Page 29 of Can't Stop Watching

I sink onto her pristine white couch. "What if I'm making a huge mistake? After Mr. Colton, I swore I'd never?—"

"Stop." Tessa sits beside me. "Dane isn't Colton. He's not your teacher or in a position of power over you. And from what you've told me, he seems to actually respect boundaries."

"Yeah, but?—"

"But nothing. You deserve something good. Even if it's just dinner with a hot guy who looks at you like you're the only person in the room."

I take a deep breath. "Fine. But if I end up dead, I'm haunting you forever. I'll rearrange your color-coded closet and hide one shoe from every pair you own."

"God, your evil. But deal. Now let's talk accessories. You can't fight off a serial killer without the right earrings."

I'm halfway through trying on Tessa's collection of statement earrings when my phone buzzes. Probably Joey asking me to cover someone's shift again. I swear he thinks I have no life outside that bar.

"One sec," I tell Tessa, fishing my phone from my purse. "If it's Joey asking me to work tonight, I might actually commit a felony."

I check my notifications and nearly drop the phone.

"Holy shit." My voice comes out as a whisper.

"What? Is it Dane canceling? Because if so, I already have a voodoo doll started and?—"

"No, it's—" I turn the screen toward her. "Veritas. They want to interview me. Tuesday at 2 PM."

Tessa's scream could shatter glass. She throws her arms around me, nearly knocking me over. "I knew it! I fucking knew they'd want you!"

The email glows on my screen:Dear Ms. Marks, We are pleased to invite you for an interview for the Investigative Journalism Internship...

"This is huge," I say, my heart pounding. "Like, life-changing huge."

"Forget the date outfit," Tessa declares, spinning toward her closet with renewed purpose. "We need to find you something that screams 'hire me to uncover your biggest stories' and also 'I'm professional enough not to get you sued.'"

I laugh, but she's right. The internship at Veritas is everything I've been working toward. Their exposés on corrupt politicians and predatory CEOs are legendary in journalism circles. The kind of work that actually makes a difference.

"What about this?" Tessa pulls out a charcoal pantsuit that somehow manages to look both serious and stylish.

"I love it." I take it from her, holding it against me. "God, can you imagine? Working at Veritas? Their piece on that pharmaceutical company price-gouging literally changed legislation."

"You and me," Tessa says, eyes gleaming with ambition. "Future journalism powerhouses. They won't know what hit them."

"You at Catalyst and me at Veritas? We'd be unstoppable." I hang the suit carefully on Tessa's door. "Veritas is legend!"

"Bringing down bad guys with nothing but a laptop and sheer fucking brilliance?" Tessa grins. "It's what you were born for."

She's not wrong. Ever since New Orleans, I've dreamed of having that kind of power—the ability to shine a light into dark corners, to make those who hurt others face consequences. To create the justice I never got.

"Maybe I could even pitch something about teacher-student relationships," I say, trying to sound casual. "You know, the grooming, the power dynamics..."

Tessa's expression softens. She knows what I'm really saying. "You'd crush that story, Lila. And Veritas would be lucky to have someone who understands it from the inside."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "Anyway, let's focus. I need to nail this interview."

"And your date," Tessa adds, returning to her closet. "Don't think I've forgotten about Detective Dark and Dangerous."

I laugh. "One life-changing event at a time, please."

But as Tessa pulls out blouses and blazers, talking about power accessories and interview techniques, I can't help imagining it: me at Veritas, uncovering truths, protecting people who can't protect themselves.

Making men like Mr. Colton pay.