IN BETWEEN

In Between

By Elixirious

"The hardest thing to study is how to walk away."Keilla "Kei" Alvarez is a second-year Psychology major who knows all the theories on human behavior, toxic patterns, and emotional dependency. She can spot manipulation from a mile away-except when it comes to her ex-boyfriend, Mark Villafuente.

Mark is a wealthy, arrogant third-year Business Administration student and the star varsity basketball playmaker. He has never been told no in his life. He has a pristine reputation on campus because he has one rare quality: he never cheats. He is fiercely loyal. But to Kei, his loyalty isn't a sanctuary-it's a cage. Mark systematically drains her time, her intellect, and her sanity, using guilt-trips and his untouchable status to keep her bound to him, forcing her to do his schoolwork so he can maintain his athletic scholarship and inherit his family's empire.

Because Mark never committed the "ultimate betrayal" of cheating, Kei constantly gaslights herself. She remains stuck in between her logical mind and her lingering emotions. Her internal struggle is amplified by her best friend, Gwen Alicia Macaraig-a fellow Psychology major who is hopelessly blind to love, constantly crying over loud, messy heartbreaks, and envying Kei for having a "loyal guy" like Mark.

But as the academic pressure mounts and Mark's entitlement threatens to ruin Kei's own future, she faces the ultimate test. Can she apply her psychological training to her own life?

A powerful contemporary collegiate novel about gaslighting, emotional independence, and the grueling journey of learning to choose oneself in a world that mistakes possession for love.