en the late slip landed on h

to the library bathroom to wash her blotchy face. She'd sat there, staring at h

d Ms. Green had given up pr

pen scratching a line on the pink slip that would seal her fate. "I k

That was one

lip crumpled in her fist, a fat geometry textbook open in front of her like she might actually care about triangle

her head even more than

can't si

w, the football coach who doubled as after-school babysitt

e. "River

e's in h

tterly. Why wouldn't the univer

he window - not that she could see anything except the smudged glass and a dying row of we

ad clicked louder than her heartbeat. Then the door swu

. He wore his letterman jacket slung over one shoulder, his hair still perfectly, infuria

ch. Had to grab my..

bother saying anything. He just po

d a slow grin tugged at his lips. "

turned to cem

around backward so he could lean his arms across t

know why I'm h

back. "Getting caught makin

rolled her eyes and pulled out her geometry again. "Seriously though. I was in the pa

r an untouched diagram of a triangle, but her h

r. "So... detenti

ed under her breath. "It

t up. He looked genuinely am

unt in warning. Rhea lowered her voice. "You think you're funny, don't you? You get

ooked at her, eyes narrowing like he was tryin

that photo either,

yone loves it. It makes you look good. G

k I like Liv screaming at me every five minutes? Or random guys high-fivi

ed. "It didn't even

care. It's a story they want to t

asn't pity in his voice - more like tired accept

her arms tight over her chest. "So w

e dying weeds outside catching the late afternoon light. For a second, he seemed smaller - not the living poster

yes sharp again. "You kn

t wait to

that you forget people are gonna mak

him. "Thanks

ade Coach Drew grunt again. "Relax

mbing an octave. "How exactly do I 'fl

girlfr

hoked

y n

ou think I want more of this? You think I want Liv and her

hey think we're a thing, they'll get bored faster. No more blurry photo drama

d, then snapped shut again. "So yo

in a lazy shrug. "You m

stupid. It'll mak

nd clean, too real for the distance she needed. "Or maybe you ge

lickered at the thought. Control. Her hear

"No. Absolutely not. I don't

unblinking. "Who s

hut so hard the sound made

m. She couldn't do this. Couldn't sit here while he threw insane id

zipping it so hard the tee

ave," Jace called after h

hair whipping over he

, like he'd expected this all a

ng the late slip onto his desk. He

llway. The echoes of her footsteps bounced off the lockers,

irlfriend. Con

was there now - sproutin

was.

e tiniest, traitorous pa

f he's