72. Upgrade>The professor’s voice drags on as I pretend to take notes. I cannot focus with all this simmering anxiety and the lecture is barely registering in my mind. Mikolaj hasn’t responded to any of my messages. Nor did he pick my calls. I could send him a message explaining everything. But I think I need to talk to him in person. I’m dying for college to be over, so I can meet him and share my side. I hope he will listen to me.My fingers hover over the keypad to send one more pleading text. But Ira pulls the cell away from me.“Don’t. It looks desperate.”I bite my lips and nod, barely holding tears in my eyes. “I wish I had listened to you. He was so disappointed.”“He will get over it. Don’t worry,” she whispers back to me. She puts my phone on the desk and holds my hand during the rest of the lecture. It’s the small comfort that keeps me grounded.….We are back to our room and I am meticulously arranging items in my handbag. Thankfully, I haven’t been sent an

74. Superficial>Blood thunders in my ears as my mind throws a million possibilities. His name. His name.. His name…Dad wouldn’t like it. There is no way I can tell him. Mom will eventually learn and she wouldn't be happy either. I don’t want to see her reaction when she figures it out. I cannot bear her subtle, judgemental eyes. Her ‘only if you had listened to me’ look. It would be a disaster.“Riley?” Dad says and I meet his gaze. “Are you okay?”His voice seems to come from far, far away. I am not sure if I can speak. My hands shiver and I clench my fists to numb the needles poking in my palms. This is not good. I need to go to my room. I take a deep inhale, to keep my voice steady and say, “I will figure it out, dad.”“God! Riley, let me help you.” His voice is a little agitated this time.This is a thing about mum and dad. They don’t trust me to deal with my mess. And no matter how supportive he is right now, he will freak out when he figures out that the so-ca

76. Ramsey Adams>The car hums softly as we navigate the familiar streets leading to Grandpa’s house. Dad glances at me through the rearview mirror, a smile playing on his lips. He grumbled when mom sat with me on backseat instead of accompanying him in front. Now he has simply accepted he has to play the driver for the night. “I am happy you came home. I hope you enjoyed your time as much as we did….” Mom says, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. It pops right back into my face and I beam at her. Dad snorts. “You got free labor. Of course you are happy.”Her eyes dance with amusement, and I chuckle. “It was great, Mom. Just what I needed – some change of scenery and home-cooked meals.” All that work was a welcome distraction. I threw myself into packing and helping mom to keep my mind off Mikolaj. To some extent, it worked, but my emotions surged often.“You’re not falling behind at college, are you? Missed lectures, assignments?” he asks with a hint of concern in hi

78. Audacity>I had so much to offer it would have blown his fuckin mind. That day, I didn’t even go to my room and headed straight to his doorstep. I cried on way to Michigan and thought I should leverage my rage. I was resolved to unleash my fury. The only problem… He went away. It’s been three days and Mikolaj isn’t back yet. I am afraid caring for his daughter is placating my anger.Right now, I am cradling her in my lap, trying to put her to sleep. I do not know how he did this, but Jonas and I struggled to put her to bed for past two nights. Jonas gave up and told me to try first, which is a surprise. Because he rarely leaves me alone. My guess—Mikolaj asked him to monitor me. Out of sheer necessity, Miko asked me to watch Jessie. I wonder how much Jonas knows. Everything? Some of it? Or nothing at all? He is acting his usual self. I cannot help but feel bitter towards him anyway. So I do not talk to him unless absolutely necessary.Jessie’s eyes are heavy with s

Revenge>“Not everyone is twisted like you,” she snarls and I tsk.How naive.“Are you sure?” I mock her, walking towards my desk. Ramsey didn’t mind. So Garrett could do it too. “It wouldn’t be the first time Adam’s using their kid as bait.” I wince as I bend to grab some pills. Something is wrong. Maybe I should have asked Jonas to take me to the emergency room instead. Taking a seat, I look around my desk. Riley has created a mess here. Ignoring everything, I fix my gaze at her.Garrett wouldn’t have let her come to Michigan if she had told him about me. My guess is he doesn’t know yet or maybe he does… After popping one pill out of bottle, I put a cigarette between my lips and say, “Take a seat, Riley. It’s going to be a long night.”She shakes her head in disbelief. “You don’t have any remorse or an ounce of shame…” she adds after a quick pause, making her way to the door. “I don’t need to talk to you.”I press the button down on my table and it locks the ro