bChapter /bb128 /b

Aurora’s PO.V

I walked slowly, my feet feeling like they were sinking into the ground with every step I took. My heart weighed heavily in my chestb, /balmost as if it was begging me to turn around, to go back and confront him once and for all, toy everything out. But what would I say to them without sounding like a jealous woman trying to destroy friendship?

Caleb and Caroline–just the thought of the two of them together twisted my stomach into knots.

They’d assured me, over and over, that there was nothing between them, that whatever they shared was purely tonic, but it was impossible to shake the feeling that something was there, lingering just below the surfaceb, /bsomething I couldn’t see but felt in every look they shared, every moment bI /bcaught themughing together.

convince myself that I was just being paranoid, that bI /bwas overthinking everything, and My mind spun as I reyed those moments in my head, trying to that Caleb was my mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess with a bond that could never be broken. But no matter how hard I tried, the doubt remained, wing at me from the inside.

I kept my head down, forcing myself to just keep walking, letting my feet carry me toward the parking lot. I needed spaceb, /bair, anything to clear my head. bI /bcould hear my own breathing, shallow and strained, and I clenched my fistsb, /bfrustrated with myself.

“Why am I like thisb?/bb” /bI muttered under my breath, feeling the heat of embarrassment wash over me. “They’ve told bme /bbso /bmany times… bwhy /bcan’t I bjust /bbelieve them?”

bAs /bI finally reached the edge of the parking lot, I stopped, staring at the rows of empty cars glinting under the streetmps. I hugged my arms around myself, trying to find somefort in the silence. But then, without warning, an eerie sensation prickled at the back of my neck.

It was subtle at first, just a faint, ufortable feeling, but it quickly grew, spreading down my spine like ice. I looked around, the hair on my arms standing on end as the silence suddenly felt too heavy, too thick.

I took a shaky breath, my heart pounded even harder, louder, bas /bI scanned the lot, hoping to see something, anything that would make sense of the strange feeling creeping over me.

The parking lot was too quiet. Rows of cars sat silently under the streetlights, shadows dancing as the wind blew through the trees. It bwas /bstrange, really, the way everything felt frozen in ce, like a photograph from some forgotten memory. But I kept telling myself it was fine. Everyone was at the stadium, packed tight into the bleachers, cheering for the winners, waiting for the ceremony that would crown the Blue Hill High yers the Kings of the field.

I squinted at the rows, picking out Caleb’s unmistakable car in the distance. My footsteps echoed louder than I expected, bouncing off the asphalt, and I forced augh under my breath, shaking my head. Just nerves, nothing more.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone by the school entranceb, /bstanding in a strange, still manner. I squinted, trying to make out the faceb, /bbut the figure was hazy, like looking through a thickyer of smoke. Stillb, /bsomething about them tugged at me, something familiar that I couldn’t quite ce.

“Hey!” I called out, my voice breaking the silence like a pebble tossed into still water. “Are you lost?b” /bMy words echoed back to me, swallowed bby the /bemptiness of the lot.

waited, hoping they’d answer, maybe exin why they were out here aloneb, /bor maybe I was hoping they’d just turn out to be some randon. heading to the stadium. But there was nothing, just the silent figure standing thereb, /bwatching–or maybe not beven /bseeing me.

berbys /b

I took a bfew /bsteps closerb, /bhoping to catch a better glimpse. “Hello?” I tried again, my voice softening as if whispering would make the strange feeling go

baway/bb. /b

“Do bI /bknow you?” The figure didn’t move, didn’t speak. They just stood there, unmoving, almost like a shadow cast in the wrong bce/b.

imed by My Bully Alpha

bChapter /bb129 /b