Everleigh Carter had officially had enough.

She wasn’t a toy.
She wasn’t a chess piece in Jace Donovan’s twisted little game.
And she sure as hell wasn’t going to let him pull her around like he owned her.

But then he said it.

“I don’t like sharing. Especially not you.”

And now?

The entire school was talking.

Because nothing stays quiet in high school.
Not when the school's golden boy drags the girl he "hates" across the courtyard, nearly starts a fight, and then practically claims her in front of everyone.

Lunchroom – Ground Zero

Voices buzzed like flies.
Everleigh walked into the cafeteria and instantly regretted it.

Everyone was whispering.
Staring.
Gawking.

A girl from the drama club whispered, “Did you hear? Jace and Everleigh? He dragged her like—”

“I thought they hated each other!”

“I think he kissed her.”

(He hadn’t.)
Yet.

And there, in the middle of it all—
Jace.

Arms crossed, surrounded by his group, eyes locked on her like he’d been waiting.

Everleigh’s heart thundered.

She turned on her heel—
And walked right over.

Explosion

"Donovan."

He didn’t flinch. "Carter."

“You think you can just do that? In front of the whole school?”

Jace shrugged. “Do what?”

“Act like I’m yours!” she hissed. “Like you have the right to pull me away. To tell me who I can or can’t talk to—"

He stepped forward. “I do.”

The world froze.

Everleigh blinked. “What?”

“I do.” His voice was low, possessive, dangerous. “I don’t know what the hell you’ve done to me, but I can’t stand seeing you with anyone else. I don’t want to.”

Her heart stuttered.

And then—chaos.

Because Aiden, the guy Jace had pulled her from, showed up.

“Dude, back off,” Aiden said, stepping beside her. “She’s not yours.”

Wrong thing to say.

Jace snapped.

In a blur, chairs scraped, someone screamed—
Aiden shoved Jace and Jace hit back, fists flying.

Students shouted.
Phones came out.
Teachers raced across the room.

It was full-on chaos.

And in the middle of it, Everleigh stood frozen—

Because as they pulled Jace off Aiden, his lip split and fists clenched, he looked straight at her.

And she saw it.

The pain.
The anger.
The heartbreak.

And somewhere underneath it all…
The boy she once knew.

The boy who had promised to marry her when they were six.
The boy who’d held her hand and said he’d never let anyone hurt her.

The boy he didn’t remember being.

But she did.

And now?
Her heart was cracking open.

Just like the chaos around her.