Out of the corner of my eye, I check if our friends noticed. Maggie and Will are already dancing, Sam cheering loudly from the couch. Vincent sits beside him, watching the competition,but with his finger he’s absentmindedly tracing a question mark on his thigh through his jeans.
Our middle school code.Something wrong?
I pretend not to see it and turn back to Steven. He sighs, then pulls me into his arms. “I don’t want to fight with you, babe. We’re not fighting. I’m sorry I snapped. I’m not mad at you.”
I bury my face against his shirt. He smells like coffee and freshly baked pastries—so unmistakablyhim.
“Go to sleep. You can wear the caps I bought you, or we’ll just try to keep quiet.”
He shakes his head and gets to his feet, running a hand through his blond hair. “No need, babe. Can I take a shower? I won’t be long.”
“Yes, su—”
My phone buzzes loudly in my pocket. I grab it, but the ringing stops immediately. Two missed calls from my mom and over twenty messages.
My chest tightens. I thought she wouldn’t reach out until the meeting with Asher.
“Something wrong?” Steven’s voice snaps me back.
I shove the phone between my thighs, plastering on a smile. “What?”
“You look upset. Something happened?”
He can’t find out she’s reaching out to me for money. “It’s nothing. Just a message from Ruby. The internship lists came out—I’m in Mrs. Tsukishima’s group.”
“Shouldn’t you be happy?” he asks, skeptical.
“I am.” I lie smoothly.
Of course, I’d be thrilled to be accepted into Mrs. Tsukishima’s group—if it were true. The reality is she rejected my application. I’m still scrambling for a tutor, and with my grades, it’s no wonder no one wants me.
I’m not a total failure, but I’m nowhere near exceptional. Mediocre might be too kind, but hey—I’m working on it. Although... yeah, I’m probably about to fail.
And worse—I don’t even know if I want to be a vet anymore. Three years of studying, three years I don’t even know how I survived. How could I throw all that away now?
“You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?” Steven presses gently.
No.“You’re my boyfriend,” I deflect.
“That’s not an answer.” He sits down across from me, eyes searching mine. “Would you tell me if something was bothering you? I want you to trust me.”
I bite my lip. He’s the first one who doesn’t trust me at all—so why should I trust him?
I hate myself for even thinking it. None of this is his fault, not the weight he’s carrying, not my decision to hide my mother’s actions from him.
I take his hands, forcing a smile. “Of course I trust you. I’d never keep you in the dark.”
His clear eyes pin me, like he’s looking for something I can’t give him. Then he sighs, pulling away. “I’m going to sleep.”
“Wait—” I grab his hand, but he bends down and presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “I love you.”
He turns away, heading for my room. At the door, he calls out to the others: “Good night. Margaret, don’t kill anyone without me!”
He closes the door without another glance.
All four heads swivel toward me. Maggie, Will, Sam, Vincent—all staring, confused. I flash them the brightest smile I can manage. “He’s just tired. You know how he is.”
They nod slowly. Thankfully, they know me well enough not to dig for answers.
