جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

The air in the parking lot felt heavier than before, thick with the awkward silence that followed Ava’s outburst. Trudy’s cheeks burned as she stepped back, putting distance between herself and Zayden. “How long has this been going on?” Ava demanded, her voice sharp as she stepped forward. “There is nothing going on,” Trudy blurted, almost too quickly, her voice betraying her nerves. “Oh, so you guys just happened to bump into each other and started kissing?” Ava pressed, her brows furrowed in disbelief. “Ava, whatever is happening is none of your concern,” Zayden muttered, his tone low, almost dismissive. Trudy winced. “Trudy is my friend,” Ava shot back, her voice rising with anger. “And you know my friends are off-limits.” “Ava, it was just a kiss. Nothing is going to happen between us,” Trudy spoke softly, trying to ease the tension. “Uhm… why not?” Zayden frowned, caught off guard. Trudy turned to him, her voice unsteady, a flicker of hope betraying her otherwise

“Astrid!”Zayden’s voice echoed down the quiet hallway as he hurried after Trudy, his footsteps quick and heavy. She didn’t stop.“No, no,” she said, frustration thick in her tone. “I really don’t need this right now.”“Why are you avoiding me?” Zayden called out, catching up to her as she turned a corner. His expression was half-pleading, half-annoyed. “You won’t even respond to my texts.”Trudy spun around abruptly, her eyes sharp. “Maybe it’s because I don’t want to see you or talk to you?” Her words came out like darts, her expression making the message painfully clear.“So that’s it then?” Zayden stopped right in front of her, blocking her way. His brows drew together, voice low but tense. “You’re just going to pretend that nothing happened?”“I’m not pretending,” Trudy snapped, crossing her arms. “Zayden, nothing happened.”But even as she said it, they both knew that was a lie. The kiss they’d shared hadn’t been nothing, it had been charged, real, the kind of moment that linger

"Wait, I need time to wrap my head around all of this," Trudy said, her brow furrowed in confusion. "So, Tyler only pursued you to get back at Asher? And his whole reason for joining the hockey team was to take that sport away from Asher, hoping to ruin the mayor's expectations for him?" Trudy tried to piece it all together."Yep..." Ava nodded, her expression solemn. "Oh, and they're actually brothers," she added, seemingly realizing the full weight of the revelation."You’ve got to be kidding me," Trudy exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief. She glanced at Lia, who was sprawled on the bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling as if seeking answers in the plaster above. It had been two days since the bombshell dropped, and still, tears escaped her eyes unbidden. "Did you know anything about this?" Trudy turned to Ava, searching for clarity."I know Tyler’s mother and my mom are really close, but even if my mom had heard anything about it, she wouldn’t have mentioned it to me," Ava repli

"Junior year is finally over!" Trudy exclaimed, her face glowing with excitement as she walked towards her friends, with drinks in hand. They were gathered at a pool party, celebrating the end of the semester. The girls were dressed in cute bikinis."The whole semester was a roller coaster," Lia said lazily stretching out as she reached for a cocktail from Trudy. "I would say it was all about self-development," Ava chimed in, trying to focus on the positives amidst the chaos and turn of events. "Against my will," Lia retorted playfully, tilting her head back to drain her drink. She hissed lightly as the sharp taste of vodka hit the back of her throat."Oops, that’s mine," Trudy chuckled, slowly reaching out to reclaim her drink from Lia. "No, I need it! We are here to have fun, right?" Lia yelled, feeling the effects of the alcohol kick in."Yes! That’s the spirit!" Trudy cheered, her enthusiasm contagious."Cannonball!" Lia shouted, suddenly bursting with energy as she ran toward

"Is everything okay?" Trudy asked, noticing the way Zayden’s expression shifted after reading the message. His shoulders had tensed, and for a moment his eyes seemed distant."Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine," Zayden said quickly. Too quickly. His voice tried to sound casual, but Trudy could hear the small break in confidence.She studied him quietly. "Who was that?""It’s just Ava, it’s nothing serious." Zayden forced a laugh, but it didn’t carry the usual ease. He kept his eyes away from hers, pretending to focus on his phone."Alright, if you say so then." Trudy didn’t press further. She leaned back slightly, giving him space. "...But you do know you don’t have to hide anything from me, right?""I’m not," Zayden said, though guilt flickered across his face before he could stop it."I’m not saying you are," Trudy chuckled softly. She reached up and brushed his cheek gently. "I’m just saying… you can tell me anything.""I know." Zayden pulled her into a hug, it was tight, warm, lingeri