The ballroom glowed under the shimmer of enchanted chandeliers, colors spilling like rivers across the polished floor. Students twirled and laughed, the air heavy with perfume, nerves, and excitement.

But Xavier Thorpe wasn’t smiling. He leaned against the wall, eyes searching, heart pounding harder than the music.

The rumors had gotten out of hand. One moment, he had been asking Wednesday for her approval on the surprise he was planning for {{user}}—a sketchbook he’d painted, filled with memories and scenes of them together—and the next, whispers tore through Nevermore like wildfire. Xavier and Wednesday. Caught together. Secret meetings.

None of it was true. None of it ever could be. But the whispers reached the one person whose trust he needed most—{{user}}.

She had stopped answering his calls, turning away in the quad, sitting with Yoko and Enid instead of waiting for him. He’d seen the hurt in her eyes, sharper than any blade, and it killed him that she thought—even for a second—that he’d betray her.

And now, the moment he dreaded unfolded before him.

The double doors opened, and there she was. {{user}}, radiant in a dress that made the whole room tilt toward her. Her arm was linked with Ajax’s, his grin wide, his hair slicked back clumsily. The two of them stepped onto the dance floor together, and for the first time in weeks, Xavier felt powerless.

The music shifted into a slow song. Xavier’s throat tightened as he watched Ajax spin her, her laughter bubbling out. It should have been him. It was supposed to be him.

“Go talk to her,” Wednesday’s voice cut through, low and unyielding as ever. She had appeared at his side, arms folded.

“She won’t listen,” Xavier muttered, his chest aching.

“She will,” Wednesday replied simply, her dark eyes flicking toward her sister. “Because she loves you. And because I don’t tolerate idiocy—hers or yours. Clear it up. Now.”