly for the evening.A few feet away, Megan adjusted a stack of disposable cups on the tempered-glass center table in the living room.She stepped back.Looked around.Then immediately headed for the kitchen.The refrigerator door swung open.Cold air spilled out.She grabbed several bottles of water and drinks before returning to the living room.The bottles clinked softly as she dropped them into the ice bucket beside the glass table.Satisfied, she made her way toward Lily and Hailey."Thank you for allowing me to use your place."Lily popped a snack into her mouth."Oh, girl, stop that."She waved dismissively."I don't really use this place anymore since I moved in
AVA.Three Days Later.The Glass Penthouse.At 6:30AMThe faint glow of dawn seeped through the thin curtains covering the floor-to-ceiling windows of my bedroom.For a few seconds, I simply stared at them.The room was still wrapped in that quiet darkness that existed just before sunrise fully took over.Somewhere beyond the glass walls of the penthouse, birds chirped endlessly from the woods surrounding the property.I rolled onto my back.My eyes drifted shut.Maybe I could steal another minute of sleep.A minute became three.Then my eyes opened again.This time I knew I wasn't falling back asleep.I pushed myself upright.The blanket slid down to my waist.STAT 102.Midterm.8AM.The reminder instantly chased away whatever sleep remained.I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and slipped my feet into my slippers.The cool floor greeted me.Reaching across the nightstand, I clicked on the lamp.Warm yellow light flooded the room.I squinted immediately."Jezz."My voice came ou
A Week Later.MARY'S POV— AVA'S Friend.The School Library.Mary sat alone at one of the tables in the middle section of the library, a thick textbook spread open before her.The morning sun filtered through the tall windows, casting pale streaks of light across rows of shelves and study desks.The library was quiet.Not completely silent.Just the kind of silence unique to libraries.Pages turning.Pens scratching.The occasional whisper from students studying together somewhere deeper in the building.Nothing more.Mary's eyes moved steadily across the page in front of her.Her lips shifted faintly as she read the content internally to herself.Line after line.Paragraph after paragraph.After a while, she reached the bottom of the page and flipped it over.The crisp paper rustled softly beneath her fingers.She immediately continued reading.Minutes passed.Then she heard footsteps.Approaching.Mary's eyes lifted from the textbook.A guy was walking toward her table.Tall.Chocol
The Following Day.At 9PM.A Fitness Gym Off Campus.Lily’s sneakers moved lazily against the treadmill belt.Step.Step.Step.Slow.Far slower than her normal pace.On her right, Megan jogged steadily, her ponytail bouncing with every stride. On her left, Hailey maintained an easy rhythm of her own, both girls flushed lightly from exertion.The gym buzzed around them.Weights clanged somewhere in the distance.Machines hummed.Music flowed softly from overhead speakers.But Lily barely noticed any of it.Her eyes remained fixed ahead.Unfocused.Lost.“Hey.”Megan’s voice cut through the haze.Lily blinked.“What?”Megan glanced sideways at her while continuing to jog.“Is anything the matter? You’ve been distracted since we got here.”A faint smile appeared on Lily’s lips.A weak one.The kind that never reached the eyes.Before she could answer, Hailey spoke from the other side.“I noticed too,” she said between breaths. “I just didn’t want to say anything. What’s wrong, girl?”Li







