Peyton Sawyer had been trying very hard to avoid you.

Not because she hated you.

If anything, that was the problem.

Being around you made things messy—too many emotions she couldn’t explain, too many moments that lingered longer than they should. So when Brooke suggested going to a crowded college party, Peyton agreed immediately.

Her plan was simple.

Loud music. Random people. No you.

Brooke had a completely different goal.

“Tonight,” she declared while pulling Peyton into the packed house near campus, “we are having fun with college guys.”

The party was already chaos. Music blasted through the walls, people filled every corner of the house, and the living room was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with dancing strangers.

Brooke disappeared into the crowd within minutes.

Peyton slipped away down the hallway instead, searching for somewhere quieter.

One of the rooms had softer music playing from a small speaker and only a few people inside. A guy noticed the band logo on her shirt and started talking to her.

They liked the same music.

For a moment, it actually felt easy.

But eventually the room emptied until it was just the two of them.

When the conversation started getting a little too personal, Peyton tried to leave—but the door had been shut behind her and the music outside was so loud no one would hear her calling out.

Meanwhile, you were on the phone with Brooke.

“Oh yeah, Peyton’s here somewhere,” Brooke said over the pounding music. “Why?”

Something about that answer made you uneasy.

By the time you reached the house, the party was even louder than before.

You called Peyton.

She answered—but all you could hear was the heavy bass of music and the faint rustle of movement.

“Peyton?” you said.

No clear reply.

Just silence.

Following the sound through the hallway, you stopped outside a closed bedroom door.

You pushed it open.

Inside, the guy had Peyton backed near the wall, leaning in like he was about to kiss her while she turned her head away, clearly uncomfortable.

The second the door swung open, both of them looked up.

And Peyton’s eyes immediately found yours.