Blair O'Connor was the life of every party-popular, fearless, and always the center of attention. But behind the perfect image was an abusive boyfriend who slowly stripped away the girl she used to be.
After finally breaking free, Blair transfers...
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I'd officially been at Tommen a little over a month now, and honestly, it had turned out way better than I'd expected. At first, I'd been convinced it would be a nightmare of whispers and stares, but gradually, everything had fallen into place. The rumors from my old school had finally died down, and I could walk the halls without feeling like I was on display. I was no longer the "new girl" everyone gossiped about or the center of unwanted attention.
The best part? I'd made some real friends. Claire, Shannon, and Katie had quickly become my little support crew. They were the kind of friends who would actually listen to me, who laughed at my jokes even when they were terrible, and who made me feel like I could truly belong somewhere again. I felt lucky to have them. Lizzie, though, was still a bit of a question mark. I hadn't figured her out yet—she had a way of looking at me that made me feel like she was assessing me, as if she knew something I didn't. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I kept my distance for now, navigating our friendship carefully.
But the real kicker was Patrick. I couldn't quite explain it, but there was something about him that drew me in. He was quiet but not painfully so—just enough to make me feel like I could let my guard down around him. When I was with him, it was easy to laugh and be myself. I liked the way he always seemed genuinely interested when I spoke, how he'd lean in a little closer, hanging onto every word as if they were precious. His green eyes held a warmth that made me feel safe, and every time he smiled, even if it was just a fleeting grin, I felt a flutter in my stomach that I couldn't ignore.
It was frustrating because I didn't know how to tell him how I felt. Every time I was near him, my heart raced a little faster, and my brain scrambled to think of something clever to say. I wanted to joke around like we were already best friends, but part of me was terrified of ruining what we had. He felt different from the others, someone I could be close to without all the baggage that came with my past. So I kept my feelings close to my chest, trying to play it cool while my insides twisted into knots whenever he was around.
But, of course, just when things started feeling normal again, Connor had to rear his ugly head. It was like he had a radar for my happiness. He didn't just want to be a minor annoyance; he'd gone full-on stalker mode. I still couldn't wrap my head around how he'd managed to infiltrate my life again, but it felt like no matter how many times I changed my phone number or created new email addresses, he somehow always found them. It was infuriating and unsettling all at once.
Connor had become obsessed, and what really freaked me out was how much he knew about my day-to-day life at Tommen. He somehow had my entire timetable memorized, knowing precisely when I was in each class, where I sat, and even the details of my work schedule at Dinniman's. How? It was like he had some insider info, a network of spies keeping tabs on me. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone at Tommen was feeding him this information, and that thought gnawed at me, making me uneasy about trusting anyone.
I could handle Connor being a thorn in my side, but it was when he started showing up around school that things really spiraled. He'd appear outside the gates just as I was leaving, his presence an unwelcome reminder of everything I wanted to escape. I tried to ignore him, focusing on the chatter of my friends or the sounds of the bustling campus, but the knot of anxiety in my stomach tightened every time I spotted him lurking around.
