All Chapters of Too Big to Fit.: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

SydneyIt was beautiful.Not the kind of beautiful where you just nod at a tour guide and move on to the next thing.This was breathtaking. The kind that stole your attention completely. The kind that makes you afraid to breathe too loudly in the space.The place was silent.“Pretty, isn’t it?” Maeve asked softly beside me.But I didn’t even look at her. My eyes stayed on the dark lake in front of us.It stretched endlessly beneath the night sky, dark and still, reflecting the moon so perfectly it looked unreal. Like someone had poured the entire sky into water.From where we stood, I couldn’t tell where it ended, but I could tell it was surrounded by grass—well trimmed and clean, the few trees nearby swaying softly like they were protecting the place from the rest of the city.And somehow, it felt untouched.“Look,” Maeve whispered, tugging me lightly closer.My eyes shifted, drifting further across the dark lake. The city glowed in the distance.Tiny lights from houses, passing car

Sydney Well, good news, Tyler and Dean hadn’t been expelled. Bad news, they were being paraded into the gym like criminals on a Monday morning. Well, at least that was what it was supposed to look like. “Oh my god, is that a plaster on his forehead? Hot.” “I watched those fight videos more times than I blink. Tyler is so fucking strong.” “Gosh, looks like he rested up well. I wonder what else those arms can do.” “Violent and attractive is actually insane.” As crazy as the whispers floating around me sounded, they weren’t exactly wrong. Tyler looked…fine. Way better than I’d imagined. From what I could see, a small plaster sat beneath the dark hair falling over his forehead, and there was a fading bruise near his jawline that somehow made him look even worse in the most annoyingly attractive way possible. “I love violent men,” someone’s voice caught my ear. I blinked slowly. What? But as terrible as it sounded, Tyler somehow managed to make walking into a

BrooklynThe girls’ locker room was almost empty after school. Only the occasional slam of lockers and distant laughter echoed through the long room as I stood in front of my locker, staring at my reflection in the small mirror attached to the metal door.I packed my hair into a ponytail slowly, looping the band around it twice before tightening it firmly.But honestly, my mind was barely in that locker room.It was back in Mrs Sinclair’s house. In Tyler’s bedroom, replaying that cold, ungrateful expression on Tyler’s face when he told me we’d changed.Like I was some random person he’d drifted apart from. Like we hadn’t once laughed at each other’s underwear.“Maybe we’re different people now.” The words rang painfully in my head again, sharp enough for me to tug my ponytail tighter than necessary.Because what the hell did he even mean by different people?For one second in his room, I’d honestly wanted to walk over and smack him across the head so maybe something inside him would

Sydney“You need to leave.” His voice echoed in my head, softer this time.But somehow, that did it.A strange ache spread through my chest, replacing the panic completely.He really didn’t want me there. Didn’t want to look at me.He probably hated me even more for what I’d made him go through.So I turned around to save myself some dignity. Even though I could already feel a sting beneath my eyes.“I’m sorry.” I whispered again. Then I turned toward the door.I took one step and then another.Dunk! The basketball slammed against the rim.The sharp sound made me flinch.Then—“Fuck!”I spun around instantly. Just in time to see Tyler’s knees buckle beneath him.The ball rolled away across the floor as he dropped hard onto the court, clutching his right hand against his chest.“Oh my god,” my bag hit the ground before I even realized I’d thrown it.I rushed towards him immediately, dropping to my knees beside him. “Are you okay?”“I’m fine.” He hissed through clenched teeth. “Sydney,

TylerMom.Of course.Because apparently the universe still wasn’t done humiliating me today.Mom sat quietly on the couch in the living room, one leg crossed over the other, still in her work clothes. Her laptop rested beside her, untouched, but her eyes stayed fixed on the mug of coffee in her hands, ignoring the fact that I’d just walked through the door later than normal.At least that was what it was supposed to look like.But I knew better.She was waiting.Sitting there, staring at the TV without actually watching it, expecting me to turn back around and do what I should’ve done days ago.My hand suddenly stung beneath the bandage, reminding me why walking over to her felt like a terrible idea.Sydney had spent time wrapping it properly. And if I took it off, there was no way I’d wrap it back just as well.And honestly, I just wanted to go up to my room and just keep avoiding Mom. But I knew she’d never let me win these silent treatment games she liked to play.I sighed and st