Mag-log inCHAPTER 116I’ve never been to a police station before, but it doesn’t take a few seconds for me to decide that I hate it.Jake walks beside me through the front doors without saying much. We’d barely been in the hospital for an hour when one of the nurses insisted Tyler would still be in surgery for a while and that sitting in the waiting room would not make it go any faster.Since the police needed my statement, Jake offered to go with me.His hands are shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, looking just as exhausted as I feel.Neither of us has changed out of our ruined clothes. And every time I notice the dried blood on my sleeve, my stomach turns.A detective leads us into a small interview room. “I’m Detective Boris. I’ll just need Miss Garcia’s statement.”Jake nods. “I’ll wait outside.”I immediately shake my head and grab his arm. “No.”He looks surprised, but he doesn’t question it. He immediately turns to the detective. “Can I stay with
It feels like someone has reached into my ears and ripped every sound away.I cannot breathe, move, or think. The crash was so loud that all I hear now is silence. I stare straight ahead, my hands still gripping the dashboard so tightly my fingers ache.We’re... alive.The realization barely has time to register before my eyes drift toward the driver’s side window. Toward the road where Tyler’s car is...“No.” The word leaves my mouth as a whisper.The sleek sports car is barely recognizable, the entire front end crushed into the guardrail. Smoke curls from beneath the mangled hood, and one of the headlights flickers weakly before dying altogether.My heartbeat and sound return all at once, fast, violent, and terrifying. “Tyler.” My voice cracks as I fumble for the door handle that won’t open. The impact has jammed it shut. “No!” I shove harder, again and again, until it finally gives way.I stumble out of the car on shaking legs. The salty ocean win
Tyler’s POVI have never driven this fast in my life.My car roars beneath me as I tear through the familiar roads toward Monty’s Cliff. Every few seconds, my eyes flick between the road and the little blue dot on my phone mounted beside the steering wheel.I grip the steering wheel harder. “Please be okay,” I whisper. “Please.”The road begins climbing toward the coast, and a line of parked cars comes into view. My pulse spikes at the sight of people gathered near the cliff’s edge, pointing and shouting.Before I can think of stopping the car, someone runs into the middle of the road, waving both arms. I slam on the brakes, the tires screeching across the pavement as Jake reaches my window before my car has completely stopped.“Jake?” I ask, rolling down my window. “What are you…?”“It’s Lila!” he shouts, breathing hard.My eyes widen. “Have you seen her? I know she’s here somewhere.”“No.” He shakes his head violently. “She’s in Noah’s car!
CHAPTER 113The sun is beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. Normally, I would stop and admire it.But I just shove my hands into my jacket pockets and keep moving.The argument with my parents keeps replaying in my head as I walk. Every time I think about my mother’s face, guilt twists inside my chest. Every time I think about Tyler’s father sitting in my living room, anger follows right behind it.My phone buzzes, and I pull it out of my pocket. I stare at Tyler’s name on the screen, unable to press the answer button.I cannot do this right now, even though there’s no denying that I love him. I love him so much that it physically hurts sometimes. But if what my parents are saying is true, if his father really has been interfering with my college applications... I don’t even know how to process that.The phone stops ringing, and a text appears a second later.Please answer.My throat tightens, but I look away and keep walki
Tyler’s POV Football scouts still haven’t called, but I’ve pretty much given up on that happening anymore. Yet, despite the fact that my future hasn’t magically sorted itself out, I feel like I can breathe for the first time in a long time. Jake and I finally talked, and when I told Lila everything, she didn’t look at me differently. The weight of guilt I’ve been carrying around for years feels a lot lighter now, and it makes walking into the house easier. It’s unusually quiet when I walk inside, and then I hear laughter coming from the backyard. I drop my overnight bag at the foyer, follow the sound, and find Mom kneeling beside a flowerbed while the twins chase each other through the grass. She looks up when she hears me. “There he is.” A smile immediately spreads across my face. “Hey.” The twins practically launch themselves at me, and I barely have time to brace myself before they’re hanging off my arms. “Tyler!” “You’re back!” “Is Lila here too?” Lucas doesn’t waste tim
I should feel like things are finally falling into place. After all, the school trip is over, and with it is Tyler and Jake’s long-standing beef. Northbridge has also officially confirmed the details of my scholarship while we were away. Yet, the knot sitting in my chest as our bus rolls into the school parking lot doesn’t ease up. Maybe it’s because my mother has barely answered my texts all weekend, and the last time we’d spoken, she’d been furious about Northbridge. Or maybe it’s simply because life has taught me that every time something good happens, something else isn’t far behind to ruin it. Honestly, all I can think about is getting home and collapsing into bed. I feel like I’ve lived an entire month in forty-eight hours. Tyler’s lips softly brush my ear as he whispers, “You’re overthinking again, aren’t you?” I glance over at him, cheeks warming. “No, I’m not.” “Liar.” A smile tugs at my lips despite myself, but it doesn’t ease the feeling of dread growing by sec
“Careful with that, honey.” “I’m being careful,” I mutter, adjusting my grip on the box that is definitely heavier than it looks. My dad snorts beside me, effortlessly balancing two larger boxes like they weigh nothing. “That’s what you said right before you dropped
Tyler’s POVInviting Lila over for dinner shouldn’t feel like walking into a high-stakes game, but it does.“Relax,” Alex had said earlier when I told him. “It’s just dinner, not the Super Bowl.”Easy for him to say. He doesn’t have my father.Lila stares up at me, her eyes w
You’d think I’d have gotten used to the stares and whispers by now, but when I walk into the cafeteria holding Tyler’s hand, it’s like stepping onto a spotlighted stage all over again.Tyler, as usual, just doesn’t care. He squeezes my hand gently, leaning slightly closer. “Relax, Garcia
Every time Tyler’s lips graze the back of my hand, my heart skips a beat.He hasn’t let go of my hand since we resumed the drive to his house, and I feel his eyes on me every few seconds, like he’s still confirming I said yes.“You’re staring,” I murmur, keeping my eyes on the road.







