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☆☆SUMMER'S POV☆☆I’d never been happier in my entire life than I was right now. Nothing could ever compare to the joy of seeing Hayden again. Absolutely fucking nothing. My Hayden was here with me. Alive. My soul snatcher.I hadn’t mentioned it, but my glasses flew off when Jake slammed me into the basement floor. Ever since then, the world had existed in grainy shapes and blurred edges. My vision wasn’t all that awful, but viewing the world through blurry pupils wasn’t exactly comforting either.And once tears pooled in my eyes, I was practically blind. I could see Hayden as he leaned back and wiped my tears away. I could see the way his eyes glistened—tears he refused to let fall. He didn’t want to be weak in front of me. And honestly, now wasn’t the time for weakness.I heard Tara moving fast. Then she stopped—just a few feet away—and froze. Hayden lifted me from the snow, steadying me with both hands. I tucked myself behind him, my body trembling uncontrollably.“You good?” he as

181.

♡♡HAYDEN'S POV♡♡My dad told me I'd been in a coma for over a month. By the time I woke up, he’d already held a funeral for me on JT’s order. JT had been held hostage by Tara but managed to escape when she traveled to France for Thanksgiving. I hadn’t even known I had a grandfather—my mother and JT’s dad. JT and my mother had left their family long before I was born. They’d been part of the mafia but wanted no part of it anymore, so they moved to New York and cut all ties. While I was still in a coma, JT discovered a particular drug that the De Crest family had been secretly producing in their lab. He did research on the drugs and used it on me. It slowed my heart to almost nothing. My pulse barely existed. JT believed it would have a reverse effect on me.He also said the only way Tara and her family would leave me alone was if they believed I was dead. So, they buried me alive. When the drugs wore off, my eyes snapped open.And I didn't just wake up the same man I was before Jake

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☆☆SUMMER'S POV☆☆(A week later)Subject: Medical Leave of Absence ApprovalDear Summer Peterson,Following review of your circumstances and supporting documentation, the university has approved a Medical Leave of Absence effective immediately.Your academic record and scholarship status will be preserved during this period. Reinstatement will require medical clearance upon your return.There is no deadline for healing.Sincerely,Dean SamsonI read the email until the words stopped looking like words and started looking like wounds. I wasn’t expelled. I wasn’t dismissed. I wasn’t forgotten. I was suspended in time.I couldn’t return to school—but I was still a student. Still a girl with a future that waited patiently while I stood still, shaking. Someone people would whisper about. That’s her. The kidnapped one. The broken one.I didn’t know how to exist in a world where I was free. That was the first thing I realized after Jake was gone. Hayden returned to me as he promised. He was

183.

☆☆SUMMER'S POV☆☆ I quietly left the hallway, dragging myself upstairs, back into my room. Hayden came to see me afterward. “Hey, nugget.” I forced a thin smile. “I came to check up on you. Since Agnes is leaving for school very soon, you want me around more?” I didn't respond. I just stared. He waited for an answer. I couldn't say a word. A short laugh escaped his mouth. He sat beside me, nervous. “Umm, I don't know how you’re feeling, but I want you to know one thing; you’re never alone. You have your dad, Keith, your relatives, and you’ll always have me. Always. Whatever you want, whatever you need, you let me know. Okay?” I nodded once, tears filling my eyes. He caught a tear that slipped. “I love you, Summer Peterson.” “I love you, Hayden Dylan.” He embraced me like it was the last time he’d ever see me again. Then he kissed my forehead. He didn't tell me what he had discussed with my dad. He just leaned back, his piercing blue eyes taking in every inch of me,

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☆☆SUMMER’S POV☆☆(Six months later)“Did you ever see the cruelty behind his eyes?” the prosecutor asked.I was the last witness called to the stand. My gaze lifted, meeting Jake’s across the room for the first time. His eyes were hollow. They were dark and haunted. A cold shiver ran down my spine, but I held his gaze firmly. Memories of my best friend flashed through my mind. But I didn't see him in that room. I only saw someone who looked just like him. It was a monster hiding behind his face, wearing his skin.“At first,” I answered softly. “No. He was my best friend. My ride or die. Best friends till we die. But when I saw what he was capable of, I saw the man who… who ruined lives and ruined me.”Grief flickered across Jake’s face. I saw tears stream down his cheeks. The judge leaned forward. “Mr. Jacob, do you have anything to say before sentencing?”Jake stood. His eyes never left mine. “I’d do it again. For you.”A gasp erupted in the courtroom. My heart pounded. I looked aw

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☆☆SUMMER’S POV☆☆There was just silence, and then the call would end. I’d caught myself staring at his photos and watching videos of him more times than I could count. But I never reached out. I tried to, but I was too afraid.By the time a year and a few months had slipped by, things were back to normal. It had been two years since I was rescued from Jake. Today was my last therapy session. I was going to return to school again. I was really excited about it.“Hi. My name is Summer Peterson. I’m 20 years old. I live in Dallas with my amazing dad and my cute little brother, who, I’m afraid, isn’t so little anymore. I’m grateful to be surrounded by loved ones. I used to think there was nothing special about me. But over the years, I realized that I was special. I don’t need validation. I don’t need anyone to make me feel special because I was made special. We all are. My dad told me that what people say about me is an opinion I’m allowed to receive or toss aside. Their words don't defi