x's

to climb over the barrier when I suddenly felt someone pull

y in my chest while the arms around me held me tightly against a bod

hair while I cried in frustration, unable to ca

m do

n't be. Why would it be hi

ain. I didn't want to see it anymore, yet it still came back and swallowed me whole. I cried again and again,

ted to catch my breath. My breathing was still uneven, but I could hear the steady rhy

id down to the floor along with the hand that had been stroking my hair. I shive

up. As best as I could manage with my numb limbs, I shifted and s

k's

r in time or that her hood would tear wit

nded up in this position, but this time I truly struggled

as she shifted away. The cold of the night settled o

but I did not care; I was fighting t

let thoughts like that cross my mind. She was just a kid, as Sophie had reminded me, a kid who had just gone through the worst thi

shing my hair back from my eye

ad buried between her kne

, the same hair I had been stroking only

shake off the feeling that had come over me when I held her. It had not been desire or longing.

and. I grasped her hand firmly without

other again, you must sta

t they left my mouth. I still wou

alive," she

a slow breath of cigarette smoke,

ach other and the only moment in m

x's

rk again, and th

It was Derek, the tattooed man I

he tried to sound firm. To me, his voic

to the window of my bedroom and saw

the street shattered me completely. I fell onto my b

na's

k when I arrived a

ore and did not dare come here then, afraid I

d in black sweatpants, her hair wet, loo

laimed. "What h

thing serious must have happened last

t into her room, sat at her desk, and be

uldn't reach you," I told her

e floor were covered with

she murmured while

and only understood what she was work

g out its tongue, framed by a Mandala. I instantly

with the Ducati," I said, unable

o understand she would not say anything yet. She would

as truly alive. Last night, my mind ha

ence through the whole morning, wait

k's

was not a single day I had not thought abou

ge of her in that alley, her tearful ga

t feel the memory of he

ince that night, hoping I would come across that ba

phie asked me. "You're

p," I replied as I grabbe

teeth and took a sip while s

on't think he would dare set foot here aga

ould go rest," she added when

line, and my blood ran cold when he turned arou

he sleeves of my sweater. Rage pushed everything else out of my vision as I heard Sophi

ot close, I threw my glasses aside and landed a punch strai

I grabbed him by the collar, lifted h

l man," I spat. "I'm going t

I climbed on top of him and kept hitting him, strike after strike, not givin

, stop

f this bastard, but I refused to let go. The moment they managed to get

rl!" I snapped, spi

Sophie or Ayden, got on my moto

x's

school. I had absolut

I knew I would never see him again. I had become so obsessed with him since that day that at night I somet

. It was Marina, lettin

start of the vacation and had deci

that night, but she knew me well enough to

ll the guys, you're on the right trac

d a long black hoodie that nearly covered my eye

t for once, I asked if I could take the seat by the window. She nodded, surprised, but there was no

He's so sexy!" a girl shouted

ead on it while staring out the window. I s

have a

" Marina

ps. Could you tell your neighbor tha

bow, and I turned toward her

to take off his hood and sit

od. I lifted my face toward the teacher, and the moment our eyes met,