เข้าสู่ระบบMONICA Gabriel’s eyes darkened, not drunk-dark, not lust-dark—something fractured. Like a mirror hit from the inside. He pushed off the door slowly, the sound of his boots against the carpet too loud in the quiet room.“We won’t talk,” he said. “That’s fine.”My pulse kicked up hard as I suddenly sensed danger. “Gabriel,” I said, backing up until the bed pressed against the backs of my knees. “Why... why am I so hot suddenly.”“Because I drugged your water love”“What?” He didn’t touch me. But the space between us shrank until it felt like the walls were closing in, until the room forgot how to breathe.“You don’t get it,” he said, angry and unraveling. “I’ve been holding myself back for months. Watching you choose him. I thought we were making progress at the party after you willingly kissed me but.... it was because he was there wasn't it? It was to make him jealous... wasnt it? Why do you love him Monica. Is it the sex? That's why my love doesn't matter to you.”I shook my head. “
MONICA“Hey,” he said softer, concern threading through his voice, “are you okay?” I tried to answer. I really did.But all that came out was a shaky breath and then I was crying, ugly and sudden and unstoppable, my hands fisting into his shirt.My forehead pressing into his chest as I cried, and he didn’t hesitate, didn’t pull away, just wrapped his arms around me and held me like he always did, like he always knew how, one hand steady on my back, the other cradling my head, murmuring my name like a promise.“I’ve got you,” he said, over and over, like he was trying to convince both of us, and I believed it, even if just for a second, even if it was fragile, even if tomorrow would ruin it, right then, in his arms, I felt safe, and I clung to that feeling like it was oxygen, like if I let go I’d drown. Gabriel didn’t say much as he guided me away from the noise, his hand light on my back like he was scared I’d run away. And then he stopped near an empty room and said, “Wait here, oka
MONICA Julian and I watched Dominic again, the way his smile faltered when Julian didn’t look back this time, and Julian’s voice went quiet. “I think I’ve been waiting for him to be braver than he is.”“That’s not your job,” I said. “You don’t shrink so someone else can feel big.”He smiled at that, real this time, and bumped his shoulder against mine. “Since when did you get so wise.”“Since my life became a mess,” I said dryly. He laughed, then sobered, glancing past me. “Then there’s Gabriel.”My stomach flipped. “What about him.” Julian studied me like I was a math problem he didn’t like the answer to. “He’ll always be there for you.”I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding, my shoulders slumping. “…Yeah,” I said, the word coming out heavier than it should’ve. “Gabriel.”Julian tilted his head. “That didn’t sound convincing.”“Because nothing is convincing right now,” I admitted. “Everything feels wrong, even when it feels good.”He reached out, squeezing my hand. “Just
MONICADamian straightened slowly, his gaze never leaving mine, a smile tugging at his mouth that made my skin crawl. “Careful,” he said lightly, throwing a look around, “you don’t know the whole story.”I felt a presence beside me, solid, familiar, and suddenly Gabriel’s arm was there, not around me, but close enough to block, his face calm in a way that scared me more than anger would have.“Let’s go,” he said, not looking at Damian, not looking at Zoey, just at me.I nodded, numb, my legs moving on autopilot as he guided me away, the music swelling again like nothing had happened. I let Gabriel lead me away from them.I didn’t look back.Just as we walked, I saw a familiar figure. I almost missed him because the party kept swallowing people whole, bodies everywhere, loud music slamming into my ribs, cups clinking, someone laughing too hard like it hurt.But then I saw Julian near the kitchen counter with his back pressed to it like he needed something to lean on. His shoulders look
MONICAThe party had settled into that weird middle space where the music wasn’t as loud anymore and people had stopped trying so hard to look cool.The air was filled with sweat and cheap perfume and laughter that felt real now, not forced, and I found myself smiling without meaning to, actually smiling.My cheeks aching a little because it had been a while since my face did that on its own. Gabriel was standing beside me with a red cup in his hand, his shoulder close enough to mine that I could feel the heat from him but somehow still so far away it hurt, like there was a glass wall between us that I kept pressing my palms against only to feel nothing back.“You good?” I asked him, trying to sound casual, like my chest wasn’t doing that tight thing again, like I wasn’t counting his blinks and the way his jaw clenched when he thought too hard.“Yeah,” he said quickly, too quickly, eyes not quite on me but somewhere over my shoulder instead. He took a sip from his drink even though I
MONICAWhen I say nowhere I mean I checked every corner of campus like some deranged stalker and still kept coming up empty. My stomach rolling with this awful mix of nerves and guilt that made me feel like I’d misplaced my whole soul somewhere, and every classroom I peeked into, every hallway I searched just reminded me of how badly I’d messed everything up, how badly I needed to talk to him before things got worse, except it felt like he’d gone extinct or evaporated into thin air.When I finally found him by about to get into his car, my breath snagged because he didn’t even look surprised to see me. More like resigned. Like he already knew why I was there. What I didn't expect though was to be invited to a party. Dominic's birthday party. My heart twisted because he was offering me one night. One night before I tore everything down with the truth. One night before he realized he deserved better than the girl who have him false hope and lead him on just to ride his cousin at the ba







