Rachel told herself it was better this way.
Lexi had too much on her plate.
Julian was still a raw wound between them.
It wasn’t the right time.
Mark agreed — mostly because he knew Julian would go ballistic if he thought his best friend was "distracting" Lexi’s best friend during a crisis.
So Rachel and Mark became their own secret rebellion.
Stealing time together between chaotic days.
Meeting in hole-in-the-wall diners.
Sneaking kisses behind closed doors.
Laughing. Always laughing.
It wasn’t perfect.
Mark was cocky and stubborn.
Rachel was fiery and reckless.
They argued constantly — over movie choices, pizza toppings, the correct way to fold a damn T-shirt.
But under all the fighting and teasing was something real.
Something dangerous.
Something neither of them was rea
