POV: Elena
By the next morning, the paper bag Jace had given me sat empty on my desk, but the knot in my stomach hadn't gone anywhere.
I had slept badly, waking every couple of hours only to remember the photos, the comments, and the way people had looked at me on campus. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw strangers laughing at a younger version of myself—a lonely little girl who had once believed the boy she admired might someday notice her.
Now the entire university knew she had.
My phone buzzed just as I finished tying my hair into a low ponytail.
Jace: Be downstairs in fifteen minutes.
I frowned and typed back.
Why?
His reply came almost instantly.
Media Day. Richard already told the athletic department you're coming.
I stared at the screen in disbelief.
Without asking me.
