- 11 hours ago
HATE ME LIKE YOU LOVE ME [Full Movie] [Recommended]Full EP - Full
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00:00:00Caleb isn't answering his phone. Lacrosse practice ended an hour ago. Could you just find him?
00:00:05We're waiting for you for dinner. Yeah, fine. I'll look for him. Catherine can't reach her
00:00:11precious son, and somehow that's my problem. Our parents have been inseparable since childhood.
00:00:17Catherine is my godmother. They raised us side by side, convinced we'd grow up as close as they were.
00:00:23They never noticed when it all went wrong. Jade Richards perches on the edge of the sink,
00:00:27and Caleb, right there, stands between her thighs in nothing but a towel that hangs dangerously low
00:00:33on his hips. Caleb, someone could walk in. I don't give a fuck. I should leave. I should
00:00:40definitely, absolutely leave. Instead, I stand there like an idiot, heat flooding through my body in
00:00:46waves. This is disgusting. He is disgusting. You hate him. I slam the door, forcing my expression
00:00:53into irritation rather than the hot shame crawling up my throat. Your mother's been calling you for
00:00:58an hour, asshole! Our parents need us both at my house for dinner tonight. Apparently, it's something
00:01:04important. I should go. Coach will kill me if I'm late. You could have texted. Catherine asked me to
00:01:12find you. I found you. Message delivered. Is that what we're calling it? Because it looked a lot
00:01:20like you were watching. Long enough to be disgusted. Disgusted, right? I'm leaving. Don't be late for
00:01:27dinner. I'll drive you home. I have my bike. Still not in the mood to sit on some used condoms
00:01:33in your
00:01:33car. Suit yourself, princess. Dinner passes in a blur of small talk and forced smiles, but something feels
00:01:44different tonight. Catherine keeps touching my father's arm, not the comforting pats of a grieving
00:01:49friend. They've been spending so much time together since mom died. Since Caleb's father vanished with
00:01:54every dollar the Thorntons had. Kids, Catherine and I actually have something to tell you. So we've
00:02:01decided to get married. No, no way. He deserves happiness and Catherine is wonderful, but it's only been
00:02:08six months since my mother died. We found a new house. Neutral territory for everyone. The kids' rooms
00:02:17are on the same floor. And Serena, your room connects to Caleb's through a Jack and Jill bathroom.
00:02:23Isn't it cool? Come on, you guys. It will be nice. My lifelong secret crush soon to become my
00:02:32stepbrother. Yeah, dad. Really fucking nice. I set the boxes down on the unfamiliar floor, surveying this
00:02:41room that was supposed to be mine. Neutral territory, my father called it. A fresh start. The walls are
00:02:48painted a careful beige that commits to nothing. Now I'm here, in this house that holds no memories of my
00:02:55mother. Careful! It's just your crap. I'm taking a shower. Try not to miss me too much. This is what
00:03:06I am
00:03:06now. Sharing walls with my worst school enemy. But there was a time before all that. You're doing it
00:03:13wrong. Here. Like this. Stop. Stop romanticizing. Shit, my tampons! I left them on the bathroom
00:03:26counter this morning. If I'm fast enough... Wanted a preview of your new stepbrother, pervert? That's
00:03:39fucked up, even for you. I just left something on the counter. Not everything is about you and
00:03:44your abs, asshole! Keep telling yourself that. I'm not done talking. Well, I'm done listening.
00:03:54Let go of me, Caleb! Or what? Gonna scream, run to daddy? God, you're pathetic. Still crying over
00:04:05mommy. It's been six months, Serena. The rest of us have moved on. You are exactly like your shitty
00:04:12father! Say that again. I dare you. You heard me. You're just like him. Like Simon. A bully who only
00:04:20feels big when he's making someone else feel small. Keep his fucking name out of your mouth before I...
00:04:26Before you what? Hit me! Prove my point! Such a shame your mother won't see you graduate. But hey,
00:04:33your dad moved on quickly. Guess she wasn't that hard to forget. Don't talk about my mother! Why
00:04:39not? Scared you're just as forgettable as she is? Careful, princess. Do you really want to start
00:04:47something you can't finish? You know what I think? I think you're terrified that one day you'll be gone
00:04:52and no one will even notice. That you'll just be another ghost no one bothers to remember. No one
00:04:57will ever truly love someone as pathetic as you. And deep down, you know it's true.
00:05:09Serena, open the fucking door!
00:05:13You just signed your death sentence, princess. You hear me? From this moment on, your life is
00:05:19going to be a living hell. There's a long silence before his footsteps retreat and I hear his bedroom
00:05:25door slams. Minutes pass. Maybe five. Maybe ten. Then I sink to the floor, back against my bed and wrap
00:05:33my arms around my knees. I hate him. I hate that I wounded him. I hate that I noticed. I
00:05:41know him better
00:05:42now than I ever wanted to. He runs at six. I've memorized the particular weight of his footsteps
00:05:48on the stairs. Showers at 640 and the pipes in my bathroom sing a specific note when the water
00:05:55pressure changes. Tuesday, my shampoo mysteriously turned my hair traffic cone orange. Wednesday,
00:06:02every single bra I own disappeared, reappearing frozen in blocks of ice in the freezer. Thursday,
00:06:09my laptop password changed itself to Daddy Issues 123. At 3.14 in the afternoon, I'm in the kitchen.
00:06:16He doesn't get home until 4.30 on Thursdays. I'm halfway through making the world's saddest
00:06:22sandwich when the front door opens an hour earlier than his schedule allows. My entire body goes on
00:06:27high alert. Skin prickling. Pulse jackknifing. Don't turn around. Don't give him the satisfaction.
00:06:36Careful. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. His chest presses more firmly against my back as he
00:06:41reaches higher and the contact sends electricity shooting down my spine, pooling low and hot in my
00:06:47belly. Something wrong, princess? I just wanted to grab my protein bar. That'll be Jade.
00:06:56Hmm. Try not to listen too hard, sis. Sis, the word is a weapon, a reminder, a fucking power play
00:07:04that makes me want to throw the knife at his head. They'll have a drink and then she'll leave. That's
00:07:09how these things work. Hot water, locked door, the white noise of falling water drowning out
00:07:15everything else except... Oh God, Caleb! Jade's voice cuts through the wall like it's made of tissue
00:07:22paper. High and desperate and absolutely not faking it. Her moans build in pitch and urgency and I hear
00:07:29the creak of bed springs, the thump of a headboard against a wall, heat coils between my thighs,
00:07:35insistent and demanding. My body betrays me completely, nipples tightening, breath coming
00:07:40shorter, and I hate myself for the way my hand drifts down my stomach. I've never touched myself
00:07:45like this before. What would it feel like? His hands instead of water, his weight pressing me against
00:07:51the tile, his voice in my ear, low and commanding. Take it. Take everything I give you. The pressure
00:08:00builds impossibly fast, my free hand bracing against the tile as my legs shake. When I come,
00:08:05it's violent, earth shattering. The silence hits me first. No more sounds from his room. Nothing.
00:08:11Oh God. Oh fuck. Could they hear? I stumble toward the door, needing to confirm that barrier between my
00:08:18humiliation and reality. The door to his room is cracked open, but I checked it before I got in
00:08:23the shower. I'm certain I did. It was closed. Firmly. Completely closed. My heart stops. Did he
00:08:30open it? Control is an illusion I've been selling myself for 18 years. This is who I am. The girl
00:08:37who prepares. The girl who controls what she can. The girl with the five-year plan and the girl who
00:08:43definitely doesn't spend every waking moment thinking about her stepbrother's hands. Lies.
00:08:48All lies. Just once more. Then you'll study. Then you'll be normal. Having fun?
00:08:58Going somewhere? Let go of me! Sit the fuck down, Serena. Fuck you! You don't?
00:09:09So, who's the lucky bastard? What? What are you talking about? Don't play dumb. It's not cute. You
00:09:17were clearly getting yourself off to someone, so who is it? Some SAT tutor with a hard-on for the
00:09:23teacher's pets? One of those debate nerds who follows you around like you're made of cocaine?
00:09:28I wasn't! Your face is the color of a fucking tomato and your breathing's all fucked up.
00:09:33So, who's got perfect little Serena all worked up? Must be someone truly pathetic.
00:09:39Get out of my room! Is it that guy from Calc? The one with the glasses who stares at you
00:09:45when
00:09:45you're doing board work? No, wait. You'd never go for someone that obvious. Too desperate.
00:09:51I said get out! Or maybe someone inappropriate. Someone you know you shouldn't want.
00:09:58Serena, who are you thinking about? No one! I wasn't! I was just...
00:10:03It's none of your fucking business! You're lying. I can always tell when you're lying.
00:10:08Your voice goes up at the end, your eyes dart to the left. And right now, you look fucking
00:10:13terrified. Which means whoever you were thinking about is someone you really don't want me to
00:10:17know about. You were thinking about me, weren't you? That's disgusting!
00:10:24Yeah? Then why is your pulse going crazy right here? Your body's a fucking traitor.
00:10:30You're insane!
00:10:31Then why can't you look at me? Why do you look like you're about to either cry or cum?
00:10:37Because you're in my face! What were you imagining? My hands on you? Inside you? My mouth on your
00:10:44neck? Or your legs? Were you imagining how I'd touch you? Hard and rough until you forget
00:10:53your own name? Or maybe slow and deep until you're begging me to let you cum? But here's the thing,
00:10:59princess. You're not even worth the effort it would take to undress you. You're fucking disgusting!
00:11:09You think I want any part of that? Fix yourself! You look like a cheap whore. Dinner's in ten.
00:11:17Try to act like a normal fucking person. I don't move for a long time. Can't move. My thigh still
00:11:24burns
00:11:24where he touched it. I stand there trying to breathe around the tightness in my chest. Six weeks of
00:11:30college and I've learned that hope is just disappointment wearing a pretty dress. I had
00:11:35acceptances from everywhere. Places with actual seasons and zero Caleb Thorntons per square mile.
00:11:42But no, dad pulled the family needs to stick together card. I think it's actually really nice
00:11:47that you and Caleb ended up here together. After everything, it just feels right. Yeah. Um,
00:11:54totally. Everyone's coming over soon. The picnic's about to start.
00:11:58The bastard had applied after me. After. Found out where I was going and followed like some kind of
00:12:04stalker. Even won grants and scholarships, including the one from his high school presidency. My fresh
00:12:10start rotted before it even began. The picnic is about to start. I'm about to prepare a fruit plate when
00:12:15I hear this voice. That specific frequency of a woman's giggle that makes my eye twitch.
00:12:20Jade stands at the garden gate. Her hand threaded through Caleb's arm. Her sundress clings to curves
00:12:27I remember from the locker room. Curves I heard him worship in his bedroom, while my body betrayed
00:12:32every principle I claimed to hold. Oh, Caleb, you didn't mention you were bringing someone. Jade,
00:12:39sweetheart. Welcome. Thanks, Mrs. Lacken. Everything looks amazing. Did you make all this yourself?
00:12:47Most of it. Serena helped with the fruit platters. How domestic. Serena, so good at this stuff.
00:12:55The compliment lands like a slap wrapped in ribbons. This stuff. Like I'm some 1950s housewife in
00:13:01training while she's out here being decorative and touchable and everything I'm not.
00:13:04We're so proud of both of them. Adjusting to college life so beautifully. Serena's doing
00:13:13wonderfully. Dean's list material, her advisor says. Well, she has to excel at something.
00:13:19Competition's tough when you can't coast on personality. Some of us prefer substance over charm.
00:13:25Kids. Babe, you two are hilarious. It's like watching real siblings bicker.
00:13:31Real siblings. The words land like ice water down my spine. We end up on the same picnic blanket
00:13:38because the universe has a sick sense of humor. Jade chatters about rush week and themed parties and
00:13:43other things that would require me to have a soul. She doesn't know him. Doesn't know he checks the
00:13:48locks three times before bed. Doesn't know he still has nightmares about his father. Doesn't know he reads
00:13:53Bukowski when he thinks no one's watching. After the neighbors evacuate and our parents disappear
00:13:58inside with wine that'll make them nostalgic and weepy. I escaped to the kitchen. Jade left an hour
00:14:04ago. Something about a sorority emergency that sounded suspiciously like I'm bored and these people are
00:14:10old. Thought you'd hide in here all night. I'm cleaning up. Some of us contribute. Is that what you
00:14:19call sulking in corners and shooting death glares at my girlfriend? She's not your girlfriend.
00:14:23She's a prop. An accessory. This week's validation fix. Jealous much? I'd rather be jealous of a yeast
00:14:32infection. Strong words. You know what I think? I think you can't stand watching me with her.
00:14:40I think it eats you alive. You followed me here. You could have gone anywhere.
00:14:47But you chose here. Maybe I just like the school. Maybe you're so terrified of being alone with
00:14:54yourself that you need me around to torture. Watch your fucking mouth princess. You know what? I feel
00:15:00sorry for you. I'm serious. I feel sorry for the boy whose father beat him and then abandoned him. The
00:15:06boy's so desperate for approval he'll fuck girls who don't even know his middle name. Because it's
00:15:10easier than admitting no one's ever actually loved him for who he is.
00:15:16Jade doesn't see you, Caleb. None of them do. They see the smile and the body and the charm.
00:15:23Shut the fuck up! And that works for you because if they saw the real you,
00:15:28the broken, desperate, terrified little boy under all that armor, they'd run.
00:15:34I'm not jealous of Jade. I pity her. And I pity you. The rest of the dishes are all yours.
00:15:50The library smells like anxiety and desperation with hints of stale Red Bull, basically the official
00:15:56cologne of higher education. Mia sits next to me, allegedly writing her sociology paper but
00:16:01actually deep-stalking her TA's Instagram. I know because she keeps making these tiny gasping sounds
00:16:07every time she scrolls past a shirtless beach photo. Six weeks into freshman year and Mia is the closest
00:16:13thing I've ever had to a real friend. In high school, I couldn't afford friends. He has a dog. A
00:16:19golden
00:16:19retriever named Pancake. Mia, focus. I am focused. Focused on how that man fills out a wetsuit.
00:16:30Ow, what? Look over there. Look, but don't make it obvious. Mia, if this is another guy you think
00:16:37has protagonist energy... Serena, shut up and look! Lucas Bennett is walking toward us and apparently
00:16:43puberty decided to work overtime on him. The last time I saw Lucas, he was Caleb's perpetual shadow.
00:16:49Always there, but never quite there. Is this seat taken? Serena Lacken. I thought that was you.
00:16:59How long has it been? A while. Since high school, at least. Too long? I heard you were here.
00:17:07Pre-law, right? Of course you are. You were always terrifyingly smart.
00:17:15Pre-med for me. Turns out all those years of patching up lacrosse injuries gave me a taste for it.
00:17:22You patched up lacrosse injuries? I thought you were one of the ones causing them.
00:17:27Fair point. Maybe I was just atoning for my sins. We all have things we wish we'd done differently back
00:17:33then. I remember you from honors English. You demolished everyone in that Fitzgerald debate.
00:17:39I was genuinely scared of you. Fear is an appropriate response to literary analysis.
00:17:45The cafe by the humanities building is acceptable. Everything else tastes like it was brewed during
00:17:51the Reagan administration. A coffee snob. I respect that. Strong opinions about beverages are a green
00:17:58flag. Would you look at the time I have that thing, the urgent thing with the people at the place?
00:18:08Serena, text me everything.
00:18:12So, are you going to the Halloween party next Friday? The big one at Sigma Chi. Everyone goes.
00:18:19Parties aren't really my thing. That's exactly why you should come. College is about new experiences,
00:18:25right? Breaking out of old patterns. Three tables away, I feel the weight of Caleb's gaze like
00:18:32fingertips trailing down my spine. His eyes are locked on me with an intensity that makes my
00:18:37stomach flip. Tell me more about this party. What exactly makes it so unmissable? It's legendary,
00:18:43honestly. The costumes get competitive. The music is actually decent. Plus, I hear the punch is strong
00:18:49enough to make even pre-law students have fun. Bold assumption that I don't already know how to have
00:18:55fun. Prove me wrong then. Come to the party. Let me buy you a drink. You're very confident for
00:19:02someone who hasn't seen me in years. Some things are worth being confident about. I'll think about it.
00:19:08I'm looking at Caleb as he stands abruptly. He doesn't pack up his things. Doesn't grab the
00:19:13broken pen. Just turns and walks out. Movement sharp with barely controlled violence. And my
00:19:18pulse is racing for entirely the wrong reason. The cruelest lies are the ones we tell ourselves
00:19:25about what we want. He texted again while I was in the shower. Three messages in 20 minutes. He's
00:19:30sweet. Persistent in a way that feels like warmth instead of pressure. Normal in a way I've forgotten
00:19:36people can be. This is good. Lucas is good. Lucas is exactly what you need. Caleb without the
00:19:42emotional terrorism. This is what normal feels like. This is what I deserve. My eyes still on my
00:19:48phone. Still composing a reply that sounds flirty without trying too hard. Well, fuck me sideways.
00:19:54That's a face I've never seen before. Texting lover boy with that dopey-ass smile?
00:20:01Pathetic doesn't even begin to cover it, princess. What the fuck are you doing in my room? Get out!
00:20:08These are tragic. Serena truly, like, seek help levels of unsexy. I said get out!
00:20:16Are you wearing these to the party? Please say yes. I need to see Lucas's face when he discovers what's
00:20:23underneath. Give those back! Granny panties with fruit on them. Bold strategy for a girl trying to
00:20:32lose her b-card. I'm not trying to. Oh, you're definitely trying. That dumb smile you just walked
00:20:38in with? The sad little hair flip in the library? Touching his arm like you learned flirting from a
00:20:44wiki-how article? Get off my bed! Lucas Bennett. That's your big play? You really think that golden
00:20:51retrober boy is interested in you? Unlike some people, Lucas is actually capable of basic human
00:20:57decency. Lucas is capable of fucking anything with a pulse, sure. But interested? Serena,
00:21:05sweetheart, look at yourself. You used to be friends with him. What happened? People grow apart.
00:21:12It happens. That's not an answer. It's the only one you're getting. Ancient history isn't really my
00:21:19thing. But we're not talking about me. We're talking about you and you're going to show up in some
00:21:25tragic little costume and follow him around all night like a stray dog. And he's going to ditch you
00:21:31the second someone hotter walks by. You don't know anything about- I know you. 19 years old and never
00:21:37been fucked. You think that's an accident? You think guys just haven't noticed you? They've noticed.
00:21:44They're just not interested. There's nothing there to want. Lucas asked me. Not the other way around.
00:21:52Lucas is working an angle. Probably a bet with his frat brothers. Go ahead. Prove them right.
00:21:59Make a fool of yourself in front of the whole school. I'd rather humiliate myself in front of
00:22:03everyone than spend another second with you. Then we're both getting what we want. Wear the ugly
00:22:08underwear. It'll match the rest of you. The door clicks shut behind him and I don't move for a long
00:22:16time. My fingers find the strawberry underwear crumpled on the carpet and I clutch them against
00:22:21my chest like armor. The cotton is warm from his hands and I despise that I notice. What was that
00:22:27look?
00:22:27Right before he left, his expression shifted into territory I didn't recognize. Not cruel. Not
00:22:34mocking. Almost desperate. Get out of my head, Thornton. Get out. I look at myself in the mirror.
00:22:40The black bodysuit clings to curves I usually hide beneath hoodies and oversized sweaters.
00:22:45Holy fuck, Serena Lackim. Where have you been hiding that body? Lucas is going to swallow his own
00:22:52tongue when he sees you. Hell, I might switch teams. What if he doesn't like me? Oh, he'll like you.
00:22:59That boy has been eye-fucking you through every study session. And maybe tonight he finally gets to
00:23:07do it for real. Okay, let's go before I change my mind. The party is chaos incarnate. Music pounds through
00:23:15the walls, bass so heavy the floor vibrates beneath my heels. Stay close! Lucas said he'd be wearing a
00:23:22skeleton mask. Great. Super helpful. I've already counted four skeleton masks in my immediate vicinity.
00:23:29Mia's sorority sisters descend like perfectly coordinated vultures, dragging her towards
00:23:34something called the situation on the dance floor. I park myself near the makeshift bar,
00:23:39draining my cup. The alcohol burns away the edges of my anxiety, making everything softer, warmer,
00:23:45more possible. That's when I see him. Lucas. Tall frame and broad shoulders I recognize. White mask
00:23:53tilted toward me from across the room. My pulse quickens and I tell myself it's the alcohol. He
00:23:59doesn't wave or call out. He simply extends one hand in my direction, palm up, waiting. Probably wants to
00:24:05see if the pre-law princess is as frigid as everyone says. Fine. Let him see. Let him tell everyone
00:24:11afterward. At least I won't be untouched anymore. Won't be the pathetic virgin Caleb mocks at every
00:24:17opportunity. The silence feels intentional. Part of the costume, part of the game. Lucas? He doesn't
00:24:24answer. His hands find my waist instead, thumbs tracing slow circles against my hip bones, and I
00:24:30decide that silence is answer enough. Oh, we're really committing to the role. I don't want this to be
00:24:35special. I don't want tender words or meaningful glances. I just want it done. Lucas's hands are
00:24:42rougher than I expected, gripping my waist like he's afraid I'll disappear. Fuck. Okay. I kinda like
00:24:48aggressive Lucas. Can you at least lift the mask? I wanna kiss you. He pauses. Then slowly, he pushes
00:24:58the mask up just enough to expose his mouth. In the darkness, I can't make out features. Just the
00:25:04outline of lips that crash into mine with bruising force. God, who knew Lucas had this in him?
00:25:14His fingers finally slide between my thighs. When he pushes finger inside me without warning,
00:25:20I nearly come off the bed. The stretch burns, but the pleasure overwhelms it, especially when his thumb
00:25:25finds my clit and circles with practiced precision. My mind drifts as sensation builds. What if it was
00:25:32him? I imagine Caleb's hands instead of Lucas's. Caleb's body pressing me into the mattress. Caleb's
00:25:38breath hot against my throat. The fantasy builds pressure low in my belly, spiraling toward a release
00:25:44that hovers just out of reach. My fingers dig into shoulders that belong to one man while my mind belongs
00:25:50entirely to another. My orgasm hits like a freight train, completely unexpected. It's over. It's done.
00:25:57You're not a virgin anymore. The girl in the mirror looks exactly as hollow as I feel.
00:26:04Congratulations, Serena. You're officially as pathetic as Caleb always said. When I finally emerge,
00:26:10I nearly collide with a familiar chest. There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. Some
00:26:18dickhead in the same mask spilled his entire drink on me. Had to go change. Did you just get here?
00:26:24You look amazing, by the way. The floor tilts beneath me. He's been down here looking for me,
00:26:30which means the man in that bedroom. That wasn't Lucas at all.
00:26:35I call her princess because that's what she is. A girl who's never had to fight for anything. And I've
00:26:41been crawling and fighting my whole fucking life. The ceiling above my bed holds no answers,
00:26:48but I stare at it anyway. Counting the minutes by the soft sounds filtering through the bathroom
00:26:53wall. A drawer opening. Water running. The whisper of fabric against skin. You're sick. Twisted beyond
00:27:00repair. I remember the first time I called her princess. We were 12. She tried to skip a stone.
00:27:07Failed spectacularly. Her laugh bounced across the water. This mix of embarrassment and joy
00:27:13that hit me right in the chest. You're doing it wrong. Here. Like this. See? Perfect technique
00:27:22for a perfect princess. Thanks, Caleb. Two words. That's all it took. I was done for. Then I went home.
00:27:31That was the summer my father discovered new hobbies. I learned to sleep with my eyes half open. To
00:27:37flinch at footsteps. To disappear into walls. And suddenly, Serena's perfection stopped being
00:27:43something beautiful. It became a mirror. If her life is so perfect, let me be the one in perfection.
00:27:54I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her until she broke. Until she screamed. And I wanted to hold
00:28:01her until she felt safe enough to fall apart. Pick a lane, asshole. You can't destroy someone and save
00:28:07them at the same time. Because Serena isn't just in my head. She's carved into my bones. My phone buzzes
00:28:15on
00:28:15the nightstand. The racing circuit. The debt follows me like a second shadow. My father's legacy. I wonder
00:28:22how much longer I can keep buried the obsession that drives me to follow her. Like a satellite caught
00:28:28in her gravitational pull. I've been choking on jealousy for the past 20 minutes. It was just one of those
00:28:35moments, you know?
00:28:39Look at me like that. Just once. But she never will. You have the most beautiful smile. Lucas leans in
00:28:47closer, whispering something that makes her cheeks go pink. And I'm gripping my hands so hard my knuckles
00:28:53turn white. She doesn't pull away. Doesn't stiffen. Just tilts her head and listens like he's reciting
00:28:59fucking Shakespeare. I want to be at his place. I shove back from the table and walk out before I
00:29:04do something I can't take back. I try the gym first. 45 minutes of punishing my muscles until
00:29:11they scream. But every time I close my eyes between sets, I see her hand on his arm. Her smile.
00:29:17The way
00:29:17she leaned toward him like he was magnetic north. I last three hours. Three hours of telling myself I
00:29:24don't care who she talks to. But my feet carry me down the hallway. Her bedroom door is unlocked.
00:29:29The shower runs in the bathroom and I should leave. She left her underwear on the bed. Tiny
00:29:34strawberries printed across the fabric like some kind of joke. A laugh builded in my chest. But it dies
00:29:40before it reaches my throat. The water shuts off. The door opens. And... Jesus fucking Christ.
00:29:48She was wearing nothing but a towel that's trying its best but failing spectacularly.
00:29:53Water drops race down her collarbone. Her hair is plastered to her shoulders. Darker with moisture.
00:29:59And the way that terrycloth clings to every curve she usually hides under hoodies makes my brain
00:30:05short circuit. This is what she's been keeping from me. She doesn't speak. Her body tells me
00:30:11everything. The way she arches into my touch. The way her breath hitches when my thumb brushes her.
00:30:17She moves against me with increasing desperation. Her fingers in my chest. And she lowers her mouth to
00:30:23me. Her fingers find my shoulders when she climbs onto my lap. Straddling me. And the towel rides up her
00:30:29thighs. Through my jeans I can feel the heat of her. And my hands find her waist like they've been
00:30:33waiting their whole existence for this moment.
00:30:37I wake up so hard it hurts. Her phantom warmth still pressed against my skin. Pathetic.
00:30:45You're absolutely pathetic. She moves against me with increasing desperation.
00:30:49Her fingers in my chest. And she lowers her mouth to me. Her phone sits on the counter. Screen glowing
00:30:55with an unread message. I should walk away. But I've never been decent where Serena is concerned.
00:31:01The screen illuminates at my touch. And my ex best friend's name stares back at me. Lucas.
00:31:06My blood turns to lead in my veins.
00:31:09The racing circuit. Lucas is taking her to the fucking racing circuit. Where I'll be competing to pay off
00:31:15another installment of my father's debt. Fuck. My two worlds are about to collide. And there's not
00:31:20a damn thing I can do to stop it. Three more races after tonight. And you're clear, kid. How does
00:31:30that
00:31:30feel? Like I might actually sleep again. Two years since I stood in our kitchen watching my mother cry
00:31:36over bills my father left behind. When the helmet goes on, I'm supposed to stop being Caleb Thornton.
00:31:42Out here, I'm Shane Lander. 23. No family drama. Just a guy who rides fast and pays his debts
00:31:49on time. You've earned it, man. Fastest rider I've ever let borrow my name. The engine beneath
00:31:57me roars to life. Vibrating through my thighs, my chest, my teeth. Despite everything, freedom floods
00:32:04through my veins. This is the part I'll miss when the debt clears. Exhaust fumes curl through the night
00:32:10air. That's when I see them. No. Serena and Lucas, walking through the crowd like tourists in a war zone.
00:32:17I'll be right there with you. His arm draped over her shoulders with that casual ownership that makes
00:32:22me want to put my fist through his perfect teeth. She really agreed to come here with him. She really
00:32:27came here. To this oil-stained hellscape and men with criminal records. Just focused.
00:32:33The starting signal flares red, then green. First lap, I'm in the lead. But she doesn't
00:32:39leave my thoughts. What the fuck is Lucas thinking? She looks wrong here. Too clean. Too bright. Like
00:32:45someone photoshopped an angel into a meth lamp. I risk a glance at the crowd. Mistake. Huge
00:32:50fucking mistake. Our eyes meet over Lucas' shoulder for a second. She knows it's me. The curve comes too
00:32:57fast. One second I'm flying. The next, the bike slides out from under me like the ground itself
00:33:03has betrayed me. Gravel bites into my shoulder blade where the jacket rode up. The sky spins
00:33:08above me in lazy circles. Stars smearing into floodlights into darkness. You're an absolute idiot!
00:33:15What the hell were you thinking? I tried to answer, but my lungs have decided breathing is
00:33:20optional. Each inhale feels like swallowing fiberglass. Someone call 911! Immediately!
00:33:27No ambulances, girl. We can't let the police search here. He could be bleeding internally.
00:33:34Look at him! I can handle this. We have people who can help. I don't give a fuck about your
00:33:41people.
00:33:42Serena, maybe we should- Shut up! Just shut up and let me think!
00:33:48I gasp and pain floods through me, sharp and clarifying, radiating from my ribs to my spine.
00:33:55Caleb, here you go. Stay with me. Just stay with me, okay? Worth it. I think as darkness creeps in
00:34:03at
00:34:03the edges. Totally fucking worth it to see her look at me that. Have you ever hated someone so much
00:34:10that
00:34:11watching them bleed feels like bleeding yourself? The fluorescent lights of the emergency room buzz
00:34:16overhead, casting everything in a pallid glow. Nurses move around Caleb, checking vitals, cleaning
00:34:23wounds. I agreed to come tonight because Lucas asked, and because some reckless part of me wanted
00:34:28to prove I could be spontaneous. Then the race started, and my eyes found one rider without conscious
00:34:35thought. The angle of his shoulders. The aggressive grace of his turns. I knew it was Caleb before I
00:34:41could name why. Come on, Serena. Let's go. We can still salvage the night. No. I'll take him home.
00:34:48You go. I watch him disappear through the automatic doors and feel nothing. The only thing occupying my
00:34:55mind is the boy bleeding in the room behind me. Six years of cruelty, being called princess like a slur,
00:35:02and yet here I sit in this taxi, watching streetlights strobe across his damaged face,
00:35:08aching with a tenderness that has survived every wound he's ever inflicted. Inside, I flip on the
00:35:14kitchen lights and notice the dark stain spreading across his back, fresh blood seeping through ruined
00:35:21fabric. You're bleeding again. Sit down. The wound is on your shoulder blade. Unless you've developed the
00:35:31ability to dislocate your arms, you can't reach it. Sit down.
00:35:41Let me. His back is a masterpiece of destruction. My hands shake as I clean the wounds. Why do you
00:35:48race?
00:35:49You can't even drive. I can drive fine. I was distracted. Don't move. I know how to pay attention.
00:36:01Speaking of attention, you look cozy with Bennett tonight. We're not talking about Lucas. No?
00:36:10Maybe we should. Did he buy you dinner first? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous.
00:36:18You think this is funny? Finish the damn sentence, Caleb!
00:36:23You're playing with fire, Serena. Good. Maybe Lucas will help me put it out after.
00:36:31Keep talking. See what happens. Lucas wanted to take me home tonight. After the race. He'd be nice,
00:36:40you know? Careful. Everything you're not. Want to know why I crashed? I saw his hands on you.
00:36:53And forgot there was a fucking road. So you're jealous? Don't sound so fucking pleased about it. You have no
00:37:01right to be jealous. Not after everything. I know. Because you were the only beautiful thing I'd ever
00:37:10touched. And I only know how to bring beautiful things.
00:37:23Caleb. This is insane.
00:37:29I know. I don't care. Her breath catching. This is where she belongs. In my hands. Under my mouth.
00:37:37Mine. If you want me to stop, say it now. I don't know. But we can't just...
00:37:43Dear you? I should want you to stop. I should hate this.
00:37:50Serena. I've been aroused by you since I was 15. You can read the phone book, but I need a
00:37:57cold shower.
00:37:58You have no idea what you do to me. Then show me. Stop talking and show me.
00:38:03So I do. The bra is white lace. Simple. Devastating. Not strawberry lingerie.
00:38:12I also have regular underwear, idiot.
00:38:15Thank God. Her breathing has gone shallow. Chest rising and falling rapidly. Sensitive?
00:38:24I don't...
00:38:25Every instinct screams at me to take. To claim. To devour. Yet this is Serena. The girl I've destroyed
00:38:32for six years. But I can't stop. So eager for it, aren't you? Who would have thought that a princess
00:38:38could be so lustful? She goes rigid. Fuck. The word princess hangs between us like a blade. Sharp with
00:38:46six years. Six years of history. Six years of using that word to hurt her. To belittle her. To make
00:38:52her
00:38:53feel small. Serena, I didn't mean... Don't. Just... Don't. It slipped out. Force of habit. I wasn't...
00:39:03I can't. I can't do this. Serena, please. Just wait.
00:39:10I can't look at you now. I can't be near you. Just let me explain. Explain what? That you've hated
00:39:18me
00:39:19for six years? And now you expect me to believe this is real? This is real? This is the only
00:39:25real
00:39:25feeling I've ever felt. Then why? Why did you try to destroy me? One word. One fucking word. And I
00:39:37destroyed everything. His mouth tasted like copper and recklessness. And I'm drowning in both.
00:39:44This was what I've been missing. This heat. This hunger. This feeling of being wanted so
00:39:50desperately. Princess. And my body went rigid. Not from pleasure. From the avalanche of everything
00:39:57he's ever done to me. Crashing through the walls I'd foolishly let him breach. Every insult lands fresh.
00:40:05Serena? Six years of systematic destruction flood back in a single devastating wave.
00:40:11I don't remember mounting the bike. I don't register the roads I take. The turns I make. The
00:40:17darkness swallowing everything beyond my headlights weak beam. Muscle memory guides me through streets I've
00:40:23traveled a thousand times before. Our spot. Mine and hers. I cry for her. For the mother who should
00:40:30be here. Who should be the one I run to when boys break me open. I cry for the woman
00:40:35I'm becoming.
00:40:36The truth surfaces between sobs. Ugly and undeniable and impossible to shove back down where it belongs.
00:40:42I want Caleb Thornton. His hands. His mouth. The desperate way he looked at me before I ran away.
00:40:49The admission settles into my chest with the weight of inevitability. I want him. God help me. I want him.
00:40:57And that's exactly why I can't have him. Serena Lakin doesn't crumble for anyone. Least of all the boy
00:41:04who tried hardest to break her. The neighborhood is tomb silent when I finally coast into our driveway.
00:41:12Legs burning from pedaling through streets I barely remember traveling. Both cars sit in their usual
00:41:18spots. Dark and silent like sleeping sentinels. Parents came home while I was falling apart by a lake.
00:41:25And my father had no idea his daughter spent the evening kissing her stepbrother in their kitchen.
00:41:30The stairs creak once beneath my weight. And I freeze. Heart slamming against my ribs. But no
00:41:36bedroom doors open. No concerned voices call out into the darkness. Sleep doesn't come. I lie on my back
00:41:44and stare at the ceiling. Tracing patterns in the shadows that shift each time a car passes on the
00:41:49street below. His hands ghost across my skin in phantom touches I can't shake. The weight of his body
00:41:55between my thighs. The desperate sound of my name in his mouth. Because you were the only beautiful
00:42:01thing I'd ever touched. The confession plays on loop. Wearing grooves into my brain until I can't tell if I'm
00:42:08remembering or inventing. Did he really say that? Did his voice really crack on the words like something
00:42:14inside him was breaking? I pull my pillow over my face and scream into it. Morning arrives with the
00:42:20subtlety of a sledgehammer. I spend 20 minutes rebuilding my face into something presentable.
00:42:26Each brush stroke feels like armor. Layer after layer of pigment between the world and my devastation.
00:42:33You're fine. You're completely fine. My legs feel like they belong to someone else as I descend the
00:42:39stairs. Caleb is already at the breakfast table. His head lifts when I enter. Everything from last
00:42:45night crashes back. His mouth. His hands. His confession. My retreat. I look away first. The coffee
00:42:52pot becomes my entire focus as I pour with hands that refuse to steady. Good morning sweetheart. You look tired.
00:43:03Late night studying. Something like that. I have some wonderful news. I ran into Richard Bennett
00:43:09at the club yesterday and he mentioned that Lucas has been spending quite a bit of time with you
00:43:17lately. I have to say I was delighted to hear it. Lucas seems like a wonderful young man.
00:43:24Richard and Patricia raised him well. Lucas is nice. More than nice apparently.
00:43:31Richard seemed to think things were progressing rather well between you two.
00:43:36And I must say I wholeheartedly approve. The Bennetts are good people. Serena. Solid values.
00:43:45Excellent future prospects. The kind of foundation any father would want for his daughter.
00:43:51Nothing's progressing.
00:43:54We're just friends dad.
00:43:58For now.
00:44:00I'm just so glad you're spending time with the right people. Quality connections are important honey.
00:44:08I have somewhere to be.
00:44:15Well, I wonder what's gotten into him this morning.
00:44:19Young men. Probably some athletic commitment he forgot about until now.
00:44:28My phone buzzes against my thigh. The screen illuminates with Lucas's name and I almost
00:44:34laugh at the cosmic timing of it all. The universe has a sick sense of humor. I should say no.
00:44:40I should
00:44:41create distance from everything. Lucas. Caleb. The entire tangled mess I've made of my carefully
00:44:47ordered existence. Getting closer to Lucas means watching Caleb's face harden every time we're in
00:44:53the same room. My thumbs hover over the keyboard for a long moment. Me. Sure. Because maybe normal
00:45:00is exactly what I need right now. Drowning looks different when you're doing it on dry land.
00:45:07Here's what I'm currently juggling. A faceless stranger who took my virginity and vanished into a
00:45:13sea of identical skeleton masks. A stepbrother whose mouth I can still taste when I close my eyes.
00:45:19No matter how many times I brush my teeth or child in coffee. The library has become my bunker.
00:45:26My fortress. My carefully constructed excuse to avoid every space where Caleb might appear. The
00:45:33complicated part that keeps me awake at night. I don't entirely regret it. You look like someone ran
00:45:38over your cat, resurrected it, and ran it over again. Thanks for that vivid imagery. Really
00:45:45appreciate the poetry you've blessed me with today. I'm being serious right now, Serena. You've been
00:45:51weird for days and don't think I haven't noticed every single red flag you're waving. That's complete
00:45:56bullshit and you know it. You maintain your GPA in your sleep. Is this about the mystery guy from the
00:46:03race?
00:46:05Did something happen that night? I don't know what you're talking about, Mia. Oh come on,
00:46:10don't insult my intelligence. I saw your face that Monday. Even if something did happen, I wouldn't
00:46:15know how to explain it without sounding completely unhinged. Some things are too tangled to put into
00:46:20words. Try me. I've heard worse things than you can possibly imagine. My older sister once confessed to
00:46:27sleeping with her professor. And I kept that secret through two Thanksgivings and a family reunion.
00:46:32It's complicated. Complicated usually means interesting, in my experience. The messiest
00:46:38situations always make the best stories afterward. This isn't a story I want to tell anyone, ever.
00:46:44This is a disaster. Fine, I won't push you today. But I'm here when you're ready to spill everything.
00:47:00He took this while he was inside me. While I kept my eyes shut. Every tall frame, every athletic build
00:47:07makes me wonder with nauseating intensity. Was it you?
00:47:14You look incredible tonight. That blouse is perfect on you. Thank you for bringing me here. It's
00:47:21beautiful. Only the best for you, Serena. The words should make my heart flutter. But my mind keeps
00:47:28drifting to that photo on my phone. Who took it? What do they want from me? Is this blackmail waiting
00:47:34to
00:47:34detonate? Or a warning shot across my bow? The professor sounds like some kind of weirdo.
00:47:40Did he actually throw chalk at that guy? Allegedly. The kid deserved it though. Remind me never to fall
00:47:47asleep in your classes. Serena, you seem really distracted tonight. Sorry, just school stress weighing
00:47:57on me. Anything I could help with. Can you tell me why my stepbrother makes me feel more alive in
00:48:03fury
00:48:04than you do in kindness? No. But thank you for asking.
00:48:14I had a really great time tonight. Me too.
00:48:23You should go, Bennett. Now. I was just saying good night to Serena, man. And now you're leaving.
00:48:32Immediately. Okay, I'll call you tomorrow, Serena. Good night.
00:48:40This roast chicken is truly excellent. Yes, it goes perfectly with the wine. The hospital charity
00:48:47gala is next weekend. I was thinking Serena should attend. Wonderful idea. The Bennett's
00:48:52will be there too. Lucas could introduce you to some partners at his father's firm. Networking is so
00:48:59important at your age. Perfect opportunity to wear that lovely dress we bought last month.
00:49:04Of course. Sure. I'll go with Lucas. May I be excused? I had an early morning.
00:49:12Of course, sweetheart. Is everything all right? Okay. Everything is perfect.
00:49:20Sorry, I... Well, young people in their moods, I guess. He's probably just tired from training.
00:49:28The season is demanding. When did this happen? When did Caleb Thornton's opinions
00:49:33start mattering more than my own peace? We need to talk.
00:49:45Fascinating opener. The answer's still no. Get out.
00:49:50Lucas isn't what he seems. You need to stay away from him.
00:49:53Oh, this is rich. You're giving me relationship advice now? You, of all people?
00:49:59This isn't about us, Serena. This is about him. There is no us, Caleb. There's you trespassing
00:50:06in my room, running your mouth about things that don't concern you.
00:50:11You kissed him tonight. I did a lot of things tonight. Breathing, blinking, walking upright.
00:50:17Should I run those by you too, or just the ones involving other men's mouths?
00:50:21On our doorstep. Ten feet from where I was standing.
00:50:26Proximity bothers you now? That's new. You've never had trouble performing with an audience before.
00:50:32Careful, Serena. Or what? You'll make my life miserable? Breaking news. You've been doing that
00:50:39since middle school. I'm immune. You're not immune to anything. Your pulse is jumping in your throat
00:50:45right now. I can see it from here. That's called hatred, Caleb. Search it.
00:50:51Hatred doesn't make your pupils dilate. Hatred doesn't make you breathe like you've been running.
00:50:57Maybe I'm allergic to bullshit. You're certainly giving off enough of it.
00:51:01Then why haven't you screamed for daddy yet? I don't need my father to handle you.
00:51:06No? Then handle me yourself. Put your hands on my chest and shove me out that door.
00:51:17What's the hold up, princess? All that righteous anger and you can't even touch me long enough to push me
00:51:21away.
00:51:22Don't call me that. Touch me and I'll stop. You're terrified.
00:51:27Not of me. Of what happens when you stop pretending you don't want this.
00:51:32The only thing I want is for you to choke on your own ego.
00:51:36Liar. Your whole body's shaking. You're so wound up you can barely stand.
00:51:42You are delusional. Then prove it. Tell me to leave. Mean it.
00:51:48Why are you in my face again? What do you want from me?
00:52:03Come on, princess. Tell me how much you hate me now.
00:52:07I hate. I hate you. Again. Make me believe it this time.
00:52:15Call it.
00:52:18Every pathetic dream I've tortured myself with dissolves into nothing compared to the weight of
00:52:24her body pressed against mine. Somehow we migrate to my room.
00:52:31You're shaking.
00:52:33No, I'm not.
00:52:40Caleb.
00:52:42Your hands are literally trembling.
00:52:44Shut up.
00:52:46I'm just saying.
00:52:47You want to analyze this? Write a thesis about my scizy logical responses?
00:52:54Or do you want me to make you forget how to form sentences? That's what I thought.
00:52:59I'm not a virgin anymore.
00:53:01That doesn't mean it won't hurt the second time.
00:53:04We don't have to do this. If you've changed your mind.
00:53:09I haven't changed my fucking mind. I just...
00:53:14I need you to be sure.
00:53:16Why?
00:53:17Because I'm not a complete bastard. Despite popular opinion.
00:53:22Caleb, I want this. I want you.
00:53:27Tell me if it hurts. I mean it, Serena. One word and I stop.
00:53:35Your turn.
00:53:36Slow down.
00:53:38You've been telling me to shut up and take what I want for years.
00:53:42Now you want me to be patient?
00:53:44Now I want to take my time. I want to learn every inch of you.
00:53:49I want to hear every sound you make. I want to remember this when I'm old and broken,
00:53:54and you've moved on to someone who deserves you.
00:53:56Caleb, you're staring.
00:53:59Don't hide from me. Not now.
00:54:02It's embarrassing.
00:54:03You're perfect. You've always been perfect, and I've hated you for it.
00:54:07Hated how much I wanted you. Hated that you made me feel things I couldn't control.
00:54:15Hated that you made me feel things I couldn't control.
00:54:19Caleb, what are you doing?
00:54:29Caleb.
00:54:29We go slow.
00:54:36I'll stop whenever you say.
00:54:42Caleb, please.
00:54:45Please what?
00:54:46I need you.
00:54:48Please, I need you inside me.
00:54:58Her taste, salt and sweetness, as I drag my mouth down her throat.
00:55:03I've dreamed about this since my first fumbling experiences taught me what bodies could do together.
00:55:09Backseats of cars with girls whose names blurred by morning.
00:55:13Dorm rooms and parties and encounters that meant nothing beyond temporary release.
00:55:19None of them mattered, because they weren't her.
00:55:23God.
00:55:24But we're real close.
00:55:26This line we crossed, nobody more.
00:55:31Forbidden.
00:55:32Don't pray, don't cry.
00:55:35Just let me drown in your alibi.
00:55:39What if we stop pretending?
00:55:42What if we just given?
00:55:51The warmth pressed against my body, tangible and real.
00:56:03How long have you been awake?
00:56:05It's a while.
00:56:07You talk in your sleep, you know that?
00:56:11Very entertaining.
00:56:13Right, something about constitutional amendments.
00:56:15And a certain Professor Henderson.
00:56:19Oh, God.
00:56:21Please tell me you're lying.
00:56:23I liked it best when you muttered something about colored markers.
00:56:26Very sexy bedtime talk, Lincoln.
00:56:30You're unbearable.
00:56:32And yet you're here.
00:56:34Still in my bed.
00:56:37The morning is just beginning.
00:56:39Give me time.
00:56:41Take all the time you want.
00:56:43I'm not going anywhere.
00:56:49I should probably go get ready.
00:56:53The gala is tonight, and I need to...
00:56:56A gala evening?
00:56:57Yes, the charity event our parents have been discussing for weeks.
00:57:01Catherine mentioned it at dinner last night, remember?
00:57:04The hospital foundation thing?
00:57:05The whole point of last night was that you don't go with him.
00:57:09Last night had no point.
00:57:11Last night was a mistake.
00:57:13A mistake.
00:57:14That's what you're calling it?
00:57:15What else would I possibly call it, Caleb?
00:57:18You were screaming my name four hours ago, and now it's a mistake?
00:57:21Lower your voice before someone hears it.
00:57:26You let Lucas kiss you on our doorstep.
00:57:29You're going to this gala on his arm tonight.
00:57:33Parading around like nothing happened between us.
00:57:36And?
00:57:37What happens in my life is none of your concern.
00:57:40And I'm supposed to be fine with that?
00:57:43After everything that happened between us last night?
00:57:45You don't get to be anything about my choices.
00:57:50This doesn't give you rights over me.
00:57:53Then...
00:57:54What the hell does it give me, Serena?
00:57:57I need to go. Step away.
00:58:04You're really going to pretend this means nothing?
00:58:07I'm not pretending anything.
00:58:10Liar. I know what you felt.
00:58:14Let me go, Caleb.
00:58:16I can't watch you with him.
00:58:19I can't watch him touch you, knowing what we...
00:58:22Knowing how you...
00:58:24But before I can respond, his slam on the closet makes us both look at the carpet.
00:58:29And my whole world turns upside down.
00:58:34I can explain.
00:58:39Serena, please.
00:58:41Just let me explain what happened.
00:58:43You.
00:58:44It was you.
00:58:46Yes, but it's not yoked.
00:58:49You took my virginity.
00:58:51You knew exactly who I was.
00:58:53And you let me think I was with someone else.
00:58:55I didn't plan it.
00:58:56I saw you with Lucas, followed because I was jealous, and then you took my hand and...
00:59:00And you just went along with it?
00:59:02You let me believe I was with someone else the entire time we were in that room.
00:59:06You thought you were with Lucas.
00:59:07You wanted him, not me.
00:59:09What was I supposed to do?
00:59:10Correct you, Midsduction.
00:59:11Yes.
00:59:13That's what a decent person would do, Caleb.
00:59:15I'm not a decent human being.
00:59:17I've never claimed to be.
00:59:19And the message?
00:59:21The photo someone sent to my phone last week?
00:59:24That was me.
00:59:26I sent it.
00:59:27You photographed me without my consent and then used it to threaten me?
00:59:31It wasn't a threat.
00:59:32It was...
00:59:33I was trying to make you stay away from Lucas.
00:59:35I panicked.
00:59:36I blackmailing me?
00:59:38That was your brilliant plan?
00:59:40You kept spending time with him.
00:59:42And I couldn't just tell you the truth without...
00:59:45Without what?
00:59:46Admitting you'd already violated every boundary that exists between two people?
00:59:50Lucas is not who you think he is.
00:59:53That's what I've been trying to tell you all this time.
00:59:55Oh, this should be good.
00:59:57Please enlighten me about who Lucas is.
00:59:59He's dangerous, Serena.
01:00:02There are things about him you don't know.
01:00:04Things you conveniently couldn't mention until after you'd slept with me twice and gotten
01:00:08caught in your own web of lies?
01:00:09The timing looks suspicious, I know.
01:00:12But I'm telling you the truth right now.
01:00:15The truth?
01:00:15You don't know what that word means, Caleb.
01:00:17You wouldn't recognize truth that introduced itself with a handshake.
01:00:20Serena, wait.
01:00:23You have to listen to me about this.
01:00:26I don't have to do what you say.
01:00:28Lucas hurt someone.
01:00:30Back in high school, there was a girl at a party after everyone else had left.
01:00:34She is the reason we stopped being friends.
01:00:38And you expect me to believe this convenient revelation right now after everything you've
01:00:43just admitted?
01:00:44It's not convenient.
01:00:45It's relevant.
01:00:47Everything I've done has been to protect you from him.
01:00:50Are you lying to me?
01:00:52This is sickening, Caleb.
01:00:54I know what it looks like.
01:00:56But all I did was because I...
01:00:58Was because you're a manipulative bastard?
01:01:03Last night you told me it might hurt the second time.
01:01:06You knew it was only my second time because you were my first.
01:01:10Serena.
01:01:10Don't.
01:01:11Don't say my name like that.
01:01:13You can't seem offended right now.
01:01:16I'm going.
01:01:18Don't follow me.
01:01:19Please don't do this.
01:01:21It's not like that, Serena.
01:01:23So how do I do it?
01:01:27You're exactly the villain I always knew you were.
01:01:30I just forgot for a few hours.
01:01:36And the party tonight?
01:01:38Are you still going with him despite everything I just told you?
01:01:43Your word means nothing to me anymore.
01:01:47This is such a beautiful event.
01:01:49It really is.
01:01:50Cheers to that.
01:01:51Charity galas exist so rich people can feel
01:01:54generous while drinking champagne that costs more than my textbooks.
01:01:59You look stunning.
01:02:00Every man in this room is jealous of me right now.
01:02:03Flattery will get you everywhere, Bennett.
01:02:06That's what I'm counting on.
01:02:09You two look absolutely lovely together.
01:02:11Like something from magazine spread, honestly.
01:02:16The Bennetts raised a fine young man.
01:02:18I couldn't be happier about you two spending time together.
01:02:22Thank you, sir.
01:02:24Serena makes it easy to be a gentleman.
01:02:38Do you want to dance?
01:02:39I wouldn't want anything more.
01:02:44My father's partner wanted to meet you.
01:02:46He's been asking about my mysterious pre-law girlfriend all evening.
01:02:49I'm not your girlfriend.
01:02:52Every interaction only reveals more kindness, more evidence that Caleb lied.
01:02:58Enjoying yourself, princess?
01:02:59Don't call me that.
01:03:01Playing dress up with Bennett looks exhausting.
01:03:04Blue suits you got.
01:03:06Your mother would have approved.
01:03:08Is there something you need, Thornton?
01:03:10It's like it now, actually.
01:03:12Didn't you hear?
01:03:13We're one big happy family these days.
01:03:16Just making conversation with my stepister.
01:03:19Family obligation.
01:03:21You understand.
01:03:22Funny how you only remember family obligations when it's convenient.
01:03:25Some of us remember when you couldn't spell the word.
01:03:28And some of us remember things we probably shouldn't talk about at charity galas.
01:03:33Right, Bennett?
01:03:34Wouldn't want to ruin the evening with ancient history.
01:03:37You're drunk.
01:03:39Maybe you should find some water in a quiet corner.
01:03:42Maybe you should worry less about my hydration.
01:03:45And more about your own glass house.
01:03:48Stones hurt when they come back around, don't they?
01:03:52We were actually just leaving.
01:03:53Excuse us.
01:04:04I didn't know you smoked.
01:04:08There's a lot you don't know about me.
01:04:10Though I suppose that cuts both ways now, doesn't it?
01:04:14You've been avoiding me all night, Serena.
01:04:17I really like the gala.
01:04:19It's not all about you, Caleb.
01:04:21No?
01:04:23Then why do you look for me in every room you enter?
01:04:25I don't...
01:04:30You do.
01:04:31You've been watching me all night while pretending not to.
01:04:34And I've been watching you pretend.
01:04:42Does Lucas know?
01:04:44Know what?
01:04:45That you're only with him because of me.
01:04:49You're delusional.
01:04:52I chose Lucas because he's everything you're not.
01:04:56And what exactly am I not?
01:04:59Honest.
01:05:00Attentive.
01:05:02Capable of basic human decency without ulterior motives attached.
01:05:05Sounds like a golden retriever.
01:05:09Very exciting.
01:05:10Excitement isn't everything, Caleb.
01:05:13Some of us prefer stability over chaos.
01:05:16You don't want stability.
01:05:19You want to feel safe.
01:05:20You want what terrifies you.
01:05:22What terrifies me is your complete inability to take responsibility for anything you've done.
01:05:30I've taken responsibility.
01:05:32I told you the truth about Bennett, about Halloween, about the photo, about all of it.
01:05:38After I discovered the mask in your closet.
01:05:41That's not a confession.
01:05:42That's damage control.
01:05:44And yet here you are.
01:05:46Alone with me on a balcony instead of inside with your puppy.
01:05:49I came out here for air.
01:05:52Not for you.
01:05:53Keep telling yourself that.
01:05:57That's a great story.
01:05:59I remember the first time I saw the play.
01:06:06Excuse me for a moment.
01:06:10There you are.
01:06:12I've been looking everywhere for you.
01:06:16Just getting some air.
01:06:17The ballroom was getting stuffy.
01:06:19I can imagine.
01:06:22Caleb.
01:06:23Still here?
01:06:24Just leaving.
01:06:26The view got less interesting.
01:06:28I want to hurt him the way he hurt me.
01:06:31I want him to watch and suffer.
01:06:34Lucas.
01:06:36Serena?
01:06:56What was that for?
01:06:58I just wanted to.
01:07:03I'm not complaining.
01:07:05Feel free to want that anytime.
01:07:07We should go back inside.
01:07:10People will talk.
01:07:12Let them.
01:07:21Funny how memory works.
01:07:23My traitorous mind has other plans.
01:07:25Circling Caleb's face like a vulture over carrion.
01:07:29Devastated doesn't cover it.
01:07:31He looked destroyed.
01:07:33The foundation cracked and walls collapsed.
01:07:35I tell myself this is what I wanted.
01:07:38Punishment.
01:07:39So why does victory taste like ash coating my tongue?
01:07:43The clock reads three in the morning.
01:07:46But even in dreams I can't escape the blue of his eyes.
01:07:49Right before they went hollow.
01:07:52Lucas and I build something.
01:07:54And the spaces between obligations.
01:07:56Coffee shops where baristas know our orders.
01:07:59Library corners we've claimed as territory.
01:08:06His roommates scatter when I arrive.
01:08:08Mumbling excuses that sound rehearsed.
01:08:11They're just awkward around new people.
01:08:16He seems genuine.
01:08:18Which either means he is or he's very good at pretending.
01:08:21That's Trishurion.
01:08:25I'm a realist, not a cheerleader.
01:08:28But your other friends like him.
01:08:30So there's that.
01:08:31They do like him.
01:08:32The easy charm.
01:08:34The remembered details.
01:08:35The way he makes everyone feel important.
01:08:38I should be grateful for the consensus.
01:08:40Instead, I find myself cataloging inconsistencies.
01:08:44Like evidence for a trial I haven't decided to hold.
01:08:47His smile doesn't always reach his eyes.
01:08:49Especially when he thinks I'm not watching.
01:08:52Caleb watches us across campus.
01:08:54With the dedication of someone memorizing a crime scene.
01:08:58He doesn't approach.
01:08:59Doesn't speak.
01:09:00Doesn't acknowledge my existence.
01:09:02Beyond those burning blue eyes.
01:09:04Tracking my movements.
01:09:05Every time our gazes collide.
01:09:08My chest constricts with an ache I refuse to name.
01:09:11I look away first.
01:09:12Because looking longer feels like confession.
01:09:15The parade of girls through his bedroom has stopped.
01:09:18Or at least the volume has dropped to silence.
01:09:28You okay?
01:09:31Fine.
01:09:32What happened between you two?
01:09:34Ancient history, Serena.
01:09:37It doesn't matter anymore.
01:09:39Clearly it does.
01:09:40You can't even look at his car without going full statue.
01:09:44We were kids.
01:09:46People grow apart.
01:09:47That's not an answer.
01:09:49And you know it.
01:09:51It was just high school drama.
01:09:54Stuka teenage stuff.
01:09:56What kind of stupid teenage stuff?
01:09:58Did you steal his book?
01:10:01Beat him at lacrosse tryouts?
01:10:04Nothing like that.
01:10:07Then what?
01:10:09Was there a girl involved?
01:10:13Maybe.
01:10:15But it's complicated.
01:10:17Complicated how?
01:10:20What?
01:10:21You two couldn't share her or something.
01:10:24There was a girl.
01:10:26Her name was Rachel.
01:10:28And things just...
01:10:30got messy.
01:10:36I let him redirect.
01:10:42Let him kiss my cheek and walk away.
01:10:44Let the questions settle heavy in my chest.
01:10:48Rachel.
01:10:49A girl.
01:10:50Things got messy.
01:10:52The name circles my mind.
01:10:53Three hours disappear into the black hole of social media stalking.
01:10:59Rachel Weaver emerges from the digital excavation around midnight.
01:11:03I scroll back through years.
01:11:05Junior prom.
01:11:06Three years ago.
01:11:08Caleb on her left.
01:11:09Lucas on her right.
01:11:11Whatever broke them apart started with this girl in the blue dress.
01:11:16Whatever truth Caleb tried to tell me has roots I'm only beginning to trace.
01:11:20I open a new message window before doubt can intervene.
01:11:24The cursor blinks.
01:11:26Patient and waiting.
01:11:27I start typing.
01:11:28I start typing.
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