Page 15 of Checks & Bonds

I clenched my fists, fighting to keep control. "This isn't up for debate. We're done."

"You're making a mistake," she hissed, her voice low and venomous.

"Maybe," I admitted, feeling a strange sense of calm wash over me as I turned away from her. "But it's my mistake to make."

Rebecca stood there, silent for once, as I walked away from the secluded spot behind the café and back towards the chaos of campus life. My mind raced. I had to find Freya before it was toolate. She didn't know the danger she was in, didn't understand the true nature of Ravenwood and the men who lurked within its shadows.

My feet pounded against the pavement as I cut across campus, ignoring the curious glances from passing students.

The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the quad.

My heart hammered in my chest, each beat a reminder of the urgency. I reached the library, bursting through the doors and scanning the rows of bookshelves. Freya had to be here, somewhere amidst the quiet aisles and whispered conversations. I would find her.

I had to.

5

Freya

Iwrapped my hands around the steaming cup of hot chocolate, letting its warmth seep into my fingers. Despite the season, the air held a stubborn chill, as if winter hadn't quite loosened its grip on Autumn Brooke. I stood at the edge of the soccer field, watching practice unfold before me.

Dan moved across the field with a grace that seemed effortless, his brown hair tousled by the wind. Every step he took felt deliberate, powerful. His eyes, a pale green, focused intently on the ball. He wore determination like a second skin, and it made my heart ache to see him like this.

We had shared so much once. His laugh echoed in my memories, a sound that could lift my spirits no matter how heavy my heart felt. Now, it seemed so distant, almost like it belonged to another lifetime.

I took a sip of the hot chocolate, savoring its sweetness even as bitterness twisted inside me. Dan's voice carried across the field as he called out to his teammates, guiding them with an authority that came naturally to him. His leadership had always been one of the things I admired most about him.

"Freya!"

Ivy's voice broke through my reverie. She approached with a casual stride, her own cup of coffee in hand. "Watching practice again?"

"Yeah," I replied, not taking my eyes off Dan. "Old habits die hard."

Ivy followed my gaze and nodded knowingly. "He's doing well this season."

"Always does," I muttered.

The truth was harder to face than I cared to admit. Seeing Dan out there reminded me of what we had and what we lost. The times we spent together flashed before my eyes—late-night talks under starlit skies, stolen kisses in hidden corners of Crestwood.

Dan's laughter rang out again as he joked with his teammates during a break. That sound used to be mine; now it felt foreign and far away.

Ivy nudged me gently. "You okay?"

"I will be," I said, more to convince myself than her.

Dan caught sight of us then and looked away, turning back to his practice. It was a simple gesture, but it sent a pang through my chest all the same.

As I watched him return to the game, all I could do was hold onto the warmth of my hot chocolate and try to remember how to breathe again without him by my side.

"Liam and I are going to see the latest slasher flick," she said, her voice light with excitement. "Want to come?"

"And be a third wheel while you make out during the movie?" I shook my head, a smirk tugging at my lips. "I don't think so. I need to talk to Dan, anyway."

Ivy's face softened, concern darkening her eyes.

"I'll be okay," I assured her. "I promise."

"I know." She forced a smile, squeezing my arm gently. "Call me," she said before turning to leave.

---