جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

IZEL'S POVThe relief of Jace’s proximity barely lasted a second before the heavy, suffocating reality of our situation crashed back down on us."I've been in the hospital, Viv," Jace said, his tone perfectly polite, but unyieldingly cold. "And yeah, I'm off the team."Vivienne’s mouth fell open, but before she could formulate a response, a loud voice echoed from the main walkway."Carter? Is that Jace Carter?"I tensed. Two guys from the water polo team were pointing in our direction. A cluster of freshmen turned their heads, their whispers immediately picking up speed. Did you hear he collapsed? I thought he got expelled. Look how pale he is.The invisible bubble we had built around ourselves popped. We weren't just two people at an art show. We were step-siblings. We lived in the same house. Our parents had just survived a massive, dramatic blending of families, and if anyone saw Jace Carter looking at his brand-new stepsister the way he was looking at me, the fallout wouldn't just

Four days.It had been four days since I put the blue painter's tape back on the carpet, and Jace had not crossed it once. Not even by an inch.He didn't argue. He didn't push. He just gave up.He spent most of his time lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling or reading a book for his lit class. He took his beta-blockers exactly when his alarm went off. He didn't try to sneak out again. He didn't play his music out loud. He was basically a ghost living on the other side of my room.I thought putting the wall back up would make me feel safe. I thought it would fix the horrible, panicky feeling in my chest. But the silence in the room was so loud it made my ears ring. I missed his stupid jokes. I missed him complaining about my alarm clock. I missed him looking at me like I mattered.Getting exactly what I asked for was absolute torture.On Thursday night, I was sitting at my desk, pretending to do homework, when a knock on the door made me jump."Hey, kids!" My mom pushed the door ope

Jace's PovThe doorknob turned against Izel’s back, and my brain went into pure, unadulterated survival mode. Years of athletic drills and quick reflexes kicked in before I could even process the sheer horror of the moment. My hand flew past her shoulder, slamming hard against the silver deadbolt and twisting it shut literally a microsecond before the latch gave way.Click.I grabbed Izel by the waist, practically lifting her off her feet, and shoved her silently toward her bed. She landed softly on the mattress, her wide, dark eyes locked on mine in absolute terror.I didn't waste a single breath. I dropped to one knee, jammed my leg against my heavy duffel bag, and kicked it deep under my mattress frame. In three quick strides, I yanked my closet door wide open, grabbed a random sweater off a hanger, and threw the lock open just as my dad’s hand pounded on the wood again.I pulled the door open, trying to make my face look completely normal while my heart was hammering against my ri

Izel's Pov"Izel, sweetie," Wendy asked again, her voice floating over the counter, "what's wrong?"My heart plummeted straight into my shoes. My thumb slammed against the power button, flipping my phone face down on the cold marble island so fast the glass made a loud, terrifying smack."Nothing!" I squeaked, my voice cracking so badly I sounded like a middle schooler. "Just, random campus spam! Someone sent a super gross graphic link to the whole art department group chat. It literally made me sick to look at."Jace didn't miss a single beat. He slid his phone casually into his pocket, leaning back on his barstool with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like the coolest, most unbothered guy on the planet even though I could see his chest rising and falling way too fast."Yeah, it's totally annoying," Jace chimed in, his tone smooth, cold, and completely flat. "Some stupid virus going around the student portal. Dad, we actually need to leave right now if I'm going to grab my bo

The high of destroying Vivienne lasted all the way through the front door, right up until the moment my mom called out from the dining room."Izel? Jace? Is that you? Come inside, dinner is almost ready!"Jace and I froze in the entryway, our hands untangling so fast we almost knocked over the coat rack. The shared thrill of our victory was still vibrating through my veins, making my skin flush hot, but walking into that house felt like stepping directly back into a trap.We walked into the formal dining room, where the table was laid out with fancy linen napkins, glowing candles, and heavy silver cutlery. Richard was uncorking a bottle of red wine, looking happier and more relaxed than I’d seen him in weeks, while my mom set down a steaming dish of garlic roast chicken."There they are!" my mom beamed, coming over to press a quick kiss to my cheek. "We’re having a double celebration tonight. Richard got the official call from Jace’s doctor approving his light physical therapy, and Pr