My grades were suffering, my sleep schedule was worse, and somehow Jace Donovan was still the biggest problem in my life.
"If I fail this midterm, I’m going to lose my scholarship," I muttered, my voice cracking under a wave of absolute exhaustion. I rubbed my temples, staring down at a diagram of organic molecules that currently looked like a bunch of aggressive spiderwebs.
It was nearly midnight on a Tuesday, and the athletic study lounge was completely deserted. The cleaning staff had already turned down the lights in the main hallway, leaving this single corner of the room illuminated by a solitary desk lamp. I felt entirely overwhelmed, a suffocating sense of inadequacy pressing down on my chest. Back home, I was the smart one. Here, I felt like I was drowning.
"You're not losing y
