Ariana’s POV
The week dragged like a knife against my spine. The whispers hadn't stopped they'd just gotten quieter, meaner. Everyone acted like they weren’t talking about me, but their eyes screamed the truth.
I wasn’t stupid.
The video. The stares. The pity. The hunger.
It was all still there. Just hiding behind fake smiles and turned heads.
Roman had tried to shield me from it. He walked me to class, picked me up, kissed me breathless in the shadows like he didn’t give a damn who saw. But I cared. I felt every look like it was peeling my skin.
I didn’t blame him. Not really. I blamed her.
Maddi.
That venomous b***h who had tried to ruin me. And maybe… she had. Maybe she wanted to break me down and see what it looked like when Roman Sinclair lost control.
But I was still standin
