LOGINThe strength I carried from the night before did not disappear when morning came, but it shifted. It settled deeper. Quieter.The dream still lingered at the edges of my mind, fragments of running feet and shadows chasing me through endless corridors. But this time, I had not been alone. I had felt Aiden beside me, watching me with that quiet focus that always made me feel seen even when I wanted to disappear. His hand brushed my arm as I sat up.I needed it.“You do not have to face them alone,” he said softly.I offered a small smile that did not quite reach my eyes. “I know. But I have to walk in alone.”The letter from the disciplinary board lay folded in my bag like a ticking clock. I dressed carefully, deliberately. Not to impress. Not to defend myself with appearance. But to remind myself that I still belonged to myself. That whatever they decided today did not erase the years I had worked to stand where I was. Aiden watched me quietly as I gathered my things inside my bag.“I
I woke up gasping.His arms tightened around me, steady and warm, and for a moment, the fear loosened its grip.The dream still clung to me like smoke, thick and suffocating. My heart pounded violently against my ribs, breath tearing in and out of my chest as if I had been running instead of sleeping. For a few seconds, I could not tell where I was. The room felt unfamiliar, shadows stretching along the walls, my body damp with cold fear.In the dream, the corridors of the university were endless. Doors slammed shut as I ran past them. Students pointed and laughed, their faces blurring together until they became one mass of mouths whispering my name. My clothes peeled away on their own. My voice vanished. I tried to scream, but nothing came out.And then the council chamber doors opened.Marcus stood there, smiling.I jolted upright with a broken sound lodged in my throat.“Elena.”Strong arms wrapped around me instantly. Warm. Solid. Real. Aiden’s voice cut through the fog, low and s
My lips brushed his, soft, tentative at first, tasting, testing, and I felt a shiver race down my spine. Aiden’s hands cupped my face, strong and steady, pulling me closer until every inch of me pressed against him. His mouth claimed mine with more urgency, and I responded instinctively, my fingers threading into his messy hair, holding on as if I could never let go.His tongue traced mine slowly, teasing, exploring, igniting a fire deep in my chest. I gasped into the kiss, breath mingling with his, and he hummed low against me, a sound that vibrated through my body. Each press of his lips, each flick of his tongue, sent a pulse of heat through my veins, making me ache for more, though I held back, not ready to surrender fully.Our foreheads touched as we paused, panting, hearts hammering in sync. He pulled me into his chest briefly, the warmth of his body pressing against mine, and then kissed me again, this time deeper, slower, more demanding, as though he was memorizing every curve
I was absolutely still, my hands trembling slightly, the air around me still vibrating with the last words she had said still replaying in my mind. “You deserved everything you got. And I would do it again.”A knot formed in my stomach. My skin prickled with cold confusion. Anger. Hurt. The realization felt like something sharp pressing into my chest. Gina had truly done it. Not just by accident. Not because she was pressured. Not because she was confused. But because she wanted to break me.Because she wanted to watch me fall. She wanted to break me and destroy me, the girl who I once loved and adored had so much disdain for me.She said no one would ever take me seriously after this. That I ruined myself.Aiden steps close.“Elena. Look at me. You did not ruin anything. She did. I swear on my life, I will not let her rewrite your worth.”Aiden stood up, a few steps behind me, chest rising and falling unevenly, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles along his neck looked carved fro
The apartment felt too quiet after everything that happened. Too still. Almost wrong. After the police took Aiden away, the silence felt like it had weight, pressing down on my chest until every breath scraped like sandpaper. Lily had left for work. The apartment was too quiet without her voice grounding me, too hollow without Aiden pacing or arguing or whispering something reckless at my cheek. Every wall felt like it was listening, waiting for me to break.I didn’t sleep. I didn’t even try.When my phone rang, I flinched so hard I nearly dropped it.I didn’t recognize the number at first. Then my breath caught.My father.“Hello?”His voice came through warm, steady, too full of concern for me to bear. “How are you, sweetheart?”My throat tightened. I pressed a hand to my forehead and forced my voice not to shake. “I’m okay.”It was a lie. A stupid, obvious lie. I was anything but okay.“You sound tired,” he said gently. “Your voice is strained. Did something happen? I’ve been heari
Morning came too quickly.It felt like I had only closed my eyes for a moment, only drifted for a fragile second wrapped in Aiden’s warmth, but when light filtered through Lily’s thin curtains, I knew the world had moved without waiting for either of us. The faint glow of sunrise painted the living room in soft orange, casting long shadows across the floor, and for the first time since yesterday afternoon, I was not drowning in panic.I was lying on the couch, curled into Aiden’s chest, my cheek pressed over his heartbeat. His fingers were still tangled in my hair, the steady rise and fall of his breathing grounding me. I could have stayed like that for hours. For days. Forever.But reality was not kind enough to let moments like this linger.My phone buzzed first. Then Lily’s from her room. Then Aiden’s. Then mine again. And again. A vibrating noise reminding that the world outside was not silent.I felt Aiden tense. Completely still at first, except for the single breath he drew in,







