Hailey’s POV
I walked across the school parking lot, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the pavement. Ryan’s car was parked in its usual place, shiny and perfectly positioned like everything else in his life. Roy was still behind the school, training hard for the upcoming tournament, so it was just Ryan waiting for me today.
I forced a small smile and waved, pretending for a moment that my world wasn’t collapsing piece by piece. The truth was heavier than anything I’d ever carried—this journey I was about to take wasn’t easy, and every part of me trembled with the weight of it. Brighton’s behavior had changed drastically; the boy I once trusted, once loved, had slowly turned into someone unrecognizable—dangerous, cunning, and always one step ahead. And the worst part? I h
