Chapter 6 She quietly turned away, avoiding them as she walked toward the back garden of the school. There was an old banyan tree there. Its thick trunk still bore the names she and Jace had once carved into the bark, with a small heart drawn beside them. Back in their first year of high school, he had pulled her over and carved it himself, stroke by stroke, with a small knife. He said he wanted to carve her into his life forever. Now, Sloane pulled out the key she always carried and found that old engraving. Slowly, firmly, she scraped it away. Just as she finished and was about to leave, she heard Marissa's chirpy voice and light footsteps approaching. "Jace, come here! I heard if you carve your names here, you'll have a bright future! Let's do it!" Sloane didn't turn around, but she could already picture Jace nodding in agreement. Sure enough, his low voice followed. "Okay." Then came the faint sound of the knife cutting into bark. Right next to the tree where Sloane had just erased her past, they picked a new one and carved "Jace" and "Marissa" side by side. Sloane kept her back to them the entire time, silent. Once she was done with her own piece of closure, she slipped the key back into her pocket and walked away. She had just reached the edge of the garden by the man-made lake when Marissa caught up to her from behind. "Sloane, wait!" Marissa called out, holding up a small hair clip. "You dropped this." Sloane recognized it immediately-it must've slipped from her pocket earlier-and reached out to take it. But Marissa pulled her hand back slightly, her eyes flashing with a taunting smile. "Sloane, the only one standing beside Jace will be me. You're not qualified anymore. I'll prove I mean a thousand times more to him than you ever did." Sloane couldn't care less about that kind of childish provocation. She just wanted her clip back and to be gone. "Give it to me." Her indifference only fueled Marissa's irritation. Chapter 6 27.27% Suddenly, Marissa grabbed her wrist tightly, voice rising in anger. "Stop acting so high and mighty! You think sharing a childhood with him makes you special? Childhood sweethearts never win! Jace and I are fate. You're just a footnote in his past!" "Let go." Sloane's wrist ached. She struggled to break free. "I won't!" They started to scuffle by the edge of the lake, emotions running high. No one knew who lost their footing first. There were two splashes. Water flew everywhere. Sloane could swim, but the icy water enveloped her body so suddenly that her calf cramped hard: A sharp jolt seized her leg, and she instantly lost strength. She began to sink. Water rushed into her nose and mouth, and the suffocating panic exploded inside her. Just when she thought she wouldn't make it, she saw Jace on the shore. He didn't hesitate-he jumped into the lake. For a split second, a tiny ember flared up in her chest. But the very next moment, it was snuffed out, drowned in the freezing lake. Jace swam straight toward Marissa. He wrapped an arm around her waist and fought to pull her back to shore. The entire time, he didn't even glance in Sloane's direction. Once he pushed Marissa up onto the bank, she clutched his arm, coughing and gasping, her voice deliberately loud and panicked. "Jace... Sloane! Sloane's still in the water!" Jace turned. His eyes met Sloane's as she struggled to stay afloat, on the verge of going under. Then, through the splashes and chaos, came the words that shattered whatever hope she had left. "We broke up. Whether she lives or dies... it's none of my business." Chapter 6 27.27%