All Chapters of what we shouldn't be: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

CHAPTER FOURTY TWO DAN'S POV The door clicked shut behind me. I did not lock it. I just stood there with one hand still on the doorknob trying to catch my breath. My chest felt really tight. The kind of tight that made it hard to think straight. "What the fuck," I whispered to myself. I let go of the handle and stepped back until the backs of my knees bumped into the edge of the bed. I sat down quick before my legs decided to give out completely. The room stayed dark except for the streetlight coming through the blinds. I did not even bother turning on the light. I did not feel like I deserved it anyway. I buried my face in my hands. What the hell was that downstairs? No. I knew exactly what it was. It just was not what it looked like from the outside. Toria had not done anything wrong. She saw me falling apart and tried to help. She got me some water. She listened and did not push for details. She put her hand on my arm. That was it. That should have been all of it. So wh

CHAPTER FORTY FOURETHAN'S POVCollege parties were not really my kind of thing. They got too loud with all the music blasting and too crowded with people packed into every room. Plus there were always too many people acting like they were not already drunk after a couple cups of that cheap stuff they served. Unfortunately one of my coursemates did not agree with me on any of that."You better not disappear after class today," Marcus called out as we walked out of the lecture hall. "We are celebrating surviving that mechanics test.""I do not remember agreeing to anything," I said back."You do not have to agree. We already decided you are coming." He threw an arm around my shoulder and grinned.I sighed. "I hate all of you.""We know," he answered like it was no big deal.By the time I got back to the dorm I had almost talked myself out of going. Almost. Kenz was sitting at his desk with his headphones on scribbling stuff into a notebook. He did not even look up when I walked in. I d

CHAPTER FORTY SIXDAN’S POVGame days always felt the same.The locker room buzzed with nervous energy.Some of the guys blasted music through a speaker.Others taped their wrists in complete silence.Someone kept throwing a basketball against the wall even though Coach had already yelled at him twice to stop.I sat on the bench tying my sneakers.One knot.Then another.My daily routine.Everything before a game was a routine.It helped keep my head clear.Or…At least it used to.“Ladies.”Every head turned.Coach walked into the locker room with his clipboard tucked beneath one arm.“If any of you plan on embarrassing me tonight, tell me now so I can fake a heart attack before tip off.”A few guys laughed.“I’ll save you the trouble, Coach,” Jason said.“I’m definitely embarrassing you.”Coach pointed at him.“I believe that.”The room filled with laughter.Even I smiled.“Listen up.”The laughter slowly died down.“This isn’t just another game.”Coach looked around the room.“Scou

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHTTORIA’S POVThe first thing I heard when I woke up the next morning was voices arguing downstairs.It wasn’t even fully light out yet, but someone was already going at it.I stayed in bed for a minute, just listening because it sounded way too familiar.“I don’t need any help with this,” Dan said, sounding frustrated.“You can barely stand up straight right now,” Mrs. Alexis shot back.“I can stand just fine.”There was a long pause, like they were both waiting for the other to give in.Then I heard a quiet,“Ow.”I couldn’t help smiling to myself before I even pushed my bedroom door open.This was going to be one of those days.I muttered under my breath.“I already know exactly how today’s going to play out.”I headed downstairs, and sure enough, there they were in the living room.Dan had one hand gripping the back of the couch like his life depended on it.His good foot was planted firmly on the floor, while the other was trapped inside that big, clunky black m

CHAPTER FIFTY KENZ’S POV The first thing I did after opening my eyes was reach for my phone. Seven thirty two. Too early. I groaned quietly before rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling for a second. My body still felt tired. Not the kind of tired sleep could fix. Just… Everything. The last few weeks had been a lot. Dan getting injured. Assignments piling up. Trying to keep Fiona happy. Trying not to lose my mind. I rubbed a hand over my face before unlocking my phone. Three notifications. One from the engineering group chat. One from Fiona wishing me good morning. And one from Toria. I opened hers first. Your cousin is trying to walk around without his crutches again. I blinked. Seriously? A second message came in before I could even reply. He says he’s “testing his balance.” I laughed quietly. Typical Dan. I typed back. Hide the basketball. I texted Almost immediately… My phone buzzed again. Already did. Toria