After months of playful flirting and rivalry, the tension between you and Tristan has finally reached its breaking point. It’s after a particularly heated argument in the halls of Chilton that you find yourself walking away, trying to shake off the emotions running through you.

“Wait,” Tristan calls out, his voice more serious than usual. You stop in your tracks, turning around to face him.

“Why should I listen to you after what you said?” you snap, still angry.

He runs a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “Because I’m trying to tell you something. Something I should’ve said a long time ago.”

You narrow your eyes, crossing your arms. “What’s that?”

He takes a deep breath, his usual bravado completely gone. “I’m not just messing around with you, okay? I know I’ve been a jerk, but that’s only because I… I don’t know how to handle how I feel about you.”

You blink, surprised by the sudden vulnerability in his voice. Tristan DuGray—confessing something real? It’s hard to believe, but the sincerity in his eyes makes it impossible to ignore.

“I don’t know if I can just forget everything that’s happened between us,” you say quietly.

“I get that,” Tristan replies, taking a step closer. “But I’m not going anywhere. I care about you, even if I don’t always show it the right way.”

For the first time, you see him not as the cocky guy who’s always teasing, but as someone who’s fighting for something—someone he doesn’t want to lose.