The Awakening — Episode 3

message. Come back. Please. Over an hour had passed. No call. No text. Nothing. I wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes. I know. So I don't want him anymore. My mom was a maid at the Whitmore house. For as long as I can remember, she raised me on her own. After she Chloe's father took me in and became my legal guardian.

I moved into the Whitmore house. Ryder lived on the same street. Everyone knew who he was. Ryder, Ashford.

Heir to the Ashford bloodline. Old money, pure alpha. Like every other girl at school, I had a hopeless crush on him. He was the quarterback, the center of every Friday night lights.

Just to be closer to him, I forced myself through cheerleading tryouts. A whole summer of brutal training. Bruises from my knees all the way up my thighs. He never once looked my way on that field.

I didn't want to give up. I liked Ryder that much. I thought he was the one. At a party, someone dared me. Finish this, and maybe you'll be worth his time. I drank it. Then another, and another. I spent the rest of the night throwing up. Another time. He mentioned a sandwich place he liked. That was it. Four in

the morning. Dead of winter. I was in line. Three hours. Everyone knew I was throwing myself at him. I even had a bet going. How long before Ryder would say yes? Ryder just watched me with that faint smile of his. Never said yes. Never said no. Then one day, out of nowhere, he started started texting me all the time. I thought it was a good sign, but after a while, he ghosted

again. I didn't understand. I wanted to ask him why, before I got the chance. I ran into outside the Whitmore house. He looked like he'd just had a fight with Chloe. It was raining. He