Nova’s POVThere was nothing I hated more than goodbyes. And this one? This one stung worse than most because it wasn’t the kind you bounce back from with a casual “see you later.”Ty was leaving today.After Jace’s little reveal yesterday, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to ask Eli how he was holding up. He already said he wasn’t coming with us to say goodbye, and I wasn’t about to push him. If anyone had earned the right to choose his own way of dealing with this, it was Eli.The change in him was obvious though. In every class we shared, he was quieter, not empty, but like someone had dimmed his light a little. And I hated it.Before I knew it, school was over. Naturally, the one day I didn’t want time to fly, it practically sprinted.We all headed to the parking lot—me, Aiden, Arnold, and Jace where Ty was supposed to meet us. His parents were with him, finalizing transfer stuff and whatever else came with saying goodbye.“I’ll wait here,” Eli said softly, stopping in his track
Nova’s POVThe eyes on me and Aiden were impossible to miss. At this point, they weren’t even trying to hide it anymore, teenagers really had no chill. But for once, I didn’t care. Not even a little.With Aiden walking beside me, holding my hand and saying the most ridiculous things, I wore a proud smile like it was armor. Ain’t my body ruining my day this early. “See you after class, right?” he asked, raising a brow.“Well, sure,” I said, chuckling. “It’s not like I can escape this school.”“You did it before, with me. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be in the mood to skip again,” he said with that infuriatingly confident grin.I swatted his arm. “That was a one-time thing, Cross. I’m not missing any more classes. Now shoo. I’m going to learn.”I waved him off and walked into class, sliding into my seat next to a very amused-looking Eli.“Please,” I sighed, “don’t tell me you saw all that.”Judging by his toothy grin, oh yeah, he definitely did.“Girl,” Eli said, eyes sparkling with pure mi
Nova’s POVAiden and I spent the next few hours doing what we did best, acting like total idiots and loving every second of it. We played video games downstairs, teased each other endlessly, and yes… kissed way more than I’d ever admit out loud. By the time I stepped out of his house, it was almost 9 p.m.Great. I was officially doomed.“Are you sure you wanna go alone?” Aiden asked, leaning casually against the doorframe, grinning like this was all fun and games. “Because I’m pretty sure your brother’s gonna murder you.”“Oh, I’m sure,” I said with exaggerated seriousness. “If I walk in with you, I’ll be extra dead. This way, I might at least get the chance to spin a decent excuse.”He chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss against my forehead. “I’ll take your word for it, love. See you in school tomorrow, Nova.”I waved back at him, already rehearsing my fake alibi in my head. “Time to brace for impact,” I muttered under my breath as I opened my front door.“I’m home!” I called, my
Nova’s POVMy heart was pounding so hard I was sure the neighbors could hear it. The moment I stepped into Aiden’s house and found it empty, I froze.Where was he? And why was the front door wide open?A hundred thoughts collided in my head, none of them comforting. I stepped deeper inside, every movement cautious, like I was the lead character in a horror movie who was about to make the classic bad decision.The house was too quiet.I crept toward the stairs, the floorboards creaking under my feet. Maybe it was my nerves, but even the silence felt louder than it should have been. Then, because life clearly had a thing for testing me, I heard it.A low groan.From upstairs.My heart dropped.“Aiden?” I called out, my voice shaky. No reply.I tried again, louder this time. Still nothing.So I did the one thing everyone in every horror movie is always warned against. I climbed the stairs.I didn’t care. If something was wrong, if Aiden was in trouble, I had to help him—even if I was pai
Nova’s POVI had no idea when me and Eli finally crashed last night. All I knew was that my face hurt from laughing too much, and honestly? It was the best kind of ache. Seeing him smile, genuinely smile again felt like a tiny piece of the universe was finally in order. We talked about everything: Aiden, Ty, random nonsense… and yes, Eli has officially claimed the title of biggest shipper of Nova and Aiden. No contest.When I woke up, though? He was gone.“Where’d he run off to now?” I muttered as I stretched and dragged myself out of bed. After a quick shower and a lazy attempt to look human, I headed downstairs.“The lover girl lives!” Eli’s voice sang out before I even reached the dining room. Arnold chuckled in response.“Ha-ha. Hilarious,” I said, plopping into a chair and grabbing an apple. “When did you start waking up early?” I narrowed my eyes at Eli.“I heard your brother shuffling around and decided to check it out,” he replied casually.“I was shuffling,” Arnold said, sett
Nova’s POVI was on cloud eleven by the time Aiden dropped me off. Honestly, I didn’t even feel like getting out of the car, but reality had other plans.Still, sitting there in front of my house with him made it feel real.I didn’t even know what I was thinking when I leaned in and gave him that tiny kiss before running inside,actually, scratch that. I wasn’t thinking at all. Aiden Cross was officially my boyfriend. What normal teenage girl could possibly stay calm after that? Definitely not me.Even if I’d seen this coming, it still felt unreal. It was either we’d make it official… or, well, let’s not even think about the “or.” None of that mattered now. What mattered was this—us.The second I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it, heart pounding like crazy.“Why are you breathing like you’re being chased?” Arnold asked, casually strolling toward me with his usual big-brother smirk. “What’d you do this time?”“Like I’d ever do anything,” I replied, peeling myself away from