med shut behind Mehak, the echoing bang rat

on her knees, jumped half a foot in the air. She slamm

black rivers down her pale cheeks, and her chest heaved with ragged, gasping breaths. She didn't say a word. Sh

ts aside and leaping out of bed. She rushed across the room, grabb

opped into her desk chair, her fingers clawing at the wood. "It was all a lie, Sana. Zeeshan...

old you so"-though every line of her posture screamed it. Instead, she knelt b

an her. You are a brilliant, beautiful girl who is going to ace economics, and you are not going to let so

t. It was burning hot, heavy, and suffocat

ain-the same terrifying impulse that had whispered to her the first time she found ou

Her fingers pushed past highlighters, sticky notes, and

mall, sharp craft blade she h

ening in sudden, sharp alarm as she saw what Mehak wa

lled the plastic guard off the blade, pressed the cold, razor-thin

whispered in her head. Just enou

with terrifying speed, slamming her hand down over Mehak's wrist and knocking the

ripped Mehak's arm with both hands, tears springing to her own eyes. "Do you want to kill yourself over

hing back in like cold water. The blade was gone

king completely as she collapsed forward into her roommate's arms, cryin

ainst her chest and rocking her back and forth. "I've got you. You're goin

sat on her bed, wrapped in a heavy fleece blanket, staring blankly at the wall while

was shattered by a violent, rele

bang

e door! I know

thless, and completely unhinged. The cool, collected v

pure murder on her face. She took two steps tow

coldly to Mehak. "I'm goin

again. Natasha wasn't just knocking anymore; she was shaki

re rage. Before she could throw the lock and unleash a lifetime of well

ck it down!" Natasha's voice shrieked from the hallway, stripped of all its sm

shing dangerously as she turned the lock a

ather jacket was crooked, her dark hair was a wild mess of tangled waves, and her e

anket, pale and red-eyed on the bed, a

a gasped, takin

path, shoving her firmly back by the chest. "You've done enough damage for one lifetime, you toxic narci

rk eyes were entirely locked on Mehak, g

s shoulder. "Tell her to let me talk to you. I know you're hurting. I know you saw t

t look up from her hands. "Explain how you lied to my face every single day? Explain how you

ning shove. "Every single word I said to you was real, Mehak! I didn't plan on falling for you, but I

re empty of the adoration that used to live there, replaced by a cold, heavy heartbreak. "You

red at Mehak, seeing the absolute finality in her eyes, and fo

me?" Natasha whispered, her voic

ulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Just leave. Go

lway. "You heard her. Door's right behind you, hurricane

at Mehak one last time. When she realized there were no more words left that could fix wh

and walked out into the hallway, her footsteps fa

r click

k. The storm was over. The damage was done. But as she took a deep, steady breath of