LILA'S POV
In the hockey star or the media circus or the hundreds of thousands of likes.
Just concerned about me.
About the actual girl sitting on the bench, drowning in a glass of water.
"Take a breath."
I laughed weakly.
A tiny, fragile sound that felt more like a sigh than actual amusement.
"That's your advice?"
"Part of it."
A small smile appeared.
The corners of his eyes crinkling in that familiar, reassuring way.
Then Landon continued.
His tone dropping into something more serious, more deliberate.
"You're letting strangers decide how you feel."
That hit harder than expected.
A sharp, sudden realization that made me flinch slightly because of how brutally true it was.
Because he was right.
Again.
I was letting people who didn't even know my last name dictate whether
