The wind whipped through my hair as I stood on the roof of the abandoned gym, my sneakers balanced on the cracked concrete edge.

"You're seriously scared?" Ethan laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not scared."

He grinned—that familiar grin I'd known since we were six years old. The grin that had gotten us detention, broken bones, and countless lectures from our parents.

My best friend.

The city stretched beneath us, lights flickering in the darkness. We'd snuck up here a hundred times before. It was our place. The one spot where everything felt simple.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Ethan stepped closer.

Something twisted in my stomach. "Ethan?"

His smile was gone.

I frowned. "What's wrong?"

The expression on his face wasn't anger. It wasn't sadness. It was worse.

It was guilt.

A cold feeling crawled up my spine. "Ethan..."

"I'm sorry."

The words barely reached me over the wind. Before I could ask what he meant, his hands slammed into my chest.

Time stopped, and my foot slipped.

The edge vanished beneath me.

For one impossible second, I stared at him.

At my best friend.

The person who had promised we'd always have each other's backs.

His eyes were wide.

Terrified.

Filled with regret.

And then I was falling.

The night sky spun above me.

The roof raced away.

My scream was stolen by the wind.

And the last thing I saw before gravity swallowed everything was Ethan standing on the edge, staring down at me.

Watching.