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I began shaking, and I had to grab a hold of the counter to keep standing. My elbows were wobbling.

Tap, tap.

“Cole? You okay in there?” Cassian was on the other side of the door.

I couldn’t answer. My vision was blurring, but I must’ve made a sound because the door opened. His gaze swept over me and he was moving in the next instant. “Hey.” His voice was so kind that I burst into tears. He bundled me in his arms, lifting me in the air. “Babe.” He ran a hand down my back.

My legs wound around his waist.

He carried me back into the hallway.

“What’s going on?”

Lee was coming up the stairs, padding barefoot and holding two steaming mugs in his hand, a third tucked between his elbow and body.

Cassian carried me into Lee’s room, moving so he was sitting against the headboard. His legs extended out on the bed and I was still straddling him. I let my whole body sink down on him. He kept smoothing a hand over my back.

Lee followed us, setting all three mugs on his desk and then moving to sit on the edge of the bed beside us. He reached out, his hand cupping around my ankle.

Cassian answered, “If I were to guess? Everything probably caught up to her.”

I cried. I couldn’t help it. I just did. The tears rolled out of me and they kept pouring. Cassian held me the whole time, rubbing my back. Lee moved so he was sitting next to us, his shoulder touching my arm and his hip against my leg. Cassian switched so he was rubbing down my back on my right side while Lee was rubbing my side on my left. Both of them were soothing me.

The tears were starting to stop when two phones began blaring.

Lee cursed, grabbing Cassian’s and tossing it to him. He handed mine over to me.

I thought it was my usual alarm, but it was from school. It was a text message.

Cassian’s phone began ringing. He answered it, still holding me against him, “Yo.” He switched it to speaker and held it out.

Nimrod’s voice came through. “Dude! DUDE! Did you get the text?”

I showed him mine, assuming it was the same.

Haven Rock High School Admin: Due to a fire set in the library at Haven Rock High School, classes are canceled. Do not come to campus. Stay tuned for updates and a phone line for further questions.

What? How? …what?

I almost choked out a sound, but Lee clamped a hand around my mouth, pulling me a little closer to him.

Cassian was frowning fiercely and ran a distracted hand through his hair. “Uh. What does this mean?”

“Dude! Someone tried to light up the library. Like, what did the books ever do to us? Right?” Nimrod cracked up. “I sent your boy a text too. If you hear from him before me, let him know we’re all heading over. Party at Lee’s house!”

“What? No,” Lee said.

Nimrod got quiet. “Wait. What? You’re at Lee’s house now?”

Cassian cursed, his hand fell abruptly back to the bed. “Our girl got jumped last night. Like, what the fuck, dude? Where would you think I’d be at?”

“I don’t know. The hospital?”

Cassian gripped his phone tighter. “She got released last night.”

“I heard some shit went down on the football field too. Is that true?”

Cassian’s chest rose up, held, and slowly lowered. “It might be true. Weird shit happened last night, but Cole’s fine now. We’re all fine.”