Mag-log inJanessa’s POVBy the time evening rolled around, the living room floor had become my pacing track.I walked back and forth, the fabric of my oversized sweater brushing against my thighs while Chloe sat perched on the counter. She was swinging her legs, holding a taco in one hand, and giving me a play-by-play of the scene from earlier that morning."I'm telling you, Janessa, it was brilliant," Chloe said, gesturing with a tortilla chip. "The look on his face when that green tea hit his laces? Priceless. He looked like he was about to cry over a pair of sneakers. You should have been laughing.""Chloe, he was bringing up my scholarship," I said, pausing by the island to look at her. The knot in my stomach from Mrs. Hayes’s messages hadn't loosened all day. "His family has leverage with the board. If his mother follows through on that—"The front door
Brayden's POVI racked the barbell with a hard shove, the metallic clatter bouncing off the mirrored walls of the athletic center.My chest heaved, muscles tight and burning as sweat dripped down my neck. I grabbed the towel off the bench, using the workout to run through the anger left over from last night’s family dinner. Pushing weight was the one thing on this campus that stayed simple—no politics, no agendas, just the bar in front of me.The glass doors of the weight room swung open, and Miller walked in, grinning ear to ear as he wiped his brow with a hand towel."Yo, Captain," Miller said, his deep voice carrying over the hum of the fans. "You missed the best show on campus. Chloe just texted me. Your brother got a reality check over on the humanities steps."I tossed the towel over my shoulder, keeping my expression flat. "What did he do? Bring c
Chapter Twenty-ThreeJanessa's POVThe morning sun felt different as we cut across campus. For the first time since everything fell apart, I walked down the courtyard path with my chin up.The curious looks were still there. The viral video hadn't vanished overnight, and every few feet, another glance drifted my way. Yesterday, those stares would have sent me spiraling, clutching the edges of my cardigan tight to shrink out of sight. Today, I had Chloe keeping pace right beside me.She had an iced matcha latte in hand and her gaze locked forward, scanning the walkway like a defense partner looking to clear the ice. Every time a group of students hovered over a phone or muttered as we passed, Chloe cut through the tension by critiquing their wardrobes at full volume."Look at the guy by the fountain," she said, her voice easily carrying over the chatter. "A neon yellow beanie in eighty-degree heat. He looks like a highlighter, and those running shoes should be a crime."A breathless la
Brayden's POVI leaned my shoulder against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched Janessa nervously fiddle with the hem of her oversized cardigan.The noise of Miller and Chloe turning my kitchen upside down echoed through the loft, but down this narrow corridor, the space felt uncomfortably small. Janessa stood a few paces away, dark hair spilling over her shoulders, her fingers twisting the fabric of her sweater in an endless loop. She looked miles away from the sobbing girl I had left sitting on the hallway floor last night."You look less like a wet dog today," I said, my voice cutting through the quiet.Janessa snapped her head up, her jaw tightening as she shot me a look cold enough to crack ice. "Good to know your compliments are just as bad as your driving, Hayes."A slow smirk touched my lips. I actually liked the bite in her voice. For two whole years, Trevor had kept her so quiet, so perfectly obedient and polite, that she probably forgot she had teeth. Watch
Janessa’s POVThe neon palm tree sign above our heads hummed with a low, rhythmic buzz as Chloe and I finished the last of our fish tacos.The little beach shack was starting to clear out as the afternoon rush faded, but neither of us rushed to leave. For the first time since I landed in California, the tight knot in my chest had loosened, replaced by an easy warmth I hadn't felt in months. I leaned back against the booth, watching Chloe pop a stray tortilla chip into her mouth without a care in the world."Look, you just need to know how these meatheads operate," Chloe said, waving her green straw in the air like a weapon as she broke down the hockey team’s social hierarchy. "Brayden is the captain because he’s unstoppable on the ice and nobody can touch his stats, right? The guys respect him because he wins games. But Caleb? Caleb is like a toxic fungus that’s been hanging around the locker room forever because he refuses to accept that his own time is up."I took a slow sip of my w
Brayden's POVI skated off the ice, the sharp scrape of my blades cutting through the slush near the bench as the final whistle blew.Sweat was dripping steadily down my neck, soaking right into the collar of my heavy practice jersey. My lungs were burning, my thigh muscles were screaming from the brutal conditioning drills Coach had forced us through, but my mind wasn't even on the rink. The second the session ended, my thoughts had immediately drifted right back to the loft. I wanted to get back to check on Janessa. After the total nuclear disaster we had caused at my parents' mansion last night, I knew she had to be reeling. She was a good girl, raised on safe promises, and watching the entire Hayes empire catch fire wasn't exactly something she was built to handle without spiraling.I stepped onto the heavy rubber matting, intending to march straight into the corridor and head for the showers, when a massive body bumped hard against my shoulder.I flinched slightly, my jaw clenchi
Brayden's POVI stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of my living room, staring out at the hazy skyline of Berkeley. The city was finally quiet at three in the morning, but my head was buzzing with pure irritation.I took a slow sip of water, listening to the silence coming from the guest bedroom.
Janessa's POV Walking into Brayden’s private condo was like stepping into an entirely different world.I thought the campus area only had rowdy frat houses and cramped apartments like Caleb’s, but this place was super expensive. It was a massive loft with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over
Janessa's POVIt was officially two in the morning, and I was sitting on my suitcase on the curb, freezing my butt off.The California air was nothing like the warm paradise they show you in the movies. It was freezing, damp, and smelled like car exhaust and disappointment. I pulled my knees up to
Janessa's POV"Trevor… I got in.""Got in… where?" He asked, his attention buried in whatever game he was playing on his phone."Berkeley. I just got the email."I stood there, holding my phone so tightly my knuckles were turning white. My heart was pounding against my ribs, and I could feel this h







