Riley's POV
The wooden steps creak beneath my feet as I descend the staircase with deliberate slowness. Every fiber of my being rebels against attending this party tonight. Change has been my enemy lately, disrupting the careful structure I've built around my life. I've mapped out my future with precision, and social gatherings like this feel like dangerous detours that could derail everything I've worked toward.
Yet something deeper tugs at me, something I'm reluctant to acknowledge. Perhaps I'm starving for connection more than I care to admit. The rational part of my brain screams warnings that this is all an elaborate setup, that trusting these new friendships will only lead to heartbreak. But my foolish heart yearns for it to be genuine, craves the possibility that I might have allies beyond just Zoey.
