Page 64 of Beautifully Broken

One Month Later

My routine’s pretty basic. Most days it’s school, home, homework—repeat.

I spend most of my time holed up in my room, trying to stay out of sight.

It’s easier that way. My mom is always stressed, and my stepdad.

.. yeah, he gives me the creeps. The way he watches me makes my skin crawl.

Just being in the same room as him puts me on edge, so I avoid it whenever I can.

When I’m not hiding out, I usually hang with Cali or sometimes go out with Jax. We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now, and the cheer squad absolutely hates it, which honestly makes it a little more fun. Jax is wild, confident, and way too charming for his own good.

Sometimes his best friend Van tags along.

Van’s the quiet type—smart, observant, always hanging back a little like he’s watching everything unfold.

He’s got that sexy-nerd vibe, the kind most girls overlook, but once you notice him, you really notice him.

His dirty blond hair is long on top, shaved on the sides, and there’s a silver ring through his eyebrow that somehow works perfectly.

His glasses don’t hide those amber eyes, either—they kind of make them stand out more.

Jax and Van together? Total opposites, but in the best way. Like, two sides of the hottest coin you’ ve ever seen.

***

I get home from school on Friday and, of course, he’s here— William , my stepfather.

Just the sight of him in the kitchen is enough to make my stomach turn.

I don’t say a word. I just head straight upstairs.

If there’s one good thing that came out of my mom marrying him, it’s my room.

It’s huge—queen bed, cozy reading nook, my desk tucked into the corner, a closet big enough to live in, and the bathroom?

Spa-worthy. A walk-in shower and a soaking tub that’s basically therapy.

If I didn’t have plans tonight, I’d be soaking in there with candles and bath salts, trying to forget the world.

Instead, I take a quick shower, hoping to dodge any awkwardness. But no such luck. As I’m stepping out, wrapped in a towel, I see him— standing in my doorway .

Seriously?

“Um, sorry, I didn’t hear you knock. If you give me five minutes, I can get dressed and come find you,” I say, clutching the towel tighter, my skin crawling.

He just stands there, watching me . Not even subtle about it. Leaning against the doorframe like this is casual, or okay.

“No, I can be quick,” he says, voice way too calm. “Just wanted to check how things are going at school. See if you need help connecting with the headmaster or anything.” Right. Because a fifteen-year-old in a towel really wants to talk about school with her stepfather in the doorway.

“Everything’s fine. Thank you.” I move to close the door, trying to send a very clear message—but he doesn’t budge. He leans his weight into it, stopping it from shutting.

My jaw tightens. He keeps talking, acting like he’s just being helpful, while his eyes follow me as I grab clothes from my bed. It makes my skin itch.

“I hear you’re friends with Calliope. Her mom’s close to the headmaster. They’re always part of his events. Maybe you could help him with her.”

Okay, what ? That’s enough. “Yeah, we are. She mentioned that” I say, voice like ice. “But I’ve got to get dressed and finish my homework before the game.”

I slip into my closet and lock the door behind me, finally breathing again.

Getting ready slowly, giving him enough time to disappear.

I know it doesn’t change anything. He’ll still be around.

He’s always around . Always watching. And it never feels right.

I trust my gut, and my gut says stay away from him .

I throw on a denim miniskirt and knot Jax’s burgundy football jersey at my waist, letting it show just a bit of stomach.

Something about wearing his number makes me feel grounded.

I finish my makeup, but as I do, I hear my mom calling from the kitchen.

“Are you going to join us for dinner?”

I head downstairs, but the second I see William at the table, his eyes on me like he’s still picturing me in that towel, I feel sick.

“No, I’m meeting my friends at the diner before the game. We’ll get our work done there,” I say, grabbing my bag and walking straight out the door without looking back.

I don’t get what my mom sees in him. I don’t know why she married him.

But I know I don’t trust him—or his friends.

They’re always watching, like everything I do is some kind of performance.

Creepy, powerful men that all seem connected by something I can’t quite name.

Cali works with the headmaster, who’s tight with William, but she won’t talk about it.

Says she doesn’t like him either, but she shuts down whenever I ask questions.

Something’s off. I feel it. I just need to stay out of it... or figure out what they’re hiding.

***

The bleachers are packed, the Friday night lights blinding, and the air smells like popcorn, sweat, and late-fall chill.

The entire school shows up for football games, and tonight is no different.

Music blasts from the speakers, cheerleaders bounce on the sidelines, and I’m squinting past the crowd, trying to find him.

Then I see #13. He’s in full quarterback mode—helmet off, eyes scanning the field, his dark hair sticking to his forehead from the heat under the lights.

His jersey hugs just right, showing off those stupidly broad shoulders and the way his forearms flex every time he throws the ball.

God, he looks like he belongs out there, commanding the field like it’s his personal stage.

Cali nudges me with her elbow. “You’ve got that look. ”

“What look?” I ask, even though I know.

“That ‘my boyfriend is hot and I know it’ look.” I roll my eyes, but yeah—I probably do.

He jogs into the huddle, focused, intense, and it hits me again how weird this all is.

A few weeks ago, Jax was just the guy every girl wanted and I was the new girl.

Now he’s the guy who calls me after practice and sends me half-stupid, half-sweet texts.

Who steals fries off my tray like he has a right to them.

The one that makes me feel like I’m not invisible.

The whistle blows. He takes his position behind the center, barking out signals, and my heart does this annoying little skip.

The ball snaps, and in a blink, he’s dodging, reading, and launching the ball like it’s nothing.

It sails across the field in a perfect spiral and lands right in the receiver’s hands.

Touchdown.

The crowd explodes.

Jax grins and throws a fist in the air as he heads to the sideline. I catch the way he glances toward the stands, like he’s looking for someone, for me.

He winks.

Just one quick wink. Casual, like it’s no big deal.

But it sends heat rushing to my face.

Cali whistles. “I swear, if he smiles at you like that again, the cheer squad might actually implode.”

“Let them,” I say, smiling to myself.

For a second, just one small second, I forget about the weirdness at home. About William. About the feeling that something’s off. All I can think about is Jax, out there on the field, looking like some kind of teenage superhero.

And the fact that—somehow—he picked me.

***

Six Months Later

This year has been... weird. Not bad exactly.

Just a mix of crazy, unexpected, and kind of amazing in ways I didn’t think it would be.

I mean, I actually like school? Who saw that coming?

My favorite class is Crime and Forensics.

It’s intense but super cool. All my classes are challenging, but I’ve kept straight A’s so far.

So yeah, maybe coming here wasn’t the total disaster I thought it would be.

If you ignore the cheerleaders, that is.

They hate my guts just because Jax, their golden boy, chose to date me .

Total Mean Girl energy. But whatever. Let them choke on their lip gloss.

Honestly, I still can’t believe Jax is dating me either.

He’s kind of perfect-quarterback, hot, confident in a way that’s actually attractive, not obnoxious.

And he’s sweet. He walks me to class, always holding my hand or with his arm around my waist or shoulders, and after football practice, he drives me home.

I go to all his football games, which are basically a whole thing, crowds, lights, noise, but I love watching him take control on the field.

Still, my favorite part? The drive home.

When it’s just us, the world is quiet, and he kisses me like I’m the only girl that exists.

He still calls me “little demon,” an inside joke from that first class, but treats me like I’m his princess.

And I think I’m falling for him. Like, really falling.

Cali’s been my ride-or-die since day one.

She warned me she was clumsy, but I didn’t expect this clumsy.

She’s always got some kind of bruise or cut, usually on her arms or legs.

I’ve told her maybe she should take a step back from helping the headmaster so much.

Whatever she’s doing seems rough. But she brushes it off like it’s nothing.

Says it’s her fault, not the work. I don’t buy it.

I know helping him helps her mom pay tuition, so she’s kind of stuck, but still something about it doesn’t sit right with me.

Then there’s Van. Total surprise. I didn’t plan on becoming friends with him, but now I can’t imagine school without him lurking around quietly and noticing everything.

He’s cute in that overlooked genius way- dirty blond hair, glasses, sharp amber eyes.

Definitely the ‘silent but hot’ type. I’m pretty sure Cali has a thing for him too.

She turns into a flustered mess whenever he talks to her or brushes against her.

It’s kind of adorable, honestly. But she never actually talks to him unless he starts it.

So yeah, six months in, and somehow I’ve got a hot boyfriend, an awesome best friend, and more questions than answers when it comes to what goes on behind the scenes at this school. But for now? I’m surviving—and maybe even kind of thriving .

Walking into school, I spot Jax and Van hanging out by the entrance. As soon as Jax sees me, his face lights up.

"Good morning, my little demon," Jax calls out, stepping forward and pulling me into his arms. His lips meet mine in a soft, warm kiss that makes my heart race just a little faster.

"Good morning, QB." I smile up at him, and he tucks me comfortably under his arm as we all head inside.

"Nova, you know he's just trying to keep you distracted so you don't realize how bad his pitching has been lately," Van teases, giving Jax a playful shove.

"Shut up, man," Jax shoots back, laughing. "Just because you couldn’t hit a ball to save your life doesn’t mean I’m losing my touch."

"Please, I’d be a star if I tried," Van grins, walking backward so he can face us. "But I leave the glory to you, Mr. Quarterback-slash-Pitcher-slash-Ego-with-legs."

I giggle, leaning more into Jax. "Don’t worry, Van, your charm is your real talent."

"Finally, someone gets it," Van says with a dramatic sigh, hand over his heart. "Jax, you better keep her around. If not I am going to make her mine. She’s the only one who understands me."

Jax laughs, squeezing me a bit tighter. "Don’t worry. I’m not letting her go."

When we reach the hallway, Jax gives me one last quick kiss before breaking off. "See you at lunch, my little demon."

"Yep, and Van will meet Cali and me between classes, right?" I confirm, glancing at Van.

"Absolutely," Van nods. "Since His Highness here has to do his baseball meeting thing. Because, you know, being a football god wasn’t enough—now he’s gotta conquer the baseball field too."

"Get out of here, Van," Jax says, shaking his head, but he's smiling.