LOGINCHAPTER THIRTY THREE ARE YOU SURE IT'S FIONA YOU'RE INTERESTED INThe four of us rounded the lobby table, playing a game of poker cards.It wasn't unusual or anything, just normal, the vibe was slow and fun and everyone had lime juice for the hot Saturday weather.Dan was quiet and just focused on playing the right cards, while Fiona sat beside Kenz, linking her hands with his and smiling at every win Kenz got.I decided to ask a question to raise the mood of the room.“So… how exactly did you end up falling for this deadbeat?”“She’s joking,” Kenz said quickly.“I hope so,” Fiona laughed.“We’ve known each other for a while now. The funny thing is, I was actually the one who helped Kenz find his class on his first day. He got completely lost.”“Classic Kenz,” I laughed.“And when I failed my chemistry exam, he stayed up all night helping me study.”“And?” I asked.“I still failed.”Kenz covered his face.“Please don’t tell them that.”“Oh, I absolutely will.”“And he always remember
⸻ CHAPTER THIRTY TWO TORIA’S POV The sound of the front door opening pulled my attention away from the movie I’d been pretending to watch for the last twenty minutes. I muted the television almost immediately. “Kenz!” I shouted from the living room. “If you don’t get in here right now, I’m stealing everything in your bag.” “I literally just got here.” His voice echoed through the hallway before he stepped inside with his backpack slung over one shoulder and a duffel bag hanging from the other. He looked tired in the way every college student did after a long week of classes, but the smile that spread across his face the moment he saw me made it obvious he was just as happy to be home as I was to have him back. I hurried over before he even had the chance to put his bags down and wrapped my arms around him. “You’ve gotten heavier,” he complained dramatically, shifting under my weight even though we both knew he was exaggerating. “I’ve grown.” “You’ve grown into a professiona
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE ETHAN’S POVI didn’t remember falling asleep.One minute I was lying there, staring at the ceiling with Dan’s words replaying over and over in my head.I’m in love with someone else.The next thing I knew, someone was yelling my name.I’m never drinking whiskey again.“Ethan.”A hand shoved my shoulder.“Ethan!”I cracked one eye open and groaned.It was Kenz.“It’s literally four thirty. Why are you disturbing my peace?”Kenz stared at me like I’d completely lost my mind.“It’s eight, dumbass. You’re late for class.”“…What?”“It’s eight o’clock.”The sleep disappeared from my body almost instantly.I shot upright so fast my head started spinning.“What time did you say it was?”Kenz folded his arms.“Did you suddenly go deaf? Eight.”“…Shit.”I threw the blanket off myself and stumbled toward the bathroom.Behind me, Kenz laughed.“You know, I was starting to think you died.”“I almost did.”“From what?”“Existing.”He snorted.“I’ll make sure they write that on
CHAPTER THIRTY DAN’S POV I sat at the bar, my fingers drumming against the wooden countertop. The smell of alcohol lingered in the air, tempting me more than it should have. One drink would not hurt. At least, that was what my mind kept trying to convince me. I knew better. I had not touched alcohol since that night, and I was not about to start now. Still, I could not stop wondering why Ethan had asked me to meet him here. The timing felt strange. Ever since the party, guilt had settled somewhere deep inside my chest. I could not shake the feeling that whatever happened afterward somehow traced back to me. The music pounded through the club, vibrating beneath my feet. Colored lights swept across the room while people laughed, danced, and shouted over one another. Nobody paid us any attention. Good. Because I already felt exposed enough. “Thinking too hard?” His voice came from behind me. I did not even have to turn around. I would recognize that voice an
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE ETHAN'S POV Mornings had always been my favorite part of the day because they felt steady and reliable in a way that nothing else in my life really managed to do. I liked how everything followed the same familiar pattern each time, which gave me this quiet sense of calm that I could actually count on even when the rest of my world felt messy. I would wake up and spend a full hour sitting there meditating with my thoughts before heading off to take a long, cool bath that always helped clear my head and get me ready for whatever the day was going to throw at me. Those two simple things were honestly what I looked forward to more than anything else when I first opened my eyes. Back at home, things had always been completely different. There was never any real Peace or quiet found anywhere in the house. My dad ran everything like one long basketball practice,. Where discipline wasnt something you switched off and on. It was something you lived every second of th
CHAPTER 28 KENZ'S POV I stood there for a few seconds, not moving right away. Dan was right where I expected him to be, leaning against his car with his head down, scrolling through his phone. He looked totally relaxed, like waiting almost twenty minutes was no big deal. I don't know why I didn't just walk over immediately. Today had been a lot to handle. Meeting Ethan, finally moving into the dorm, leaving Toria to sort things out by herself, and lying to Fiona again. Everything had happened so fast that I hadn't really had time to process any of it. My head had been spinning since morning, and somehow the one thing I'd actually been looking forward to all day was seeing Dan. Almost like he could sense someone watching him, he looked up from his phone. The second our eyes met, he broke into a big smile. That guy smiled like he hadn't seen me in weeks. "You planning on standing there all night?" he called out, laughing a little. I smiled to myself and finally walked over to
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN FIONA’S POV The funniest part about almost dying is that no one tells you when it’s coming. It’s not stamped. It’s just sudden. People always talk about the fear, the pain, the last voices you hear of the people you love. But nobody talks about how pathetic it is to be drown
CHAPTER THIRTEEN KENZ POV The mansion looked like it had been ransacked. Plastic bottles littered around the floor and red cups were covered on every available surface. The smell of alcohol made me want to puke. I stepped over a pile of empty boxes drenched with alcohol. “
Kenz's POV Chapter THREE “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. Jeremy pulled away from me so fast it almost made me laugh, but it would be stupid to do that with my situation right now. “Kenz?” my sister called again from outside my door. My stomach dropped. I was as good as dead. Ellie was
Kenz’s POV Chapter TWO I stared at the text for so long, not knowing what to do. Why the hell was Jeremy texting me? He had ignored me completely after spending the entire summer together, yet those few words he sent shifted something in me, and I really hated it. I finally decided to reply,







