XXVII

Danielle stayed in bed for a little while longer, texting Maya back with a simple i'm alive, thanks for asking. Took you long enough to check in before eventually dragging herself out of bed. The house was quiet, which meant Izzy had probably gone off to do whatever it was she did when she wasn't busy tormenting her niece.

By the time the sun had set, Danielle was sprawled out on the couch in the living room, mindlessly flipping through movie options on the giant TV mounted on the wall. She barely heard Izzy walk in until she felt the weight of her aunt dropping onto the other end of the couch.

"You're not just gonna mope all night, are you?" Izzy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Danielle rolled her eyes. "I'm not moping."

Izzy smirked. "You're scrolling through movies like you have no idea what you actually want to watch. That's classic mope behavior."

Danielle groaned but didn't argue. Instead, she tossed the remote toward Izzy. "Fine. You pick."

Izzy caught it effortlessly, leaning back as she started scrolling. "You better not complain."

Danielle grabbed a throw pillow, hugging it to her chest. "No promises."

Eventually, Izzy settled on some old action movie from the early 2000s—something ridiculous with over-the-top stunts and bad one-liners. Danielle raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

Izzy grinned. "It's a classic."

Danielle huffed but didn't protest. Instead, she let herself relax into the couch, pulling the blanket off the back of it and draping it over her legs. Izzy stole part of it without asking, making herself comfortable.

For the first half of the movie, they were quiet, just watching as explosions went off and the main character did some impossible stunt off a building. But then Izzy, never one to let things stay peaceful for long, glanced over at Danielle with a smirk.

"So, when's your next Maya encounter?"

Danielle groaned, sinking lower into the couch. "Can you not?"

"What? I'm just asking," Izzy said innocently, though the amusement in her voice was clear. "You two are clearly in some weird little push-and-pull thing. It's adorable."

Danielle scoffed. "It's not adorable."

Izzy shrugged. "You keep telling yourself that."

Danielle didn't respond. She just focused on the screen, pretending her face wasn't a little warmer than before.

Izzy chuckled, letting it go—for now. She leaned back, focusing on the movie again.

"Hey," Danielle said after a while, her voice quieter.

Izzy glanced over. "Yeah?"

Danielle hesitated for a second, then just shook her head. "Nothing. Just... thanks for this... everything."

Izzy softened a little, nudging Danielle's foot with her own. "Anytime, kid."

And with that, they fell into comfortable silence again, watching the rest of the movie with no more teasing—at least, not until Izzy saw an opportunity to make fun of one of the movie's terrible special effects.

As the credits rolled, Izzy stretched her arms over her head with a satisfied sigh. "See? Classic," she said, nudging Danielle's leg with her foot.

Danielle snorted. "Classic garbage, maybe."

Izzy gasped dramatically. "Excuse me? That was cinematic gold."

Danielle shook her head, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips. "If you say so."

Izzy glanced at the time. It was getting late, but she made no move to get up. Instead, she turned to Danielle with that all-too-familiar teasing smirk.

"So," she started casually, "you never answered my question earlier."

Danielle frowned. "What question?"

Izzy's smirk widened. "When's your next Maya encounter?"

Danielle groaned, throwing her head back against the couch dramatically. "Oh my God, why are you like this?"

Izzy laughed, leaning her head against the back of the couch as well. "Because it's fun to mess with you."

Danielle rolled her eyes but didn't argue. She could have told Izzy that she and Maya would probably see each other at school, that things were weird between them, that she wasn't entirely sure what this was between them—but she didn't.

Instead, she yawned, stretching her arms before grabbing the remote and turning the TV off. "I'm going to bed before you start another interrogation."

Izzy snickered but didn't stop her. "Goodnight, lover girl."

Danielle groaned again, smacking Izzy's arm lightly as she got up. "Never call me that again."

Izzy just laughed. "No promises."

Shaking her head, Danielle made her way upstairs, her mind still a little too full of thoughts about Maya.

She had a feeling sleep wouldn't come easy tonight, either.

Monday morning came too soon.

Sliding into her Bugatti, Danielle took a deep breath before starting the engine. Another week of school. Another week of her—Maya.

She wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing yet.

Danielle strode through the halls of the school like she owned the place. Because, in a way, she did.

Confidence radiated from her with every step, the sharp click of her boots against the polished floor cutting through the usual morning chatter. She ignored the curious glances thrown her way, the occasional murmurs as people took in her outfit, the effortless way she carried herself.

She wasn't here to be subtle.

Her destination was clear. Not the hole, where she knew Riley and Maya would be—no, she wasn't doing that today. She had no reason to.

Instead, she spotted William near their lockers, chatting casually with some of the guys from the football team. The second he noticed her, his expression shifted—something appreciative flickering in his eyes as he took her in.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said, grinning as she approached.

Danielle didn't hesitate. She placed a hand on his chest, tilting her head up slightly before pressing her lips to his in a firm, practiced kiss. It wasn't rushed. Wasn't hesitant. It was exactly what it needed to be—just enough to make a statement, just enough to keep her own thoughts at bay.

When she pulled back, she smirked. "Miss me?"

William chuckled, arms looping around her waist. "You know I did."

Danielle hummed in response, but her focus had already shifted. She could feel it—two pairs of eyes burning into her from across the hall.

She didn't turn her head. Didn't look.

She didn't have to.

She already knew who was watching.

Danielle leaned into William just a little more, allowing his arm to settle comfortably around her waist as he pulled her closer. She tilted her chin up slightly, flashing him a smirk while pretending she didn't feel the weight of Maya and Riley's gazes from across the hall.

She wasn't going to look.

She refused to look.

Instead, she let herself focus on William's voice, the way he murmured something low against her ear that she barely processed. It didn't matter what he was saying—it was the act of it, the familiarity of his presence. A distraction. A well-rehearsed role.

She played her part perfectly.

"So," William said, pulling back slightly to study her. "Where were you this weekend? Barely heard from you."

Danielle raised a brow. "Miss me that much?"

William smirked. "Maybe."

She chuckled, giving a careless shrug. "Just needed some time to myself. You know how it is."

It wasn't a lie. Not really. She had needed space. Needed time to get her thoughts in order. To remind herself of who she was.

Yet, despite all of that, she could still feel it. That pressure. That undeniable pull.

She hadn't looked once, but she knew—knew that Maya's stare was the strongest. That Riley was probably giving her that soft, knowing look. That they were watching her, trying to figure her out.

But Danielle didn't owe them anything.

Not today.

So she exhaled, lifting her chin as she finally glanced past William's shoulder—deliberately not looking in the direction of the hole.

"Walk me to class?" she asked, linking her arm through his.

William grinned. "Anything for you, babe."

And just like that, she walked away.

Without a single glance back.