At Luxford Academy, the elite boarding school for the ultra-rich, Adriana and Nicholas have been bitter rivals since childhood. Forced to live in the same dorm, their once-friendly pranks have escalated into daily clashes-sharp insults, constant bic...
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I grabbed my suitcase before going to the car that was waiting for me.
It's 05:30am and I'm now heading to the airstrip.
I haven't gotten a wink of sleep since last night cause I've been thinking about well Nicholas and the new discovery.
I climb into the car and greet the driver before he leave.
We finally get to the airstrip and I board my private jet. My parents got to Paris yesterday so they are waiting for me at Addy's house.
I stare out the window of the jet, watching the clouds drift by, the sky a perfect, endless blue. Paris is just a few hours away, and I should be thinking about Addy—how much I've missed her, how I can't wait to see her smile again, how important this trip is for both of us. But instead, my thoughts keep circling back to Nicholas, no matter how hard I try to push them away.
The gentle hum of the engines fills the cabin, but it does little to calm the storm in my mind. I shift in my seat, trying to get comfortable, but it's no use. My thoughts are a mess, tangled up in memories and emotions I wasn't ready to face. The truth is, I haven't stopped thinking about him since last night, since that conversation with Lia where she'd made me confront the feelings I've been trying so hard to deny.
"Like your the ocean and he's desperate to drown" that has been living rent free in my head as well.
It's all I've been able to think about since then. I've replayed every argument, every sarcastic exchange, every moment where we'd been close enough to touch. It's like seeing everything through a new lens, and suddenly, all those moments we'd clashed or bantered feel charged with something more. Something I hadn't wanted to admit, not even to myself.
But now, I can't escape it. It's like the realization has cracked something open inside me, and no matter how much I try to focus on Addy, my thoughts keep drifting back to him. The way he looks at me, the way my heart races when he's near, the way I've been avoiding him because I didn't know what to do with all these feelings.
I sigh, sinking deeper into the plush seat, trying to clear my head. I should be thinking about Addy. She's the reason I'm on this plane, the reason I'm heading to Paris. My best friend, my rock, the person who's been through so much, who needs me now more than ever. COPD has taken so much from her, and this visit is supposed to be about giving her something back—joy, normalcy, a reminder that life is still beautiful, even when it's hard.
But how can I be there for her the way she deserves when my mind is so caught up in Nicholas? It feels selfish, wrong, to be thinking about him when Addy is the one who really needs my attention.
I close my eyes, trying to focus on Addy's face, on how much I've missed her. The last time we spoke, her voice was tired but hopeful, talking about all the places we'd go once I arrived. I could hear the effort it took for her to sound that way, to stay positive despite everything. That's what I should be focusing on—making sure this trip is everything she needs it to be.
