Chapter 5. Ripped Halos

The words followed her into her dreams.

You can lie to yourself, Hale. But you can’t lie to me.

Axel’s voice clung like grit, seeping under her skin, grinding in her chest, no matter how she tried to push it out. By morning, she’d barely slept, her sheets twisted around her like chains.

Crestwood High looked the same—sunlight on polished lockers, banners advertising the fall dance—but everything felt sharper, heavier. People stared. She heard whispers in the cafeteria line, in the hallways.

“Isn’t that the new girl with Wolfe?”

“They were seen on his bike last night.”

“She’s brave—or stupid.”

Riven shoved her tray down on the lunch table and sat alone. She picked at her food, every bite turning to ash. It wasn’t just the rumors. It was the way Axel had looked at her when the bike roared back to life under her hands—like she’d confirmed something he already suspected.

And worse, the way her pulse had jumped when his fingers brush