I dragged my suitcase down the quiet hallway, exhaustion clinging to me like a second skin. Crownwell's dorm buildings were older than I expected—brick walls etched with history, polished floors that reflected the overhead lights. The slip of paper in my hand read: Dorm 3B, Room 27.
It felt final—like fate written in ink.
After the disaster at Sebastian's party, all I wanted was a place to shut the door and breathe. Somewhere to hide, to lick my wounds, to forget the sight of him holding another girl like I'd never existed.
But when I pushed the key into the lock and swung the door open, my heart plummeted.
Three heads turned.
The first was a blond boy at a desk, pen in hand, his posture straight and collected. His calm gaze lifted from a notebook and sized me up, curious but not unkind.
The second was sprawled on the couch, one arm behind his head, dark curls falling over his forehead. A grin spread across his face the instant his eyes landed on me.
Leo Huntman.
Of course. The spoiled billionaire's son, his designer hoodie draped carelessly over his shoulders, an expensive watch flashing on his wrist. His smirk tugged at his lips like he'd been waiting for a scene just like this.
"Well, well," Leo drawled, sitting up. "If it isn't my favourite disaster."
Heat flared across my cheeks. "This must be the wrong room."
But then my gaze landed on the third boy.
Sebastian.
He stood by the window, arms crossed, the shadows sharpening his jawline. My chest constricted. The same Sebastian I had crossed the country for. The same Sebastian who had once been my reason for everything—and the same Sebastian whose arm had been around another girl only hours ago, shattering everything I thought I knew.
His eyes widened when he saw me. "Maddie?"
The sound of my name on his lips was too much. I gripped the suitcase handle tighter, looking away as if the linoleum floor could anchor me.
"This is Room 27, right?" the blond boy asked gently, breaking the silence. His voice was steady, soothing, the kind of tone teachers must've loved. "I'm Peter Bounty. You're… Maddison?"
"Maddie," I corrected quickly, holding up the slip of paper like proof. "Apparently this is my dorm."
For a moment, silence pressed down on us. The absurdity of it made my stomach twist.
Then Leo laughed low, shaking his head like the universe had just handed him front-row seats to chaos. "You've got to be kidding. They really stuck you in our room?" His grin widened, lazy and sharp. "This is going to be fun."
I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. Sharing a dorm with Sebastian was unbearable enough—but Leo? Impossible.
Before anyone could add another word, the door swung open.
A girl swept in, arms full of takeout bags, her chestnut hair catching the light. She had the kind of confidence that made space for her without even trying.
"Food delivery!" she chirped, then paused when her eyes landed on me. "Oh! You must be Maddie."
She set the bags on the table and smiled so warmly it disarmed me. "I'm Sky Heins. Don't worry, these guys look rough but mostly harmless."
"Mostly?" Leo repeated with mock offence, hand pressed to his chest.
Sky rolled her eyes, laughter bubbling out of her. Peter's lips twitched into a small smile, and even Sebastian's tense shoulders eased just a fraction.
She clearly belonged here in a way I didn't.
Still, Sky pulled me into their circle with effortless charm. Before long, we were all seated around the table, sharing cartons of fries and noodles. She passed me a soda like we'd been friends forever.
And she filled the silence with stories.
"You know," she began, leaning her chin on her hand, "Peter once lost his laptop to one of Leo's pranks. It took him two weeks to admit he'd hidden it under his bed the whole time."
Peter groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Do we have to bring that up?"
"Yes," Sky said sweetly. "Because you also left your essay on there, and you nearly had a meltdown."
Leo smirked, popping a fry into his mouth. "Worth it."
"You nearly failed, Leo." Peter's voice was exasperated but fond.
Sky grinned and turned to me. "And Sebastian—don't let him fool you with the broody act. Once, he tried to sneak into the library after hours and set off the alarms. We all had to sprint across campus because of him."
Sebastian glared at her. "That was your idea."
"Details," Sky said with a wave of her hand.
Laughter rippled through the group, warm and unexpected. I found myself smiling despite everything, though my chest still ached whenever Sebastian's voice cut through the air.
But Sky wasn't finished.
"And Leo—oh God, Maddie, you'll love this one—last semester he tried to impress a girl by borrowing his dad's sports car."
Leo perked up. "Keyword: tried."
Sky smirked. "He stalled it. In front of everyone. She never called him back."
The table erupted. Even Peter chuckled behind his hand. Leo leaned back, unbothered, his grin still cocky. "She wasn't my type anyway."
Sky snorted. "Sure, Huntman."
The room pulsed with energy, and for a fleeting moment, I felt almost like I wasn't out of place. Almost.
But beneath the laughter, tension hummed.
I noticed the way Peter's gaze lingered on Sky when she laughed, soft and unspoken.
I caught Sebastian glancing at me when he thought I wasn't looking, guilt shadowing his eyes.
And I felt Leo's smirk, sharp and knowing, like he was waiting for me to stumble again.
By the time Sky gathered her things and waved goodbye, the air had grown heavier. My suitcase still sat by the door, my bed waiting in the corner, but the room no longer felt like a mistake.
It felt like a trap.
I unpacked quietly, stacking books on the shelf, folding clothes into the drawers. The room had its own rhythm—Sebastian retreating to the window, Leo stretched back on the couch humming under his breath, Peter writing notes in tidy script. Each boy occupied his space like they'd already carved the world around themselves.
And now I was expected to fit in.
I traced my fingers over the worn edge of my suitcase, my mind a mess of scattered thoughts. This wasn't the fresh start I'd imagined. This was walking into enemy territory with no armour.
Leo's voice cut through the silence, lazy and amused.
"So," he drawled, "looks like Maddie Ravenwood's officially one of us."
I stiffened, turning just enough to see his grin. His eyes flicked to Sebastian before landing on me, sharp and unreadable. "Hope you can keep up."
My pulse quickened.
This wasn't just a dorm.
This was the collision of my past, my humiliation—
And maybe, the start of something far more complicated.