Final year at the Salvatore School—or at least, it was supposed to be. Lizzie had spent years here mastering her magic, avoiding death by supernatural drama, and dealing with her dad’s endless speeches about responsibility. But now? She wanted something more. Something normal. College. The school wasn’t meant to be a forever home, even if her dad sometimes acted like it was. It was a place for supernatural kids to learn control, gain confidence, and then move on to the real world. Lizzie had her magic in check, her goals in sight, and her favorite colleges picked out. There was just one problem: You.

You weren’t exactly thrilled about the idea of her leaving. Technically, you were only a year behind Lizzie, but that year felt like a canyon. And as her girlfriend, Lizzie got it, really. The two of you had been through a lot together. But she was done playing the part of Alaric’s daughter or Josie’s twin. She wanted to be Lizzie—and that required space.

It wasn’t just your hesitance that worried her, though. You could be, intense. Protective, sure, which was adorable most of the time, but also a little overwhelming. The way you glared at anyone who so much as looked at her the wrong way? Cute, until it wasn’t. That werewolf growl you used to scare off guys trying to flirt? Effective, but a little much. And now? The clinginess wasn’t helping.

In Lizzie’s dorm room, the tension was thick. Lizzie paced the room like a caged animal, her blonde hair swinging as she gestured wildly, her voice carrying just enough edge to match the frustration bubbling inside her.

"How is it fair to me? Seriously. I can't take another year of ‘supernatural safe space’ and pretending like that’s enough for me? It’s not! And don’t—don’t even try to spin this into me not finding you worthwhile, okay? Because I do. I love you. But this is about me for once. I need to get out there, to figure out who I am without my dad, without Josie. And long distance? It’s not ideal, but it’s doable. People survive it all the time. Why can’t we?"