DAXTON POV
Dax walked through the gym alongside Henry, his steps light, almost effortless. It felt strange—good, but strange. Like he’d been carrying a weight on his chest for so long that he’d forgotten what it was like to breathe freely.
Now, for the first time in forever, he did.
His lips curled into a grin, wide and unapologetic. His cheeks were starting to hurt from how much he’d been smiling since shaking Mr. Smithson’s hand, but he didn’t care. Henry, walking beside him, was smiling too—his real smile, the kind that wasn’t forced or hiding something darker underneath.
They had done it.
Mr. Smithson had handled everything. The negotiations, the logistics—a perfect twin packaging, as he called it.
They would graduate and then move to Oklahoma City together. The three of them.
T
