NORA'S POV
My phone won't stop ringing.
I stare at the black envelope on my bed—the one that appeared at the coffee shop with "CHOOSE WISELY" written inside—and my phone screams again.
Grandma's number flashes on the screen.
I grab it. "Grandma? Are you okay?"
"Nora, sweetheart." Her voice sounds far away, confused. "When are you coming home? Your mother said you'd be here for dinner."
My chest tightens. Mom's been dead for four years.
"Grandma, I'm at school. Remember? I'm at college. I'll visit this weekend, I promise."
"College?" She sounds lost. "But you're only twelve. You can't go to college yet."
I'm twenty. She knows I'm twenty. She knew this morning when she called about her doctor's appointment.
The dementia is getting worse.
"I'll come see you soon," I say, fighting to keep my voice steady. "I love you."
"I love you too, baby. Don't forget to feed the cat."
We don't have a cat. We've never had a cat.
She hangs up before I can respond.
I sit on my bed in my tiny dorm room, holding the phone, trying not to fall apart. The black envelope mocks me from where it sits next to the threatening text message I received earlier.
Stay away from the Crane twins, or you'll regret it.
I should listen. I should skip the gala, stay in my room, forget Ash Crane ever asked me to dance.
But Grandma's medication costs $400 a month. Her doctor wants to run more tests that insurance won't cover. I'm already $200 short from today's stolen paycheck.
I need this scholarship. I need to stay at Frost Haven. And scholarship students are required to attend the Christmas gala—Dean's orders.
So I'm going. Threats or not.
My door slams open. Maya bursts in holding a red dress like it's a trophy.
"Put this on. Now. We're going to make you look so hot that every rich boy in that ballroom cries."
"Maya, I don't think—"
"No thinking!" She throws the dress at my face. "Tonight, you're not Nora the scholarship girl who works three jobs. You're Nora the goddess who deserves nice things. Now strip."
Twenty minutes later, I'm wearing the red dress. It fits perfectly—Maya has magic powers, I swear. She does my makeup, tames my curls, and steps back to admire her work.
"You look like you could break hearts," she says proudly.
I look in the mirror. For once, I don't see the exhausted girl with bags under her eyes. I see someone who could almost belong at a place like Frost Haven.
Almost.
"I got a weird message today," I tell Maya, showing her my phone. "Someone warning me to stay away from the Crane twins."
Her eyes go wide. "What? Who sent it?"
"I don't know. Unknown number."
"That's creepy as hell." She grabs my phone, studying the message. "Do you think it's from that Madison girl? Everyone knows she's obsessed with Evan Crane."
"Why would she care about me?"
"Girl, you're gorgeous, smart, and actually interesting. You're a threat." Maya tosses my phone back. "Ignore it. Probably some jealous princess who saw Ash talking to you at the coffee shop."
"How do you know about that?"
She grins. "It's all over Instagram. 'Mysterious artist finally speaks to a human.' You're famous now."
Great. Just what I needed.
The gala is being held in the Grand Ballroom—a place I've only seen from outside, cleaning windows as part of my work-study job. Walking through the front doors feels wrong, like I'm trespassing.
Inside is a winter wonderland. Christmas lights everywhere, making everything sparkle. A huge tree in the center. Tables covered in food I can't afford to buy. Music playing. People laughing.
Everyone's wearing expensive clothes. The girls have perfect hair and jewelry that costs more than my tuition. The boys wear suits that probably cost more than my car.
I don't belong here.
"Stop looking like you're about to bolt," Maya whispers, linking her arm through mine. "You have every right to be here. You earned this scholarship."
She drags me toward the food table. I'm loading my plate—free food, remember—when I feel it.
Someone watching me.
I look up and see him across the ballroom.
Ash Crane.
He's wearing a black suit, his dark hair still messy, and he's staring directly at me. Our eyes meet, and he smiles—that same shy, devastating smile from the coffee shop.
My heart forgets how to beat.
"Oh my God, he's coming over," Maya squeaks. "Act natural!"
But Ash doesn't come over. He just keeps watching me, like he's waiting for something.
"Okay, new plan," Maya says, grabbing my arm. "We're taking a photo under the mistletoe. It's tradition. Plus, it'll make a great Instagram story."
Before I can argue, she's pulling me across the ballroom toward the huge mistletoe hanging in the center. People are taking photos under it, laughing and kissing.
My phone buzzes in my small purse.
Unknown Number: Last warning. Leave now. What happens next is your choice.
Ice runs through my veins.
"Maya, wait—"
But she's already positioning us under the mistletoe, holding up her phone for a selfie. "Smile!"
I try to smile. Try to ignore the threatening message. Try to pretend everything's fine.
That's when I feel him.
Someone tall steps up beside me, close enough that I can smell his cologne—expensive, woodsy, perfect. The Christmas lights make everything sparkle and blur.
I turn, expecting to see Ash with his shy smile and paint-stained hands.
But the person standing next to me isn't shy at all.
He's looking down at me with ice-blue eyes that are familiar but wrong. His black hair is perfectly styled, not messy. His suit is more expensive. His smile is confident, almost cruel.
And he's standing so close I can feel the heat coming off his body.
"Well," he says, his voice smooth and dangerous. "Looks like we're under the mistletoe together."
My brain screams a warning.
This isn't Ash.
This is Evan.
Evan Crane—the boy who's tormented me for two years. The boy who made me cry last week. The boy who called me clumsy and worthless.
"I should go," I stammer, trying to step back.
But Maya—thinking this is Ash—shoves me forward. "Kiss him! It's mistletoe tradition!"
The room spins. Everyone's watching now, phones out, recording. I can't move. Can't breathe.
Evan's smile widens, but his eyes look strange—angry and sad at the same time.
"Go ahead," he says quietly, so only I can hear. "Everyone's watching. You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself, would you?"
It sounds like a threat.
But something in his eyes doesn't match his words. He looks... desperate? Trapped?
Before I can think, before I can run, I make the stupidest decision of my life.
I rise up on my toes, close my eyes, and kiss him.
His lips are warm and soft. For one heartbeat, he freezes—completely still, like he's shocked.
Then he kisses me back.
And it's not the cruel kiss I expected. It's desperate and hungry and almost gentle, like he's been starving and I'm the first meal he's seen in years. His hand comes up to cup my face, his thumb stroking my cheek.
The world disappears. There's no ballroom, no watching crowd, no threatening messages.
There's just this kiss.
Just this moment.
Just this boy who I thought I hated but who's kissing me like I'm something precious.
When we finally break apart, I open my eyes.
Evan's staring at me with an expression I've never seen before—shock, confusion, and something that looks like pain.
"Nora," he whispers.
Then his face goes hard again. The mask slams back down. He steps away from me, his hand dropping from my face.
The crowd erupts in cheers and laughter.
Someone yells, "Evan Crane kissing the scholarship girl? Did hell freeze over?"
Another voice: "Where's Madison? Someone get Madison!"
That's when I see her.
A beautiful blonde girl in a red dress—the same color as mine—pushing through the crowd. Her face is twisted with rage.
Madison Pierce.
Evan's girlfriend.
And standing behind her, watching me with betrayed, heartbroken eyes—
Is Ash Crane.
The real Ash. The one I thought I'd kissed. The one I actually wanted.
He's holding flowers—a small bouquet of winter roses—like he was bringing them to me.
His face crumbles as he watches me standing under the mistletoe with his twin brother.
Maya grabs my arm. "Oh no. Oh no no no. Nora, that wasn't—"
But I already know.
I kissed the wrong twin.
And from the look on both their faces, I just destroyed everything.