LOGINSydney“Hello…?” she said dramatically. “You think I’m going to pass up an exclusive first class information about how good Tyler Sinclair’s tongue felt going down your throat?” “Oh my god, Maeve!” I nearly shrieked.She let out a sharp laugh.“It wasn’t even that deep.”“Really?” she teased. “Your ears are red, you know that, right?”I touched them immediately. “No, they’re not.”She stabbed her spoon into her ice cream. “Come on, spill.” She edged closer. “Was it good or bad? And did he like ask if he could kiss you or something? Did he say something stupid again?” A smile escaped before I could stop it. God, I knew this was an ambush.“He said I was stunning.” Maeve froze. Then blinked once. “You mean Tyler. THE Tyler Sinclair.”I nodded. “Oh, stop looking at me like that, Maeve.” I begged, already feeling my cheeks catch fire. “He…apologized for everything, said he’s always liked me, and…” She suddenly set her ice cream on the ground. “Oh my god, I have a wedding to plan.”
SydneyIt took approximately an hour for me to get ready and Maeve to drag my ass into her car.And within seconds, I was in the passenger seat listening to her scream along to some corny rap blasting through the speakers while she beat one hand against the steering wheel in what I was sure was at least three kinds of illegal.And honestly, it was kind of funny at first.Her accent slipped out every other sentence, she missed half the lyrics, and somehow she still sang like she’d written the song herself.God, I wished I had her energy.Twenty minutes later, we pulled into the Parks’ driveway.Now, I’ve been to Maeve’s house enough times that the giant glass walls don’t make me question whether Mr Park really loved the aqua life or if he respectfully wished he could be part of it.But every single time I came here, something new caught my attention. And this time…It was the family tree.A literal tree standing in the corner of the living room, every branch holding framed pictures of
SydneyOnce again, a guy who’d looked me in the eye and smiled at me had pulled out my heart, slammed it to the ground, and stepped on it like it was nothing.Like he hadn’t locked both of us in a bathroom and told me I was beautiful like he’d never said those words to anyone before.Then five minutes later, he’d stood there while his “fans” laughed in my face because they thought he’d been drunk enough to kiss me. Had he been drunk, though?I didn’t know. But the more I replayed everything in my head, the more I was convinced I’d tasted alcohol on his lips.Either way, it hurt.It hurt so bad. And somehow it made me angry.Angry that he’d just stood there and…watched. Listened to everyone like I was some stranger.Like I wasn’t even there. Like I was just…Sydney Walker.I’d waited till I was safely in my room before I let the tears fall, trying my hardest not to think about Tyler holding me.Apologizing.Because apart from me wishing I’d walked across the club and just shoved him ag
Tyler“You okay?” I stared at the words. Too little. Delete.“About earlier…” I stopped, then frowned. Too much. Too straightforward.“Fuck.”I dragged a hand through my hair and tossed the phone onto the bed beside me. Only to grab it again three seconds later and just stare.My fingers hovered over the keyboard, eyes reading the name over and over again.Because I’d played an entire basketball game with a hand that felt like I’d been run over by a truck, survived that near death experience when I was six.Beaten someone unconscious.But somehow, texting Sydney Walker felt like I needed some kind of special skill.Like I had to be qualified in something to do that.It’d probably been thirty minutes, and I still hadn’t typed one decent sentence.Pathetic.‘It’s all your fault, idiot.’“I know!” I snapped at the empty room, probably for the twentieth time since Micheal and Aaron dragged me out of that stupid club.It was my fault. Every damn bit of it.I shouldn’t have just stood th
SydneyFor a second, the entire world seemed to pause, narrowing until there was just my heartbeat ringing loudly in my ears as my eyes landed on the reason every single person in that club was staring at me.My jacket, my top, those god-damned black leather pants…Handprints. Some kind of pale blue glowing dust smeared across my clothes. Matching the one on Tyler’s hands.“What is that?” “Who is that?”“Looks like pixie dust.” I slowly lowered my phone from my ear before it fell off my trembling hands.Only an idiot wouldn’t know what was going on. Still, my brain was taking its precious time analyzing what I was staring at, trying to come up with any explanation except the obvious one.“It’s all over her,” someone whispered behind me. And before my chest could cave in on itself, a hand grabbed my shoulder.“Sydney.” Maeve.But I couldn’t move. I didn’t even turn when she came to stand beside me.“What is going on?” She asked quietly, her eyes dragging over my clothes. Then she
Sydney The door clicked shut after Tyler, and for the first minute, it was just me. I slid carefully off the counter and turned to the mirror, immediately catching that stupid smile that refused to go away, my cheeks burning so brightly, you’d think someone had painted them red. So much for Maeve’s concealer. Somehow, I could still feel Tyler’s lips on mine, his hands gently on my cheeks like he was scared I’d disappear if he held me any tighter. And even though he’d basically smudged my makeup and completely ruined my lip gloss… It was totally worth it. I swallowed back a squeal, the butterflies in my stomach refusing to die. Then my phone buzzed on the counter again. I picked it up almost immediately and accepted it. “Girl, where the hell are you?” Maeve’s voice came through immediately. Loud enough I could hear it over the basketball players’ names being chanted in the background. Clearly, she was back in the club. I bit the inside of my cheek, still staring
Sydney“You need to leave.” His voice echoed in my head, softer this time.But somehow, that did it.A strange ache spread through my chest, replacing the panic completely.He really didn’t want me there. Didn’t want to look at me.He probably hated me even more for what I’d made him go through.So
Sydney“Sydney.”I froze. My hand stayed pressed against the gym door as my heart leapt straight into my mouth, my eyes widening before I could stop them.Because Tyler had just called my name.‘Run away.’ Something mocked me in my head, and I swear I almost listened.Just leave and pretend I hadn
SydneySixth period after lunch passed. Then seventh, then eighth.Tyler didn’t show up once. And somehow it felt like I was the only person bothered by it.Everyone else just sat in class normally, answering questions, taking notes, laughing when teachers cracked dry jokes like nothing was wrong.
Sydney Well, good news, Tyler and Dean hadn’t been expelled. Bad news, they were being paraded into the gym like criminals on a Monday morning. Well, at least that was what it was supposed to look like. “Oh my god, is that a plaster on his forehead? Hot.” “I watched those fight videos mor







