Returning to Silver Oak High after the weekend was like stepping onto a stage where everyone was watching, waiting to see what I'd do next. Eyes trailed me as I moved through the hallways, whispers following like shadows. Part of me wanted to shrink away, to disappear, but the other part—the part that remembered how powerful I’d felt kissing Nick in front of everyone—kept my chin high and my steps steady.
But today wasn’t about Nick. I saw Kallum before he saw me, leaning casually against my locker with a small, almost hesitant smile pulling at his lips. For a second, I just watched him, wondering what he could be thinking. After everything that had happened, the fact that he still wanted to be seen with me both warmed and unnerved me.
“Hey,” he said as soon as I approached, his voice lo
