I opened my eyes the next morning to find Sebastian still asleep beside me. He looked so peaceful, the soft rise and fall of his chest grounding something restless inside me. My eyes wandered to the faint scar near his eye—a sharp reminder of that night. I reached out, almost touching it, when his eyes fluttered open. I froze, caught in the moment like I'd been caught stealing.
"Good morning," he said, his voice raspy with sleep, smiling sweetly.
"Good morning," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper as heat rushed to my cheeks.
"I think we should get ready for school," he murmured, stretching a little.
"Yeah... yeah, sure."
There was something different in the air between us. Not tension exactly, but something softer—lighter. Like we'd stepped into a new version of the same world. Something unspoken still sat between us, but it didn't feel as heavy.
Sebastian went into the bathroom, and I slipped downstairs. He kept an extra shirt in his bag now, which felt oddly intimate in itself.
I wasn't expecting to see Carter in the kitchen.
He was at the stove, cooking, like it was the most normal thing in the world. He looked up when I entered.
"Good morning," he said.
I nodded, unsure. "Morning."
"Thank you for yesterday," he said quietly. "I wasn't in my right mind. I just… I wanted to thank you, so I made breakfast."
It felt familiar in a way that ached. Like all those mornings he used to crash at my place when things at his home got bad. He always made breakfast back then, too. But now, it was different.
"You didn't have to," I said.
"I know. But I wanted to."
He turned to face me fully. "You think I should tell Emily."
I nodded. "She has a right to know."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. But if I tell her, I'll lose her."
"And if you don't tell her, you'll lose yourself. Don't you get it, Carter? This isn't just about Emily. It's about getting help. Real help."
He swallowed hard. "I'm scared. My mom… she tried. She got help. And we still lost her."
I stepped closer. "You're not your mom. You're you, Carter. And you're not as far gone as she was. You came to me because you know something's wrong. You want help, even if you don't know how to ask for it."
His eyes were glassy now.
"I'll never be able to forgive you for everything, Carter. But I'll always care about you. You were my first—my first everything. You showed me what it meant to love. And I'm not letting you lose yourself. Not while I can still do something."
Carter stared at the floor for a long beat, like he was trying to hold something in. Then his voice broke the silence—quiet, but heavier than before.
"I'm tired of being scared, Liv."
I looked at him, and something in his expression—raw, stripped down—hit me in the chest.
"I've been running from everything," he said. "From what I did to you. From the rumors. From myself. I kept pretending if I didn't say it out loud, it would all just go away. But it didn't. It got worse. And seeing you now…"
He swallowed hard.
"You're different. Stronger. And not in a fake-it-till-you-make-it way. You've got that fire back—the one I stole from you. And watching you fight for yourself again… it makes me believe maybe I can too."
I didn't know what to say. My throat was too tight.
"I'm still with Emily," he said softly. "And I know that makes everything more messed up. I love her. I do. But there's this piece of me that still aches when I look at you. Because I remember what we had. And how I ruined it. And sometimes—sometimes I wish I could go back and be the version of me you deserved."
He looked at me then, and it wasn't longing. It was heartbreak.
"But Sebastian…" His voice cracked just a little. "The way he looks at you? Liv, I see it. I've seen it from the start. And it killed me at first, because I hated how much I recognized it. That kind of look—it's not casual. It's not curiosity. It's someone seeing the entire damn universe in one person. And for him, that's you."
I felt my heart twist, painfully.
Because part of me knew he was right.
I wasn't with Sebastian. Not officially. But there was something between us—real, slow-burning, impossible to ignore. I thought about the way Seb looked at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention. The way his voice softened when he said my name. How I could still feel the warmth of last night's kiss, lingering like a secret on my skin.
I didn't know what we were.
But I knew I liked him. Maybe more than I wanted to admit.
"I was jealous," Carter admitted. "Still am, sometimes. Even now. But it's different. Because for once, I'm not jealous in a bitter way. I'm happy for you. You deserve someone who sees you like that. Who fights for you like that. And I promise you—Brad, Stacy, even Emily—they won't say a damn word to you again. I'll make sure of it. I should've stood by you before. I didn't. But I am now."
Just then, Sebastian walked into the kitchen. His eyes flicked between me and Carter.
"Well, this is awkward," Carter muttered.
He picked up his bag, pausing as he passed Sebastian. "Thank you for yesterday."
Seb nodded.
Carter left.
Sebastian turned to me, one eyebrow raised—but this wasn't playful.
His jaw was tight. Eyes sharp. He didn't say anything at first, but I could feel it rolling off of him—the tension, the quiet storm beneath his skin.
I handed him a piece of toast, trying to keep things normal. "Don't even start."
But he didn't smirk this time. He took the toast slowly, his fingers brushing mine, and I felt how stiff they were—how still.
"I wasn't going to," he said, voice low. Too calm.
But his eyes betrayed him. They flicked toward the door Carter had just walked out of, then back to me. There was something hollow in them. Something he didn't know how to say yet.
I didn't say anything. But inside, I was oddly… glad. Glad that someone finally cared enough to be jealous.
After breakfast, we left for school together. It wasn't the first time—I'd walked with Eve, Luke, and even Seb before. But this was different. Just the two of us. People noticed.
We split up at the hallway, heading to our separate classes.
Literature was quiet. I slid into my usual seat, just as the door opened and Brad, Emily, and Carter walked in together. I barely managed to suppress an eye roll.
But then something unexpected happened.
Carter looked over at me.And he smiled.Just a small one. A soft nod, like a quiet hello only I was meant to catch.
My heart skipped. Not because I still loved him—not in the way I used to—but because for the first time in so long, someone who once broke me… finally saw me again.
Brad and Emily turned to follow his gaze, and the second they saw it, it was like the air in the room cracked. Their expressions—shock, confusion, something close to betrayal—would have once made me want to disappear.
But now?Now, I wanted to laugh.
Not out of spite. Not because I'd won some invisible game. But because I was still standing. After everything they did. After everything Carter let happen.
After class, the hallway was chaos. And then, suddenly, it wasn't.
"Seriously? What the hell were you doing with my boyfriend?" Emily's voice cut through the noise like a razor. She stepped in front of me, all fury and lip gloss.
Oh, perfect. The drama train had arrived right on schedule.
People slowed, some even stopped walking entirely. The hallway that had been humming with chatter moments ago dropped into a thick, expectant silence.
"What?" I blinked, cocking my head like she'd spoken in a different language.
"He smiled at you," she snapped, her eyes wild.
I actually laughed—out loud. "Unbelievable. A person can't even smile now? Are you seriously losing it?"
"A person can smile," she hissed, stepping closer, "but not him. Not at you."
I raised an eyebrow. "And why's that? Because you're so sure he's not over me, or because you're afraid you never really had him in the first place?"
Her face twisted, but she didn't back down. "You did something. I know you did. You're trying to take him from me."
There it was.
I tilted my head and crossed my arms. "No, Emily. I don't go after my exes. Especially not when they're already taken. That's more your brand, isn't it? Stealing your ex–best friend's boyfriend. Ring any bells?"
Her mouth dropped open. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Everyone nearby had gone from background noise to audience members at a live show, popcorn optional.
Emily blinked rapidly, like the words had physically struck her. She looked ready to slap me. Her hand twitched.
And then Carter appeared, grabbing her wrist mid-air.
"Stop it, Em," he said firmly. His voice wasn't loud, but it didn't need to be. It sliced clean through the tension.
She yanked her arm back, furious. "What the hell, Carter? You're defending her now?"
"I'm not defending anyone. I'm stopping you from making a scene."
"Too late," I muttered under my breath. This was better than Netflix.
Emily pointed a shaking finger at him. "You smiled at her. Right in front of everyone!"
Carter's expression twisted, like he couldn't believe this was actually happening. "Are you serious right now? I smiled. That's what this is about?"
"Don't play dumb, Carter!" Emily snapped. "You looked at her like—like she still means something to you."
He let out a sharp breath. "Maybe because she does. Not the way you think, but I'm not gonna pretend she doesn't matter."
Her eyes narrowed, voice dropping into something more venomous. "You still love her, don't you?"
My chest tightened. My breath caught somewhere between my ribs and my throat.
Carter's jaw clenched, but he shook his head. "No, Em. Don't do that. Don't twist this into something it's not. I'm just trying to be better. I already failed her once—I'm not going to fail her again. I'm trying to do the right thing now."
Emily let out a short, bitter laugh. The kind that didn't sound human so much as wounded. "You? Doing the right thing?" She scoffed. "What is this—your redemption arc? Are we supposed to clap for you now?"
I blinked. Okay, dramatic much?
Emily wasn't done.
"You left her when she was drowning—don't pretend you didn't. And now, what? You show up here acting like some knight in shining armor? Or maybe…" Her gaze cut toward me, sharp enough to draw blood. "Maybe you're just jealous. Because she's slipping into someone else's bed."
I literally choked on my own air.
Okay—what now?
Carter's entire body stiffened. His hands curled into fists at his sides, but his voice stayed low and rough. "Don't. Don't go there, Emily."
Her arms crossed, lips twisting into something cruel. "Why not? Afraid I'll say something true?"
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Carter said sharply. "You don't get to throw stones when your hands are just as dirty."
Emily flinched, but it wasn't guilt. It was pride. Wounded, indignant pride.
"I made one mistake—"
"One?" Carter's voice rose now. "You turned on your best friend. You didn't just walk away from Olivia. You joined in."
"She had it coming!"
"Oh, really?" I cut in, my voice sweet like poison. "And what exactly did I do, Em? Exist?"
"You acted like the victim!"
"Because I was," I said, laughing bitterly. "You turned your back on me the second it got inconvenient. You and everyone else. And now you're mad that I didn't stay broken for your convenience?"
People were gathered now. Some had their phones out. I could practically hear the TikTok captions already: "Messy love triangle explodes in hallway"
Emily was shaking, eyes glassy but dry. "You think she's innocent in all this?" she snapped at Carter.
"No," he said quietly. "I don't think anyone is. But I am trying to do better."
She stared at him like he was speaking in a different language. "So that's it? You're done with me?"
"I'm done pretending," Carter said. "I'm done pretending none of this happened. That I didn't screw up. That you didn't. That she didn't get crushed in the middle of it."
Emily stepped forward like she might hit him, but Carter didn't flinch. I did—because if she touched me, I was fully prepared to drop-kick her into next period.
But she didn't. She just stared, red-faced and trembling, and then she shoved past Carter. Her shoulder clipped mine hard.
"Wow," I muttered. "Was that supposed to hurt? Because I've had mosquito bites more aggressive than that."
Carter rubbed a hand over his face. "Sorry."
"For what?" I said. "That was better than morning announcements. Next time, let me bring popcorn."
He gave a dry laugh, then glanced down the hall. "I should go after her. I need to explain."
"Good luck," I said. "You're gonna need it."
He nodded once, eyes tired but grateful, and jogged off.
Evelyn appeared beside me, grinning. "So... that was wild."
"Yeah," I said, still reeling. "Honestly? Ten out of ten. Would absolutely watch again."
We both laughed, and I shook my head, wondering when my life had turned into a reality show I hadn't auditioned for.
I headed to History class next. It was project day, and I had a strong suspicion two students were definitely about to "accidentally" miss it.