Ivey's Pov
The hallway felt colder today.
I am so scared of facing Josh after what I did, I don't know what to do. At the time I punched him, I was just mad and overwhelmed, I didn't think about the consequences that I would have to face later on. Is Josh going to be mad at me? Of course, but the bigger question is, is he going to hurt me back the way I hurt him?
I have known Josh for a year and until yesterday, I thought that I knew him pretty well, but… maybe I don't. I don't trust him anymore after what he did. Maybe… just maybe, maybe he will hurt me.
I hesitated outside the music room where I knew Josh would be. My fists were stuffed into the sleeves of my hoodie, hiding my trembling hands. I wasn't sure if it was nerves or guilt. Maybe both.
I stepped inside. He was sitting alone, bruised and angry. But not the loud kind. The kind that hid under the silence.
He looked up when he saw me. Eyes unreadable.
"I shouldn't have hit you," I said softly, arms still crossed. "I lost control."
He blinked slowly. "Yeah. You did."
I swallowed. "But you lost control first. You started that fight."
"I was defending what's mine," he snapped, then leaned back, softer. "I mean… I just didn't like seeing you with him."
I nodded. "I know. And maybe I should've handled things differently. But you can't keep trying to control me every time you get jealous."
His jaw twitched, but he looked down. "I get it. I do. I've been… messed up lately. You're right."
That surprised me. Normally he wouldn't give up so easily, I thought he would even start to shout at me for hanging out with Lucas.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't want to lose you, Ivey. I know I screwed up."
Silence hung for a beat.
Then I said it, the thing I didn't expect to hear come out of my own mouth "Maybe we could just… start over?"
He looked at me. A little stunned. Then nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Let's go to that party together. You know… like old times."
I smiled, but it didn't quite reach my eyes, making my smile seem forced.
Because it was.
Later that night
Music thumped through the walls. Lights pulsed like a heartbeat. People danced, laughed, and drank.
Josh's hand was tight around mine as we walked in. He seemed like his old self, the one that I feel for. He was charming, confident, and relaxed. For a while, it felt… normal.
But something felt off.
He kept slipping away. Saying hey to people. Grabbing drinks. Disappearing into the crowd.
I waited by the hallway for him to come back. Five minutes. Ten.
That was strange of him, before when we first started dating he would leave me like this for more than a minute, saying that I might be in danger.
But then.. then I saw him.
He wasn't alone.
He was in the corner,light flickering across his face, and hers. A girl I didn't recognize. Blonde. Laughing. Close.
Then her lips were on his.
And he didn't pull away. He even had one hand on the side of her face, and the other wrapping around her waist pulling her closer to him.
The room spun. My stomach dropped, and everything inside me cracked, sharp and fast.
I turned and shoved through the crowd, blinking back tears. No one noticed. No one cared.
I ran outside, into the cold.
Then I bumped into someone.
It was Lucas.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong? What happened?" He said in a concerned and caring tone.
I tried running away from him. He shouldn't be dragged into my mess, he was just standing there minding his own business. But I couldn't escape from him, because as soon as I ran away from him, he started following me.
"Hey, where are you going?" He said while trying to catch up to me.
Lucas's Pov
A few hours ago
Today I didn't really see Ivey much at school, I just hope that she is doing well after what happened with Josh, and I hope that he doesn't do anything that hurts her even more. It seems like she already has a very difficult life, and all he is doing is adding to her problems.
I snapped out of my thoughts when mom called me "Hey Lucas, can you help your sister with her homework before you go to that party of yours?"
"Ya, sure" I said in a casual tone.
Even though I have so much to do, in school and for the party that is coming up soon at school, I still have to help my sister. Since all my mom does is go to work.
"Mom" I said in an innocent tone, trying not to get her to be mad at me.
"Yes?" She answered, already annoyed before I could even ask anything.
"Well, you know how you've been very busy with work lately?"
"Ya?"
"By any chance do you think that you could perhaps… well… maybe you could hire a maid…or a… nanny to take care of Ava?"
There was silence, and I winced, waiting for a response.
"A nanny?" Mom repeated. "Lucas, we don't have money for that right now."
"I know, I know," I said quickly. "It's just… I've got finals, and college applications, and this stupid group project, and Ava's homework, and"
She cut me off "I'm doing my best," she snapped. Then her voice softened, tired. "We all are."
That guilt hit me like a brick. "I'm sorry. Forget I said anything. I'll help Ava."
She didn't respond for a moment. "Thanks. Just do what you can, okay?"
After I finished helping Ava, I got ready and headed to the party, though my heart wasn't really in it. I didn't even know why I came. Maybe I was hoping I'd run into Ivey. Maybe I just wanted to make sure she was okay.
When I pulled up to the house, music was already pounding through the walls. I lingered by the steps, not feeling the energy, just watching the people going in and out.
And then—
I saw her.
Not inside.
Outside.
Running.
Eyes red. Shoulders shaking. Like her world had just caved in.
"Ivey?" I called, stepping toward her. "Hey—hey, what's wrong? What happened?"
She didn't answer. Just brushed past me like I wasn't even there.
But I wasn't about to let her walk away like that.
I jogged after her. "Ivey, where are you going? Talk to me."
She finally stopped, arms wrapped tightly around herself like she was holding her own pieces together.
Her voice broke when she said it.
"He is kissing someone else."
That was all. But it was everything.
And something inside me snapped too, not with anger, but with pain. For her.
I moved slowly, like approaching a hurt animal. "Come here."
She didn't fight me this time.
She let me pull her in.
Her head leaned on my chest, and I held her there. Just held her. I could feel her shaking, like her heart was breaking one beat at a time.
"I'm so stupid," she whispered. "I thought maybe… maybe he could change."
"You're not stupid," I murmured, brushing her hair back gently. "You're just human."
We stood there in the cold, just the two of us, tucked away from the chaos inside.
And for once, she didn't try to run.