Jake grabs one, tossing it over his shoulder with a grin. "Yes, ma'am."

"Nora," she says, wiping her hands. "Your phone's been going off. I think Camilla texted you about eighty times."

"Shit!" I smack my forehead. "I totally forgot I'm meeting her and Mia soon."

“I’ll give you a lift.” Jake offers.

When Jake drops me off I sit in my usual spot and pull out my notebook. But the words won't come. My mind is a tangle of grief, fear, and the humiliation Evan left branded on my soul. No matter how hard I push against this weight, it won't budge.

The door chimes, and I look up reflexively.

My stomach drops when I see Connor walk through the door.

He approaches with that entitled swagger, wearing what he probably thinks is a sincere expression.

“Nora, listen, uh, about the other night. I was just..."

I stare him down, his half-baked apology hanging stale in the air. "You were just what, Connor?"

His face hardens. "Jesus, I'm trying to be nice here. You don't have to be such a bitch about it."

“Just leave me alone," I cut him off, ice in my voice.

The door chimes again, and my heart plummets further. Evan. His eyes lock onto mine immediately, that predatory smirk spreading across his face. My skin crawls—he can smell fear like a shark smells blood.

"Well, look who it is," he drawls. "Where's the bloodhound? Your pet not around to keep an eye on you today, huh?"

I clench my jaw, but before I can respond, his hand brushes my cheek.

The moment his fingers make contact, my stomach lurches violently. A wave of nausea hits me so hard I can taste bile rising in my throat. My skin crawls, like thousands of icy spiders racing beneath the surface. My lungs seize, breath caught somewhere between inhale and scream.

"Come on, Nora, why the cold shoulder? We got pretty friendly last summer, didn't we? Thought we were past this whole 'I don't know you' act."

Connor's eyebrows shoot up as realization dawns. "So that's why you weren't interested," he sneers. "You already fucked my cousin?"

It’s no wonder they’re related—poison runs in families.

Reality fractures around me, the ground beneath my feet suddenly unstable. My pulse hammers in my ears, drowning out everything except the sickening memory his touch drags to the surface. Before I can defend myself, shame burns up my neck like acid, tears threatening to spill. The humiliation, the fear—it's as fresh as yesterday. I want to run, but I'm frozen in place, my body locked in a horrifying replay I can't escape.

Then, like an avenging angel, Camilla's voice cuts through the toxic air.

"You know what we need that only you two can provide right now?" She storms over with Mia close behind, both radiating protective fury.

"Your absence," Camilla snaps. "Now get lost, both of you."