Mag-log inThe message stared back at me like it had teeth.Don’t think you get to break up with me after what you did last night.My thumb hovered over the screen. The words didn’t move, but my heart did; loud, messy thumps that made my headache worse. Mom had just stepped out of the bathroom. She stopped halfway across the room when she saw my face. “Elena?”I turned the phone off fast, pressing the side button until the screen went black. My hands were shaking. I tried for a smile, but it felt like my mouth was made of plastic. “Nothing. Just… spam.”She didn’t buy it. She walked closer, slower than usual, one hand lightly touching the wall for balance. The way she moved these days always made something twist in my chest. She was trying so hard to look normal, but every step reminded me how tired her body was getting.“You’re pale,” she said softly. “Who was that?”I slipped the phone under my pillow like a kid hiding candy. “Nobody important.”She sat on the edge of the bed, close enough
My head felt like it had been split open with a dull knife and left that way. The moment I tried to open my eyes, the light from the window stabbed straight through my skull. I groaned and rolled over, burying my face in the pillow, hoping the pain would just disappear if I stayed still long enough. It didn’t. My mouth was dry, my throat raw, and every muscle in my body ached like I’d run a marathon and lost.I whispered to the darkness under the pillow, “Please let last night be a nightmare.”But the memories started crawling back anyway. The party. The hallway. Marcus with his pants down, hips moving while that girl moaned his name. The way he smirked at me like I was the one who had interrupted something private. The gift bag in my hand. The walk to the bar. The drinks. Damien’s voice. His hands. The car.I sat up too fast. The room spun, I still couldn't remember everything properly. I grabbed the edge of the bed and squeezed my eyes shut, breathing through my mouth until the d
Marcus’s voice cut through the night like a knife. “What the hell happened here?” He slammed his car door and stormed over, eyes bouncing from Jax’s bloody face to Tyler still on his knees, then to Damien standing there like none of this touched him. Finally his gaze landed on me. I was leaning against the wall, trying to keep the ground from moving, my dress all twisted and my legs barely holding me up.“Elena?” Marcus stepped closer, voice rising. “Baby, what did they do to you? Jax, you bleeding? Tyler, get the fuck up. I was waiting years for you guys . Somebody tell me what’s going on before I lose my shit.”Tyler scrambled to his feet, hands waving like he was trying to stop a car crash. “Marcus, chill, okay? We found her like you asked. She wasn’t answering texts after she ran off from the party. We were just trying to bring her back so you two could talk. That’s all. Swear. Things got… a little out of hand, but we didn’t mean nothing bad.”Jax wiped blood from his nose again
The punch landed with a wet, ugly crack that echoed down the quiet street. Jax’s head snapped back like someone had yanked an invisible string. Blood sprayed from his nose immediately, dark and messy under the streetlight. He stumbled sideways, knees buckling, and hit the pavement hard on his ass with a grunt that sounded more surprised than pained. For a second he just sat there, blinking up at the sky like the world had flipped on him.Tyler looked like he was about to piss himself. He took one wobbly step back, foot catching on nothing, and almost went down too. His hands shot up in surrender, eyes wide and panicked. “Whoa, whoa, Voss, we didn’t know it was you, man. Swear to God. We were just checking on her like Marcus asked. That’s it.”Jax wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand, smearing it across his cheek. He laughed, but it came out wet and forced. “Nice shot, Voss. Didn’t know you still got it in you. Relax. We’re not here to start shit with the big bad b
The second the words left that guy’s mouth, “Make me” , everything shifted. I heard the car door slam behind me before I could even turn my head. Footsteps, fast and heavy on the pavement. Damien was out of the car in seconds, his presence hitting the air like a storm rolling in. The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.Tyler’s eyes went wide first. He recognized him immediately. “Shit… Voss? Damien Voss?” His voice cracked. He took one stumbling step back, foot catching on the curb, and went down hard on his ass with a grunt. He scrambled up quick, hands out like he was trying to calm a wild animal, backing away so fast he almost tripped again. “We didn’t know, man. We swear. Just checking on her for Marcus. That’s all. No trouble.”The second guy, Ryan, I think his name was, one of Marcus’s louder, cockier friends, froze with his hand still on my waist. For a second his tough act slipped. His shoulders tensed, eyes darting between me and Damien like he couldn’t believe what h
“Stay in the car,” Damien said sharply, his hand shooting out to grab my wrist before I could fully open the door. His voice was low and tight, the kind of tone that usually made people listen. “Elena, I mean it. Do not get out.”I turned to look at him, the world tilting sideways in that dizzy, warm way the alcohol made everything feel. For a second I just smiled at him , this slow, drunk, stupid smile that probably looked ridiculous with my tear-streaked face and messy hair.My heart felt too big for my chest. Everything was spinning, but looking at him made it spin in a good way.“I love you,” I said softly, the words slipping out before I could stop them. They felt true in that moment, even if they were soaked in liquor and pain. “I think I always did a little. Even when I was with him.”Damien’s eyes widened, something raw flashing across his face. His grip on my wrist tightened for a second like he wanted to pull me back in and never let go. But then his jaw clenched and he le







