[BOOK2]
Friendship built their world. Love will break it open. ❤️
*****
I want her.
I want her more than I've ever wanted anything.
But I can't have her. Because the moment I admit that out loud, the moment I risk everything we've built, I could lo...
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I tapped my pen against the textbook open in front of me, the words blurring into one endless sentence. It had been days since Jake had cornered me, but his threats still crawled beneath my skin, whispering like poison through my veins.
I was falling behind—distracted, anxious, constantly on edge. Sleep was a distant memory, and guilt had set up permanent residence in my chest.
Because Theo didn't have a clue.
"You're staring again," Becca said, eyes lifting from her laptop screen, giving me a pointed look. "You good, Isla?"
I forced a smile, dragging myself back to reality. "Yeah. Just tired."
She frowned, clearly not buying it. "You've looked like a kicked puppy since the gala. Theo isn't causing you drama, is he? Because I will end that boy myself."
"No," I said quickly, smiling for real this time at her protective streak. "Theo's perfect. It's just... everything else."
Becca tilted her head, dark curls tumbling over her shoulder as she narrowed her eyes. "You know, I'm not blind. Whatever you're carrying—you don't have to carry it alone."
My chest tightened, my throat thickening. "It's complicated."
She shrugged, eyes warm. "Lucky for you, complicated is my specialty. And I happen to have no social life beyond harassing Lewis and babysitting your sorry ass."
I laughed softly, gratefulness flooding through me. "Thanks, Bec."
She reached across the table, squeezing my hand. "Anytime."
We slipped back into comfortable silence, keyboards clicking softly. The library was quiet, the gentle hum of whispered conversations and turning pages wrapping around me like a security blanket. I'd just begun to settle again when a voice sliced neatly through the silence.
"Well, isn't this cozy?"
Peyton.
Becca's gaze lifted slowly, irritation flashing clear across her face. "Did someone summon the Wicked Witch, or did you come here voluntarily?"
Peyton's smile didn't waver, all glossy lips and designer confidence. Her hair spilled over her shoulders like liquid silk, her perfectly manicured fingers resting lightly on the edge of our table.
"I'm just here studying—same as you." Her gaze drifted lazily to mine, amusement glittering in her eyes. "Not all of us have Theo around for extra... support."
I leaned back in my chair, refusing to take the bait. "Shouldn't you be with Jake?"
She blinked slowly, her smile sharpening at the edges. "Oh, I don't keep him on a leash. Jake's free to play."
Becca snorted softly. "I bet he is."
Peyton glanced at her briefly, lips twisting into something halfway between a smirk and a sneer. "Careful, Rebecca. Jealousy doesn't look good on anyone."
