Looking at Marcus beside her and feeling the steady warmth of his presence, Talia felt something soft settle deep in her chest. This time, she would not retreat, would not hesitate, and certainly would not let him slip away again. She had already made up her mind. No matter what happened, she would fight for her own happiness, even if it meant abandoning the pride she had guarded for so many years.
She would never leave him again.
More than that, she wanted to prove something, not only to Marcus but also to herself. She was not inferior to Serena, one of the Four Campus Queens of Crestwood University and the woman everyone believed Marcus cared for most. Talia refused to stand quietly in anyone's shadow. She would make him see her, truly see her.
