Hailey's POV
As I stepped into the school gates, Paxton’s offer weighed heavily on my mind, replaying like a broken record. My feet slowed and I froze. His voice, his demand—everything kept rushing back, making my head spin. What was I about to do?
"Are you okay?" Mia asked, brushing her hand against mine.
I glanced at her and Jessy. With them beside me, I had nothing to fear... right? They had no idea the storm I was caught up in.
"We’ll catch you later after Physics, okay?" Jessy said, giving me a knowing look, probably noticing how distracted I was.
"Yeah, sure. I’ll meet you after." I forced a smile as they left.
I needed to clear my head, so I headed straight to the library. The quiet, the smell of old books, and the soft hum of the air conditioning would help calm my nerves, or
