Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

Chapter Forty Two - Things Take a TurnThe whispers start before I even make it through the front doors of campus."Did you see it?" Someone's voice, low but not low enough, drifting past me in the crush of the entryway. "Like, this morning. Everyone's talking about it."I freeze mid-step, my stomach dropping straight through the floor. Everyone's talking about it. About what. About who.My mind goes immediately, horribly, to last night. The rain. The car. His hands. If somehow, impossibly, someone saw, if there's a photo, a video, anything—I duck into the nearest bathroom before I can even process walking there, locking myself into a stall, hands shaking as I pull out my phone.Ava: What is everyone talking about this morning ?I send it to Ashley and stare at the screen, willing the little dots to appear faster than they actually do.Ashley: omg you haven't seen??Ashley: Check Zane's Instagram right nowMy whole body goes cold. I pull up his profile with hands that won't quite sto

Chapter Forty-Four - Camp"So," Maddox says, sliding into the seat across from me at lunch a few days later, way too pleased with himself for someone about to ask a favor, "hockey retreat's coming up. Championship prep. Whole team's going, cheer squad too.""I'm aware. I've seen the sign-up sheet taped to literally every wall in this school.""Come with me." He says it easily, like it's the most natural request in the world. "Not as a deal thing. Not for optics. Just, come. It'll be fun. Bonfires, lake, terrible camp food. The whole experience."I raise an eyebrow at him. "You're inviting me to camp.""I'm inviting you to camp.""Voluntarily. With no ulterior motive.""Completely voluntarily." He holds up both hands like he's surrendering to an interrogation. "I already talked to Coach. Cheer squad's coming anyway to support the team. You'd be there regardless. I'm just asking you to actually enjoy it instead of white-knuckling through it hating my guts the entire weekend."I consider

Chapter Forty-Six - Night NightThe fire's mostly embers by the time everyone starts peeling off toward their tents, sleeping bags rustling, someone's flashlight beam bobbing unsteadily across the field as half the hockey team stumbles back toward the lake side of camp. Ashley catches my arm before I can head off toward my own tent."Okay, I need to say this once and then I'll drop it," she says, voice low, glancing over her shoulder to make sure nobody's close enough to hear. "You laughed tonight. Like, real laughing. First time in weeks.""I'm allowed to laugh, Ashley.""I know. I'm just saying it was nice to see." She bumps her shoulder against mine, softer now. "Whatever's going on with Maddox being suddenly decent, I hope it's actually real. You deserve one thing in your life that isn't complicated.""It's not complicated. It's just dinner and jacket-sharing and tent assembly.""Sure." She grins, clearly not buying the casualness I'm going for, but lets it go anyway. "Get some sl

Chapter Forty-Eight - Little Cheering Spies"Okay, nothing's happening," Ashley finally whispers after what feels like an eternity crouched behind the log, her knees visibly protesting every time she shifts her weight. "We're wasting the whole window just sitting here.""So what, we just leave?" Priya whispers back."No. We came all the way here. We can't just up and leave." Ashley's eyes light up with that same dangerous glint from earlier. "We go in.""Go in where?" I ask."Their tents. Just far enough to see something actually useful. Or." She pauses, grin widening slowly. "We could mess with their cheer uniforms. I saw a gear bag by that blue tent. If we cut a few straps, loosen some seams, nothing they'd notice until they're mid-routine—""That's sabotage, Ashley.""That's strategy, Ava.""That's a crime.""It's a prank. There's a difference." She's already creeping forward before anyone can properly object, staying low, moving toward the blue tent she pointed out, and the rest o

Chapter Fifty - My TentZane is sitting on my sleeping bag like he owns it, one knee bent, arm draped casually over it, watching me with an expression I can't immediately place in the low light filtering through the canvas."What—" My voice comes out strangled, barely a whisper, heart slamming so hard I actually press a hand against my own chest like that'll physically slow it down. "What are you doing here?""Nice boyfriend you've got." He tilts his head slightly, gaze flicking toward the tent flap like he can still see straight through it to where Maddox just walked away. "Real sweet, the way he tucks you in at night. Makes sure you get your beauty sleep before the big scrimmage.""How did you even get in here? How did you get past the coaches, the fences, the entire—" I stop myself, pressing my palms against my eyes for a second, willing my brain to catch up with the fact that Zane Volkov is currently sitting cross-legged in my tent at a hockey retreat that is supposed to be exclus