جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 80

Clinton's POV The cold in the rink settles under my skin long before the game begins, a quiet, creeping thing that has nothing to do with the ice and everything to do with the empty space my eyes keep returning to.I told myself I wouldn’t do this. Wouldn’t stand here in full gear, stick resting against my thigh, pretending to stretch while I scan the stands like I’m waiting for one person. The place is already packed…students pressed shoulder to shoulder, banners draped over railings, voices rising and falling in waves…but none of it lands the way it should.I still look.I still don’t see her.Her voice from last night hasn’t left me. It stays in the back of my head, quiet but constant, like something I can’t shake loose. I remember leaning against my wall, phone pressed to my ear, hearing the way she answered…too soft, like she had to push the words out.I remember asking.I remember the pause.Then she said she was fine.I let it go.Now it sits wrong in my chest.This morning d

Clinton's POV My knees nearly give out the moment I see her bend.It takes a second for my mind to catch up with what my eyes are looking at, like something in me refuses to process it fully, refuses to accept that she just dropped to the floor in the corner of a convenience store and picked up a few strands of noodles like they still matter enough to save, like nothing about it is wrong.The fluorescent lights above flicker faintly, humming, too bright against the dull ache settling behind my eyes, and I just stand there watching her, my chest tightening in a way that feels unfamiliar, deeper than anything the game left behind.She doesn’t even hesitate.That’s what hits the hardest.Not the act itself, not the hunger I can see in the way she moves too fast, too careless, but the way she doesn’t pause, doesn’t look around to check if anyone is watching, like this is normal to her now, like this is something she has already accepted.I knew things were bad.I didn’t know it was like

Catherine's POV I step back into the store, the bell chiming behind me and sounding far too loud. My face is still wet, streaked with tears that I haven’t bothered to wipe entirely, and I wish I had something to do, anything that could make him okay again. Anything to fix the hollow, aching weight that’s rooted itself in my chest. If I didn’t know Clinton, I might think he’s refusing help because I refused him first, but that isn’t it. Not even close.I press my palms to my face, patting quickly, deliberately, trying to erase the evidence, and I force a smile that doesn’t feel like mine. The reflection in the glass window across from me is unfamiliar, taut with tension, a mask I’ve become adept at wearing when the world is too sharp, too heavy.The bell jingles again, smaller this time, and I glance up instinctively. A figure steps in, hood pulled low, a cap shading most of her face, all black from head to toe. My chest tightens immediately, muscles coiling without permission. A fl

Cody's POV The drive to school stretches longer than it should. I keep one hand on the wheel, the other resting loosely against the gear, glancing at Jack every now and then without making it obvious.He sits beside me, quiet, staring out the window like there’s something out there he’s trying to hold onto but can’t reach.I try once.Something small, something normal, just to break the silence, but it doesn’t land. The words fall somewhere between us and stay there, unanswered, and I don’t push it again.I already know where his mind is, where it’s been for weeks now. Saying her name out loud won’t help. Asking questions won’t either. It will only drag him deeper into it, make him sit in it longer than he already does.So I let the silence stay.The engine hum fills the space instead. It’s the only thing that doesn’t feel like it’s about to shift under my feet.We get closer to school, the gates coming into view, and that’s when I see her.Catherine.She’s standing a few feet away f

Amy's POV I glare at Richard. “What? So you’re just going to stand there and say nothing?” I clench my hand into a small fist and press it against my thigh.There’s a dead body inside the schoolyard, and Richard is just… standing here, watching me. Like whatever is in his head matters more than what’s happening inside the school.“Catherine is waiting for me inside. I need to go.”I try to step past him, but his hand shoots out, grabbing mine…firm enough to stop me completely. The grip isn’t rough, but it isn’t gentle either.“You knew, didn’t you?” he asks.My mind scrambles to catch up, and I pull my hand free in a quick, defensive motion, creating just enough space between us.“Know what?”His eyes don’t leave mine.“About the Rovin on Catherine’s waist.”My breath catches…sharp and sudden…like something just tightened around my throat.“How… did you know?”It comes out broken, and I hate that I’ve already given something away without meaning to.Because I didn’t tell anyone.Not