Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

011I HAVE ONE FOR A FATHER AURORA The past few hours of my day has been me going from office to office, trying to make sure my next week here at Northford is cleared for my classes and... skating.The heavy, printed schedules are already starting to warp under the sweat of my palms. But the paperwork isn't the worst part.I've had to deal with multiple looks and glances and hushed whispers about how I'm a certain jerk's girlfriend, when infact, I am not.Every time I passed a cluster of students by the water coolers or near the bulletin boards, the volume would drop, replaced by subtle nudges and pointed stares. It seems Jayden is really popular around here, or maybe the video last night had gotten round campus or something. Word travels like wildfire in a place like this. Either way, I am officially over it. I step out of the Registrar's office with a stack of forms hugged against my chest, already mentally preparing myself for an escape back to my room when I crash into someone.

013UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL AT THE PARTY AURORA I had all the lights turned on... just like I told Jayden I would. But I don't know what's more depressing. The quietness of the room, or the brightness. My Northford Skating Program schedule is sitting on my desk and I can't even focus on it. I can't focus on anything. My head is reeling. Now I'm thinking I shouldn't have said no to Jayden when he asked me to go to the party with him."Fuck," I mutter, rubbing my temples.My phone buzzes on the mattress beside me. Then it buzzes again. And again. I crawl over and swipe it open, expecting a text from my mom or an update about orientation tomorrow.Instead, my Instagram feed is drowning in Northford party tags.The hockey guys are throwing down at Duke’s place, and half the campus are already there broadcasting it to the world. I scroll through a few chaotic, strobe-lit videos of people doing beer rungs and screaming over bass so loud it distorts the microphone audio.And then, just as if i

015SHE'S NOT MY TYPEJAYDEN"I can take her," the familiar masculine voice cuts in. We both turn to see Mason standing there. I want to ask him what he means by that but I just watch him closely. The second Aurora sees him, her face completely lights up. She steps right out of my space and throws her arms around him. "Mason, thank God. Thank you so much for driving me around today."They pull back, and Mason says something low that I can’t hear over the bass, causing Aurora to let a breathless laugh. They're smiling at each other like they share some private joke, completely shutting the rest of the room out."What the fuck is so funny?" I step between them, narrowing my eyes at Mason. "You two have literally known each other for what, twelve hours? Less?"Mason raises his hands in surrender, a smug little chuckle escaping his lips. "Chill out, man. It’s just an inside joke. Don't lose your mind.""Whatever," I snap, rolling my shoulders out. Fuck this. I didn't come here to watch

017CELINAAURORA My mind is still stuck at... Wear something nice. It's a date. I smile to myself as I stare at the glowing screen on my phone, my heart doing a little flutter. A date. With Mason. It's not what I expected at all having spent all week trying to convince Jayden our relationship is platonic.I pull open the heavy glass doors of my dorm building, stepping into the climate-controlled lobby. I barely register the familiar scent of floor wax and stale coffee as I head straight for the stairs. Up to the second floor I go.I reach my door, digging my keys out of my bag. I’m expecting the room to be completely empty. Jayden has a brutal schedule this afternoon... classes back-to-back, followed by a mandatory hockey team meeting. He shouldn't be back for hours.I push the door open, already dropping my gym bag onto the floor. "Hey roomie, if you're somehow here, I'm hijacking the..."The words die in my throat.Sitting right in the middle of Jayden’s neatly made bed is a girl

019 GET RID OF IT JAYDEN "Listen to her, man. She's right," Harry says. "Aurora is right, Jay. Think about it. You go after him now, you're doing exactly what he wants. You're giving him the power to ruin you, too." "He's right, Jayden," Mason mutters. "We've got your back, but you have to stay smart. For Celina." The fight slowly drains from my limbs, replaced by a crushing, hollow weight. My chest heaves as I look down at Aurora. Her hands are still cradling my face, her eyes wide. Without a word, I lean forward, burying my face into the crook of her neck. Even though she's so much shorter than me, requiring me to bend my frame just to reach her, she doesn't move. She holds her ground, accepting the full weight. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close, and inhaling. Her scent fills my senses. I take a deep breath, letting it slow the frantic racing of my heart. Handfuls of that scent slowly washes over the rage in my veins until I can finally think straight again. I pu