The lie they told was still fresh on Maya’s lips, bitter like blood. It stayed with her, sitting in her chest like a weight she couldn’t shake. But it had bought them something rare: time. Time to figure out what came next, time to steady their racing hearts, and time to hold on to what they had; this dangerous, thrilling thing between her and Leo.

But around them, the world didn’t slow down. It sped up.

Leo was healing but not fast enough. Coach Thorne, already under pressure from Sir ...