MasukTylerHonestly, I had no idea what I was walking into when I stepped into Sydney Walker’s room.Didn’t know what I was doing either, or why the hell I cared so much.All I knew was that the second I saw her standing there shaking in that oversized hoodie, eyes swollen from crying while still trying to act like she was fine, something in me snapped into place.My mind screamed his name instantly.Dean.And after hearing her break apart in my arms? Everything finally made sense.The hallway—the way she looked terrified, Dean’s weird comment at the gym, and that stupid smirk he’d worn right after.Something had definitely passed between them before that. But none of it mattered.I didn’t care what I was.I just hated seeing her that way—trembling and trying to push me away, like she wished the world would just leave her alone and pretend she was never born.And at that moment, I knew I wasn’t moving an inch away from her.Not with the tears sitting beneath her eyes, her body trembling li
Sydney“Don’t lie to me.” He pressed.“Why are you so sure he did something?” I asked, my voice strange even to me. “Why do you think it’s him?”“Because I’ve seen this before!” He suddenly snapped. “I’ve seen what he’s done, seen what he’s tried to do.” He dragged a hand through his hair roughly. “Jesus Christ, Sydney. Just talk to me!”I froze, the room suddenly feeling too small.Heat rose in my face, my head replaying that picture on Dean’s phone.How stupid and bright my smile was as I stared into the camera that day.“Two days,” Dean’s voice echoed.And here Tyler was, trying to make me talk about the one thing I was very much ashamed of.Tyler Sinclair!He exhaled, then looked back at me. “Dean did something, didn’t he?” I paused for a second, then I looked away. Because why should I tell him?Why should I tell him that the second person whom I’d trusted back at Newston had posted a picture of me half-naked to fulfill some stupid dare before he left town?That’ll just confirm
Sydney“Tyler,” I breathed before I could stop myself, watching him walk into my room like he belonged there.The door clicked shut behind him, announcing his presence even more.And for a second, I just stared, my mind still trying to comprehend. Because Tyler Sinclair was in my room.Actually in my room!My fingers tightened around the sleeve of my hoodie.“Are you lost?” I asked, trying to sound steadier than I felt. “The bathroom’s downstairs.”“I know where the bathroom is.” He said firmly, his voice sending a ripple down my spine.I swallowed. “Then what do you want? You shouldn’t be here.”But he didn’t respond immediately and just stared at me. His eyes sharp and unreadable, moving over my face like he was trying to figure something out.I wanted to run.“I already said sorry for bumping into you earlier.” I muttered quickly. “You can leave now.” “You’ve been crying.” My breath caught.Of course, he noticed.I turned away quickly, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my hoodie.
SydneyI hate me. I hate my stupid brain. I hate that stupid thing that usually kicks in; always craving that stupid sense of belonging. I hate Chase. I hate Dean. I hate my body. I miss my Dad…so much.God, I could still remember that day back at Newston.I remembered walking through the field, my head down, my stomach twisted from Chase apologizing for “mixing up” the pool party date. It sounded strange in my ears because he wasn’t drunk when he texted me.But me? As foolish and desperate as I was—waiting for the day I’d finally be invited to one of my boyfriend’s famous pool parties, I didn’t think twice.I’d dug out that red bikini from where I’d hidden it from my Dad, threw it on under my hoodie and jeans and took the bus straight to his house. But when I got there, the place was empty.No music, no drinks, no laughter.In fact, only Chase was home that day. And the house…a few things were missing from where they originally used to be.But I ignored it.“Oops, did I say t
TylerSecond half of classes was war.And I tried. I really tried to keep my head straight—give the classes my undivided attention.But somehow my mind kept drifting, my brows drawn together. And I couldn’t count how many times I stopped myself from wondering how Sydney was doing back there.“No one?” the teacher’s voice cut through. “Not even you, Sinclair?”I heard it, but my brain didn’t register it at first.“Sinclair!” The voice was sharper now.I lifted my head, suddenly aware of my surroundings—eyes had turned my way, staring expectantly at me.But the teacher’s was the most piercing. That frown etched across her wrinkled face like it belonged there.“I’m sorry, ma’am.” I straightened in my seat. “What was the question?”She stepped forward slowly, her eyes never leaving my face as she folded her arms. “You weren’t listening, were you?” Her voice was low, but it still made me swallow.I looked down at my book, staring at the circle I’d been tracing over and over again until th
TylerCoach put me in charge of practice that day.Well, not full practice—just running the bench players through plays for Friday while he handled stuff at Redwood.Still counted.We ditched lunch for the gym once more and went straight to business. And in no time, we were all locked in—the sharp squeak of sneakers on polished wood, the thud of basketball hitting the floor, the guys laughing or calling out when something clicked. You know, that ease that comes with being in the one place that shuts everything else up.And for the first twenty minutes, it worked.“Again,” I said, tossing the ball to one of the second-string guys. “You hesitate like that during a game, you’re done before you even start.”He nodded quickly, already out of breath.And even though I knew I sounded a little too much like coach at that moment, I didn’t care.I’d listened to him bark Sinclair for as long as I could remember.Felt right throwing it back.“Move your feet. Anticipate, don’t react.”He tried i
SydneyThe weekend came and passed in just two minutes, and the next thing I knew, I was pulling the blanket off my mirror to take a peek at my hair, while getting ready for school.Yay.The talk with Mom had done something different in my chest. But like always, that feeling stopped right outside
TylerThe rest of the classes went exactly how you’d expect them to go—kids pretending to be interested in subjects when they clearly wanted to be anywhere else but stuck in a room where strange “words of knowledge” were being forced into their heads.But me?My mind was doing a full see-saw, bounc
Sydney Well, so much for trying to blend in and trying to be like the girls at school, all while hoping Tyler Sinclair would like me. Maeve and I had stopped by a café after school, and she bought me one of those fancy lattes Dad never really let me have. “And Kate went straight into the wate
SydneyThe moment the lights came back on, everyone turned. And I just stood there, wine dripping from my hair down to my feet with the shattered pieces of the oversized goblet resting at my feet.I couldn’t move nor breathe properly. How could I when every eye was on me, staring at how the wine h







