Harper sat on the edge of her bed, her phone lying face-down on the covers as though the mere sight of it could burn her. Her heart still hammered from the headline that wouldn't stop replaying in her mind. THE LOGAN HAYES AND HARPER REED WERE NEVER REAL. Every word felt like a brand seared across her chest.
She hadn't left her dorm since reading it. The curtains were drawn, shutting out the morning light, shutting out the world. She couldn't bring herself to even change out of the oversized shirt she had crashed in last night. What was the point? No amount of brushing her hair or slipping into her best outfit could cover this kind of mess.
Tyla stood near the door, arms folded but her eyes soft. "Harper, come on. You can't just hide here. We have class. People are gonna talk, yeah, but when don't they? You just need to—"
