✦ Kristen Ford has always been fiercely independent-a trait that threatens her family's reputation. Her father, Evan Ford, decides to send her to Blackwood Academy, an elite school known for straightening out troubled kids. But Blackwood is no ordin...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Kristen
It was like the air had been sucked out of my lungs. My skin still burned from where his hands had touched, every sensation lingering far too long. I couldn't stop imagining him jumping out from the shadows, grabbing me again. Panic surged through my veins, my breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. But then, in the midst of it all, I could feel the professor's eyes on me. I should've been rattled by what happened between us, but instead, his presence brought me an odd sense of comfort. I felt safer, like his gaze was a shield against the fear clawing at me.
I picked up my pace, my footsteps echoing through the empty corridors as I hurried away from the South Wing, making my way toward Oakwood Hall. My fingers trembled as I jabbed the elevator button repeatedly, not really thinking about what I was doing, just desperate to get away. When the doors finally slid open, I rushed inside, my heart still pounding in my chest. It wasn't until I reached the hallway, familiar and quiet, that I allowed myself a shaky breath.
But my body refused to calm down.
Once inside my room, I collapsed on the floor, every part of me heavy and trembling. I buried my face into the pillow, but my mind wouldn't let go of what had happened. The way his hands felt, the terror that gripped me, it all played over and over like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.
A single tear slipped down my cheek, and I pressed my eyes shut, trying to block out the flood of emotions.
"You're fine, Kristen. He's not here," I whispered to myself, though my voice wavered. Even as I said it, my breath remained shaky, the fear still lingering just beneath the surface.
I was struggling to catch my breath when Emily burst into the room, her eyes glistening with tears. Confusion was etched across her face as she hesitated for a moment before quickly making her way toward me.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling as she reached out, petting my back to help me steady my breaths. I could feel the warmth of her hand through my dress, its soothing pressure grounding me.
"Just... breathe," Emily whispered, her own voice a little shaky as she guided me through each breath. I focused on her touch, forcing myself to inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Gradually, the dizziness faded, and my breathing evened out, though my heart still hammered against my ribs.
For a while, we just sat there in silence. Emily didn't push, didn't question, just let me gather the pieces of myself that felt like they'd been shattered all over the room. Eventually, she sank to the floor beside me, her eyes fixed on my face, waiting patiently.
When I finally felt steady enough, I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat. Emily reached over, squeezing my hand lightly, her expression urging me to continue.
"There was this boy..." I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "He... followed me to the library." I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the memory settle over me like a heavy fog. "And when I tried to ignore him, he-" I broke off, the lump in my throat making it hard to continue. Emily's fingers tightened around mine, grounding me again.
