LOGINTyler’s POVEverything hurts.My ribs ache every time I breathe too deeply, my neck feels stiff, my head is pounding with a dull, relentless throb, and every machine around me seems determined to remind me I almost died with their rhythmic beeping.The nurse finishes checking my IV before smiling kindly. “You’ve had quite a few visitors today.”I smile weakly. “So, I’ve heard.”“Try not to overdo it. Your body needs rest.”“I’ll try.”She nods and steps out of the room, gently pulling the door shut behind her.I close my eyes, my body immediately begging me to fall asleep again. But I can’t stop thinking about Lila.The image of her terrified face through Noah’s passenger window refuses to leave me. The panic in her eyes as she mouthed my name… I’d never been so scared in my life. Nothing compares to believing I might be about to watch the girl I…The door clicks open, and I don’t need to look. I’d recognize those footsteps anywhere.
CHAPTER 117As I walk back into the hospital, it almost feels like I’ve lived an entire lifetime since I left only a few hours ago.Unfortunately, Jake got a call from his sister halfway here, so he can no longer stay with me. “I’ll come by tomorrow,” he promises. “If you need anything…”I nod, smiling. “I’ll call.”He seems conflicted as he looks past me. “When he wakes, tell him…” He exhales, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Tell him I’m still not letting him off easy on the field.”Before I can think twice about it, I take a step forward and wrap my arms around him in a hug. “Thank you, Jake. For being there.”Jake immediately goes rigid, his muscles slowly easing as seconds pass by. Eventually, he hugs me back. “See you around, L.G,” he says, before walking away.I watch him leave before taking a slow breath and heading towards the waiting area. My strides slow when I see my parents already there.Mom looks exhausted, her eyes swollen from cryin
CHAPTER 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
The football field is almost empty by the time I finally gather the courage to go looking for Tyler.The bleachers that had been packed with students, parents, scouts, and coaches less than an hour ago now sit mostly deserted beneath the fading afternoon sun. A few players linger near the parking l
Tyler’s POVThe moment I step onto the field, it feels like the twins are sitting on my chest.Except this time, we aren’t playing the silly boat game Sophie likes so much and no one is actually sitting on my chest. Yet, the pressure feels just as real.Even before I step onto th
Tyler’s POVCold evening air bites against the back of my neck as I jog onto the practice field behind Coach and Alex.My shoulder feels tight beneath my pads, not painful exactly, but unfamiliar in a way I still haven’t gotten used to. Every movement reminds me that something inside
By Monday morning, Tyler Brooks has apparently created a trend.Posters, flowers, and balloons line every hallway in Westfield High, and it looks like a rom-com exploded inside. One guy is literally holding a guitar in the middle of the courtyard while his friends record him serenading some poor gi







