BEATRICE
Stella and I are sitting cross-legged on the floor. In front of us, half-opened textbooks stare back at us. We've been studying for the past two hours. I yawn behind my palm, tired. Stella is humming under her breath and chewing on the cap of her pen. She's laser-focused, flipping through her notes.
My gaze drifts to the peeling walls of my room. The furniture is old, chipped, and cheap, no hint of fairy tales here, no princess-themed decor like Shannon and Shayla's rooms. But Stella doesn't seem to care. If anything, I'm the one who notices, who feels the quiet sting of comparison.
I'm pretending to read, pretending really hard when my phone buzzes beside me. My heart skips. It’s not just any message.
It’s from him. Xavier Reyes
Hey. Figured we should get started on the pro
