Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 31 - Chapitre 40

Chapter Thirty-Two - I hate youDelphine arrives just after ten, sweeping through the studio doors in a cream trench coat that screamed luxury, air-kissing my mom on both cheeks like nothing at all happened, like her daughter didn't personally sabotage an entire professional set less than twelve hours ago.Zane's right behind her.I see him before I mean to, before I've had a chance to prepare my face into something neutral, and my stomach does something traitorous and stupid at the sight of him. He's in a plain black sweater, sleeves shoved up his forearms, hair pushed back like he didn't even try and somehow it still works anyway, and for one horrible second I actually forget that the last thing he said to me was nobody likes a thirsty bitch.I don't say a word to him. I turn and walk straight into an empty side room off the main studio, some kind of holding space with a couch and a mirror and absolutely nothing to distract me from the fact that my heart is currently doing something

Chapter Thirty-Four - ViralThe campaign drops Monday morning, and by the time I get to school, it's already everywhere.My phone won't stop buzzing. Notifications stacked on top of notifications, people tagging me in the same six photos over and over, the forehead-to-forehead shot getting reposted the most, captioned with things like "the chemistry is UNREAL" and "wait why is this giving real couple energy" and, from an account with about half a million followers I've never heard of, "rival schools but make it romance novel.""Okay, so." Ashley slides into the seat next to me at lunch, phone already out, grinning like she's been waiting all weekend to say this. "You and Zane Volkov are apparently the internet's new favorite couple. Love that no one is hating whew. How does it feel to be a trending topic?""Don't.""I'm just saying. People are writing essays about your chemistry. Actual essays, Ava. Someone did a whole breakdown of your eye contact in slide four.""I'm aware.""You lo

Chapter Thirty Six - Pick your favorite disasterIn line with the rest of the squad as we file out toward the East Rivers bench before puck drop, navy fabric scratchy against my collarbone where it peeks out from under my uniform."You keep tugging at that," Ashley says, elbowing me. "You good?""Fine.""You've pulled at your collar like four times in the last two minutes.""It's itchy.""Mm." She doesn't look convinced, but the team's already skating out for warmups, and there's no more time to argue about it.Zane comes onto the ice second, right behind his team captain sash, and I watch him do a slow lap, stick trailing lazily behind him, until his eyes land on our section.He stops.Just for a second, blades sliding to a halt right at center ice, and I watch his gaze catch on the sliver of navy visible at my collar, watch something flicker hard and fast across his face before he schools it back into nothing. He doesn't wave. Doesn't smirk. Just skates on like it didn't register at

Chapter Thirty Eight- Empty Windows"We should get going," I say, loud enough to cut through the noise, though nobody actually looks at me. "I've got dinner with my family.""Yeah, us too," Ashley adds, already backing toward the exit doors. "Big family thing. Very mandatory."Nobody looks up. Maddox is still bent over Caleb's phone, tracing something on a map with his finger, voice low and serious in a way that makes my stomach twist harder the longer I watch. Ricky's already texting someone, thumbs flying. The whole group has closed in around the plan like a fist, tight and focused, and two cheerleaders announcing they have somewhere to be barely registers as background noise."Okay then," Ashley says under her breath. "Guess we're free to go."We slip out through the side doors before anyone thinks to question it, the cold night air hitting my face the second we're outside, and for a second neither of us says anything, just walk fast toward the parking lot like putting distance betw

The words are barely out of my mouth before his hand closes around my wrist."Say that again." His voice has gone low, rough, nothing like the flat, controlled tone from thirty seconds ago."You heard me.""Say it again, Ava.""I said I'd go back in there and fuck him after—"He doesn't let me finish.One second I'm standing in the rain, the next, my front is against the cool, wet metal of Maddox's car, cold wet metal, pressing into myhard nipples.Zane's body crowding into every inch of space I have left to push back up, his hand still wrapped tight around my wrist, pinning it behind my back."Let me go !" I struggle against him. Looking back at him with fury in my eyes.Rain streams down both our faces, his eyes dark and furious and something else entirely underneath the fury, something that makes my breath catch hard in my throat."Let you go ? Ava, this is what you wanted isn't it.," he says, voice barely above a growl."No." I lie "I don't want this.""You don't ?" His free hand