The silence between them on the walk to the quad wasn't uncomfortable. It was loaded.
Like the calm before a storm they both saw coming.
"They're gonna come for us again," Kylie said quietly, her voice tucked beneath the breeze. Her fingers were still laced in Devon's, but her grip had tightened just enough to feel the tension in her bones.
"Let them," Devon muttered, jaw set. "I'm done playing small for other people."
She glanced at him, a flicker of a smile rising, but it didn't last. Not with what they were walking into.
Chloe and Petrina were already waiting on one of the stone benches near the steps to the arts building. So was Malik, sitting on the rail. And just beyond them, leaning against a lamppost with arms folded and expression locked, stood Elijah. Devon recognized that look guarded and ready to throw hands, even if they were only verbal.
The very people who had once rooted for them had now become obstacles. Not enemies, but not entirely friends either. Not anymore.
"You sure?" Kylie asked, stopping just a few steps away.
Devon looked down at her, his voice steady. "I need to say this. We both do."
She nodded.
They stepped into the circle like two soldiers walking into a war neither of them wanted but both knew they had to fight.
"So," Chloe said first, arms folded across her chest. "This a press conference, or are we just skipping straight to the drama?"
Kylie tilted her head. "Neither. It's a conversation. The one you all keep having without us."
Malik raised an eyebrow. "She's not wrong."
Elijah ignored him. "You two always show up like this. Together, dramatic, messy. Then the rest of us are left picking up the pieces."
Devon's jaw tensed. "If you've got something to say, say it."
Elijah pushed off the lamppost. "Fine. You're selfish, Devon. That's what I'm saying. Every time things get hard, you either blow up or disappear. You tanked practice for two weeks the last time you and Kylie were on the outs. Coach nearly benched you. And now here you are pulling the same stunt all over again."
Devon took a slow breath, stepping forward. "I've made mistakes. I know I screwed things up before. But I'm not ghosting anyone this time. I'm here, aren't I?"
"You're here now," Elijah snapped. "But when stuff gets heavy, you get gone. Don't act like that's not a pattern."
Chloe nodded, arms crossed tighter. "It's not just you, Devon. Kylie's not innocent either."
Kylie stiffened. "Excuse me?"
"Let's not pretend this is just some sweet love story, okay?" Chloe said. "You two lit a fire in the middle of campus last semester and everyone got burned. Raya? Gone. The media team? Dead. Your mental health? Shot. But here you are, acting like a slow dance at prom fixed it all."
Kylie clenched her jaw. "That's not fair."
"No?" Chloe shot back. "You begged us to help you move on. To help you stay focused. Now you're walking straight back into the chaos and expecting us to just… what? Smile and clap?"
"We're not asking for applause," Devon said, voice low but firm. "We're asking you not to weaponize our past."
Petrina, who had been quiet so far, finally spoke. "No one's trying to hurt you. But this isn't just about you two. You get back together, and the fallout lands on all of us. Again."
"You keep saying 'fallout' like we're some natural disaster," Kylie muttered.
"You kind of were," Chloe said. "Everything and everyone got caught in it."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Devon looked at Elijah. "You said I'm selfish. That I lose control. Fine. You're right. I was reckless with her. I let the pressure eat me alive, and I didn't ask for help. But I'm trying now. Doesn't that count for something?"
Elijah didn't reply.
Devon's voice cracked slightly. "I'm trying to be better. For her. For myself. And yeah, it might not be perfect, but we're not pretending anymore."
Kylie turned to Chloe. "And you. You want to talk about the damage? Let's talk. I did lose myself. I did lean on you too hard. But you know what hurt more than any fight with Devon? Watching my best friends look at me like I was a liability instead of someone trying to heal."
Chloe's mouth opened but no words came out.
Petrina shifted uncomfortably.
"I don't want to choose between him and you," Kylie continued, her voice trembling. "But I will choose my own peace. I'm not going to abandon him just to keep the friend group tidy. That's not fair to me, or him, or what we had."
"You think this is about being tidy?" Chloe whispered, eyes suddenly glassy. "You think this is about keeping things cute?"
Kylie blinked. "What else is it, then?"
"It's about watching you crumble and not being able to stop it," Chloe snapped. "It's about feeling useless while your whole life turned upside down. I was there. So was Petrina. And now it's like none of that mattered because he's back in your orbit."
Devon's head dropped for a second, the weight of it all finally catching up.
Kylie stepped forward. "It mattered. Of course it mattered. But maybe you're mad because you don't get to control the ending."
"Maybe I'm mad because I care," Chloe said. "And you're about to get hurt again."
Silence stretched out.
Finally, Malik broke it. "Yo, everyone's spitting fire, but maybe we chill before we all say things we regret."
Elijah gave a scoff, stepping back. "All I'm saying is—don't expect me to catch you again if this crashes."
"I'm not asking you to," Devon said, eyes hard.
Chloe glanced between them. "So what, you two are just going to pretend everyone else is the problem?"
"No," Kylie said. "We're saying we're allowed to try again."
Chloe looked at her for a long moment. Then finally, she sighed. "You know I love you, right?"
"I do."
"That's why this hurts."
"I know."
Petrina reached out and took Kylie's hand. "Just… promise us something. If it starts to fall apart again, you won't shut us out."
Kylie nodded, lips tight. "Promise."
Chloe turned her gaze to Devon. "And you? If you disappear on her again, I'll make sure Coach does bench you."
Devon gave a small, almost smile. "Deal."
The group slowly dispersed, the emotional wreckage still raw but no longer burning. They hadn't made peace not yet but the war had paused.
Later, as the sun dipped below the campus rooftops, Devon and Kylie sat on the concrete steps outside the gym.
"That was brutal," he said, rubbing his face.
"Yeah," Kylie replied. "But it was real."
"I didn't expect Elijah to go off like that."
"I didn't expect Chloe to cry."
They sat quietly for a moment.
Then Kylie leaned her head on Devon's shoulder. "We might lose some of them."
"Yeah," he said. "But maybe we earn them back. Slowly."
"You think it's worth it?" she whispered.
He turned, brushing his lips against her hair. "I think you are."
And in that moment no crowds, no whispers, no judgment there was nothing but truth between them.
They were bruised, uncertain, and standing on uneven ground. But they were standing together.
And for the first time in a long time, that felt like enough.
The wind picked up, rustling the trees that lined the quad, scattering dry leaves across the path. Devon reached down, picking one up and flipping it between his fingers before letting it go.
"It's weird," he said. "For the first time, I'm not afraid of what comes next. I'm just… here."
Kylie looked up at him. "I know the feeling. I used to plan every step ahead, just to feel safe. But this? Us? It's not safe. And somehow, I still want it."
He turned, eyes meeting hers. "We won't always get it right."
She nodded. "But we'll try."
They sat in the growing twilight, knees brushing, hearts still racing from the confrontation, but no longer shaken. Something had shifted. Not just between them, but inside them. The love wasn't perfect it was scarred and messy, forged in fire and silence but it was honest.
And maybe that was the kind that lasted.
Devon took her hand again.
Kylie leaned in.
The sky above them darkened, but neither of them noticed.
Together, they were finally facing forward.
Whatever came next, they'd face it on their terms.