ELIANA'S POV
Lily wasn't breathing.
Eliana and Carter burst through the bedroom door to find the little girl sitting up in bed, clutching her chest, gasping like a fish out of water. Her lips had turned blue. The oxygen tube lay useless on the floor—she'd pulled it out in her panic.
Can't—breathe— Lily wheezed.
Carter froze in the doorway. Again. Always freezing when his sister needed him most.
Eliana didn't have time for his panic attacks.
She grabbed the oxygen tube, checked it for kinks, and carefully reinserted it into Lily's nose. Slow breaths, sweetheart. In through your nose. Out through your mouth. With me.
Lily's terrified eyes locked on Eliana's face.
In, Eliana breathed deeply, exaggerating the motion. Out.
Lily tried to copy her. Failed. Gasped again.
You're okay. I promise you're okay. One more time. In. Out.
This time, Lily managed it. A shaky breath in. A longer breath out.
Good. That's so good. Keep going.
Color slowly returned to Lily's lips. Her breathing evened out. The panic in her eyes faded to exhaustion.
What happened? Carter finally found his voice.
Panic attack, Eliana said, still focused on Lily. Combined with low oxygen levels. When's the last time we changed her tank?
I—I don't remember—
Check it. Now.
Carter stumbled to the oxygen concentrator. It's reading low. Really low. How did I miss this?
Because you're exhausted and terrified and seventeen. Eliana stroked Lily's hair. Can you get a new tank from the storage closet?
He ran.
I'm sorry, Lily whispered. I woke up and couldn't breathe and I got scared and pulled the tube out and made it worse—
Shh. No apologies. You did nothing wrong. Eliana climbed into bed beside her, letting Lily curl into her side. Panic attacks are scary. But we got through it together, didn't we?
You always know what to do.
I don't. I'm figuring it out as I go, just like everyone else.
Carter returned with a fresh oxygen tank and swapped it out with steady hands. His panic had shifted into something else—determination maybe. Or desperation.
Better? he asked Lily.
She nodded, already half-asleep against Eliana's shoulder.
I'll stay with her tonight, Eliana said. You need sleep.
So do you.
I can sleep here.
Carter looked like he wanted to argue. Instead, he kissed Lily's forehead and left without another word.
Eliana spent the night in Lily's bed, jolting awake every time the little girl shifted or coughed. By morning, she'd gotten maybe two hours of actual sleep.
But Lily was breathing. Alive. Safe.
That was enough.
Friday morning, Jordy cornered Eliana at her locker before first period.
Okay, spill, he demanded. Why are you glowing?
I'm not glowing. I'm exhausted.
Exhausted and glowing. That's new. Jordy leaned against the locker beside hers. You're literally smiling while people whisper about you. What happened to my broken best friend?
Eliana shrugged. I'm done caring what they think.
It was true. Somewhere between Lily's seizure and last night's oxygen crisis and staying up until 3 AM researching experimental cancer treatments with Carter, the whispers and stares and viral videos had stopped mattering.
She had bigger problems. More important things to focus on.
Jordy's grin was wicked. Finally! I've been waiting three years for you to stop giving them power. He grabbed her shoulders. This calls for celebration. Shopping trip. Tomorrow. No arguments.
I have to take care of—
Lily will survive one afternoon without you. Besides, doesn't golden boy owe her some quality time?
Eliana hesitated. She hadn't left the mansion except for school in two weeks. And her wardrobe still consisted entirely of oversized hoodies meant to make her invisible.
Fine, she said. But thrift stores only. I'm not spending—
Thrift stores are perfect. We're on a budget, not a runway. Jordy was already texting. Meet me at ten. Prepare to transform.
Saturday, Jordy dragged Eliana through five thrift stores and two discount outlets. He had opinions about everything:
No. Absolutely not. Baggy hoodies are banned.
This color makes you look alive. We're buying three.
These jeans actually fit. Stop trying to hide in fabric.
Your curves are not the enemy. Repeat after me: curves are not the enemy.
By hour three, Eliana's arms were loaded with clothes she'd never have chosen for herself—fitted jeans in dark blue, shirts in red and purple and emerald green, a leather jacket that Jordy insisted made her look dangerously hot.
I look ridiculous, Eliana said, staring at herself in the dressing room mirror.
You look like yourself, Jordy corrected. The real you. Not the invisible girl hiding from bullies.
What if I like being invisible?
Liar. You've been trying to disappear your whole life. Time to take up space instead.
Eliana bought everything. Spent two hundred dollars of her caretaker salary on a new wardrobe that terrified and thrilled her in equal measure.
That night, she practiced in front of her bathroom mirror—trying on outfits, letting her natural curls loose instead of pulling them back, standing up straight instead of hunching.
The girl in the mirror looked different. Confident. Like someone who deserved to exist.
Monday morning, Eliana walked into Riverside High wearing fitted jeans, a red sweater, and her hair in wild curls around her shoulders.
The hallway went quiet.
Like actually, physically quiet. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Heads turned. Phones appeared.
Eliana kept walking. Head high. Shoulders back. Taking up space like Jordy said.
Holy crap, someone whispered. Is that the scholarship girl?
She looks... good?
Did she lose weight?
No, she just stopped hiding.
The whispers followed her to her locker. But they felt different this time. Less cruel. More confused.
Like people were seeing her for the first time.
Carter saw her from across the commons.
He stood surrounded by football players, mid-conversation about some play or practice schedule. Then his gaze landed on Eliana and he just—stopped. Froze mid-sentence. Stared.
The football players noticed. Followed his gaze. Started whispering.
Sienna noticed too.
She'd been draped over Carter's arm like an accessory, laughing at something one of the guys said. But when she saw where Carter was looking—saw the expression on his face—her laughter died.
She followed his gaze to Eliana.
Her expression turned venomous.
Eliana looked away first. She wasn't here for drama. Wasn't here to play games.
She had English first period with Mrs. Patterson, who assigned partners for the semester project without asking for preferences.
Eliana Grant and Dylan Chen, Mrs. Patterson announced.
Perfect. Just perfect.
Dylan slid into the seat beside her, looking uncomfortable. Hey.
Eliana didn't respond.
You look different, he tried again. Good different. I mean—not that you looked bad before—I just meant—
What do you want, Dylan?
I wanted to apologize. For the laughing emoji. For not defending you. For being a coward. He ran his hand through his hair. I was scared of becoming a target myself, and I made a selfish choice. I'm sorry.
The apology sounded genuine. But apologies didn't erase betrayal.
Noted, Eliana said flatly. Now can we focus on the project?
From across the room, she felt eyes on her. She glanced up.
Carter sat three rows back, supposedly reading the assignment handout. But his gaze was locked on Eliana and Dylan with an expression she couldn't quite read.
Something between pride and possession.
Something dangerous.
Mrs. Patterson started lecturing about Shakespeare. Dylan kept trying to make conversation. Carter kept staring.
And Eliana realized: everything was about to get a lot more complicated.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Carter:Stop talking to him.
Eliana:It's a class assignment.
Carter:I don't care. He doesn't deserve your attention.
Eliana:You don't get to tell me who I talk to.
Carter:Meet me after class. We need to talk.
Before Eliana could respond, another text came through. Different number.
Unknown Number:Cute outfit, whale. New clothes won't change what you are. PS - CPS visit is Monday. Hope you enjoyed playing house. Time's up. -S
Eliana's blood went cold.
Monday. Three days away.
She looked up and found Sienna watching her from the doorway—she'd claimed a bathroom pass just to walk past English and make eye contact.
Sienna smiled. Mouthed two words: You're done.
Then she disappeared down the hallway.
Dylan was still talking about the project. Mrs. Patterson was still lecturing about Romeo and Juliet. Carter was still staring with that dangerous expression.
And Eliana's world was falling apart in three days.
Her phone buzzed again.
Carter:What's wrong? You just went pale.
Eliana:CPS visit is Monday.
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
Carter:Meet me in the parking lot during lunch. Don't argue. Just come.