Daphne's POV
I excuse myself to the washroom, and Liv and Cami follow. The rest of the group heads to the cafeteria.
It's a little awkward between us as we walk, the silence stretching longer than it should. Thankfully, Cami breaks it first.
"So, Daph, how's Europe?"
I nod, forcing a small smile. "Good. Busy. Hope things have been fine with you too." My voice is a little nervous, but I push through it.
Liv scoffs, crossing her arms. "Sure. Miss Perfect had a great time after mysteriously disappearing on us." She laughs, but there's no humor in it.
Cami sighs. "Liv, let's not go there, please."
But Olivia isn't done. She leans against the sink, tilting her head. "Oh, right. You were just sooo busy in Europe. Too busy to even send a single text?" She claps her hands together, feigning realization. "Wait—silly me. I forgot. We're only important when it's convenient for you."
Something snaps in me. I exhale sharply, meeting her gaze.
"Olivia, not everything revolves around you and the group, okay? People have their own lives, their own shit to deal with. And in case you forgot, I already apologized. If that's not enough for you, then maybe you should stop making things harder than they already are."
The tension between Liv and me finally snaps.
One second, we're exchanging heated words. The next, we're grabbing each other's hair like two kids in a schoolyard brawl.
We're both trained fighters. We know how to land proper punches, how to take someone down in a single move. But right now? We're just pulling hair, shoving, and trying to overpower each other like we're five years old.
"Are you serious right now?" Cami groans, trying to pull us apart. "What the hell is wrong with you two?"
Neither of us listens.
"Maybe if you weren't such a self-absorbed—" Liv snaps, tugging harder.
"Self-absorbed? That's rich coming from—" I shoot back, shoving her against the sink.
"Guys, STOP IT!" Cami finally yells, stepping between us with enough force to separate us. Her voice echoes through the washroom, and for the first time, Liv and I freeze.
Breathing heavily, we glare at each other, but Cami isn't done. She looks straight at me, her expression hard.
"Daphne, I love that you have this wonderful life—dreams, aspirations, all of it. But right now, I am completely and fully against you."
The words hit like a slap.
Cami takes a deep breath before continuing. "When you left, I lost my cousin and my best friend. So did Cass. He might act like he's okay, but he's not. Liv was lost most of the time. And the boys? They went crazy looking for you. Especially Leon."
Leon.
I open my mouth, but no words come out.
"When Roman heard you were gone, we were all confused. We thought it was just a vacation. But was it really?" Her voice drops slightly. "At least Julian told us he was leaving. He kept in contact. But for a long time, none of us knew you two had left together. None of us knew where you were."
Her voice thickens with emotion. "And when we finally did? The only thing we got was a damn 'happy birthday' text and a half-assed apology."
Silence.
Cami exhales sharply, shaking her head. "We're not wrong for being angry, Daphne. Whatever happened to you before you left, we thought it was just a phase. We thought you'd be fine. That we'd get our old Daph back."
Her eyes meet mine, and for the first time, I see the hurt underneath her frustration.
"But you left without a word," she finishes, voice quieter now. "So I don't know if you need to hear this or not, but forgiving you? It's not going to be easy."
I swallow hard, my throat tight.
And for the first time since I walked into that classroom, I feel the weight of what I did crash down on me.
Leon's POV
They enter the cafeteria, laughing and talking, but something feels off. As they get closer, I notice the scratches on their faces, slightly ripped clothes, and messy hair—though it looks like they tried to fix it. They always fought like kids, and she always ended up with bruises. I remember cleaning her up after she and Liv wrestled over a crayon or some other stupid thing. But they always made up. Nobody questions them because everyone knows what really must have happened.
My eyes land on her. She looks like she's just cried—a lot. The scratches on her face make me want to go over and clean them up, but she's learned how to handle her own messes now.
She's beautiful. Even with bruises, she's always been beautiful.
Cami insists we go shopping immediately because they "need to change, blah blah blah"—she just keeps yapping. But the only person I can focus on is Daphne. She and JJ are wrapped up in their own little world, laughing at something. She's sitting on his lap, like it's the most natural thing in the world.
Sometimes, they make me jealous.
They seem like a couple all on their own.
I feel something tighten in my chest, but before I can dwell on it, JJ claps his hands together.
"Alright, time to leave. How about Leo, Mae, Cass, and Roman come together? I'll roll in with the ladies."
Daphne's POV
In the car, we were laughing and dancing, music blasting as we let the moment take over. But even through all the fun, I could tell JJ was nervous. Not in an obvious way—no one else would notice—but I knew him too well.
Julian and I never kept secrets from each other. At least, not the big ones. And I already knew what was on his mind.
The others didn't.
He was scared—not of what he had to say, but of how they would take it.
I reached over, giving his hand a quick squeeze.
He didn't look at me, just squeezed back.
Yeah. He was nervous.
And if JJ was nervous... maybe I should be too.