Chapter 12 Chapter 14 Chapter 13: Wear His Name POV: Valeria Cruz I don’t expect her. When the car pulls up, I’m crouched down in front of Mateo, tying his shoelaces for the third time because he keeps loosening them the second I finish. “Stay still,” I say, tightening the knot “I am still.” “You’re

Chapter 11 Chapter 13 Chapter 12: Say Something Back POV: Valeria Cruz The next morning feels different, not easier, just… clearer. Like something inside me finally settled, not fixed or healed, but just steady. I’m still tired, carrying everything from yesterday, the day before that, and the night that changed everything. But now, I’m not

Chapter 10 Chapter 12 Chapter 11: The Part They Don’t See POV: Valeria Cruz The drive is quiet. Not awkward. Just… calm. The kind of quiet that doesn’t demand anything from you. I sit in the passenger seat, watching the streetlights pass one by one, my fingers loosely wrapped around the strap of my bag.

Chapter 9 Chapter 11 Chapter 10: It Wasn’t Just an Excuse Anymore POV: Valeria Cruz Somewhere between the fourth time we hung out and now, it stopped being an excuse. It wasn’t about math anymore. We didn’t even bring notebooks. At first, it was small things. Walking instead of sitting. Talking instead of pretending to