ZARA
There was something about Levi that didn't sit right with me.
He wasn't like Liam, whose charm was obvious, whose flirtations came with a grin and a twinkle in his eye. Levi was quieter, his words slower, like he measured each one before letting it go. That should've comforted me—especially after everything I'd been through with Liam—but instead, it made me feel like I was constantly walking through a fog I couldn't quite see through.
That afternoon, I sat under our usual tree near the courtyard, sketchbook in my lap, pretending to draw. My pencil made faint strokes on the paper, but my mind wasn't on the page. It was on Levi. On the way he'd appeared beside me yesterday like he already knew I'd be there. On the way he had taken the bracelet—the one Liam gave me—without asking questions, like he knew exactly what that moment meant.
And now, I couldn't stop wondering: Why was he helping me? Was it guilt? A weird sense of justice? Or… something else?
Later, at lunch, I pushed my tray around more than I ate. Kaylee noticed first.
"You okay?" she asked gently.
I didn't answer at first. Just shrugged.
Nick was sitting across from me, sipping his juice, eyes narrowed slightly. Watching me the way he always did when he knew something was off.
"I talked to Levi," I said finally, setting my fork down. "He's been… around a lot lately. Offering rides. Sitting beside me. And it's not that I don't appreciate it, but—"
"You think he's playing another game," Kaylee finished quietly.
Nick leaned forward. "He's still Liam's friend," he said slowly, like he was working through the thought himself. "So I get it. But… I've seen Levi at basketball practice. He doesn't talk much, barely hangs out with the guys unless it's necessary. Doesn't act like one of them."
"He walks with them," I said flatly. "That's enough."
Nick shrugged. "I'm just saying, maybe he's not like the rest. Maybe he's trying to be decent, in his own way."
Kaylee looked unsure. "I've never really spoken to him before. But… maybe Nick's right? Maybe he feels guilty."
I sighed, fingers running through my hair. "I don't know. I just… I don't trust easily anymore. And I'm not in a place where I can afford to be wrong again."
Nick reached across the table and gave my hand a squeeze. "That's fair. But if you ever feel like giving someone a second chance—not romantically, just as a person—maybe Levi deserves one."
I looked between them both, their faces softened by concern. Kaylee, my best friend who had stood by me even when I didn't deserve it. Nick, my stepbrother who turned out to be more of a shield than I ever imagined.
"I'll think about it," I murmured.
But even as I said it, the wariness didn't leave. Because deep down, I wasn't sure if Levi wanted my forgiveness—or just a piece of the broken girl Liam left behind.