The halls of Blackwood High had a way of swallowing sound—except when he was around. His laughter echoed like it owned the place, sharp and careless, wrapped in the easy confidence that came with old money and a face people didn’t dare forget. Felix Kingsley. Star of the basketball team, top of every class without even trying, the kind of boy who made walking through life look like a game he was always winning.

And then there was her.

She kept her head down, books hugged tight to her chest, sketchbook slipping between pages like a secret she couldn’t risk anyone seeing. She wasn’t invisible—not with her sharp wit and curves that refused to be ignored—but she wished she was. Especially when Felix’s shadow crossed her path. Especially when his words, dipped in sarcasm and smiles that didn’t reach his eyes, found their mark.

Funny how childhood friends could turn into strangers. Funnier how strangers could become enemies.

But the thing about enemies? They’re just people you know too well to hate for real.

And sometimes, the line between hate and something else entirely is thinner than a whisper.