Chapter 52 – Breaking Point
Sam's POV
They didn’t give us detention. They didn’t even write us up.
The prefects had just glared, muttered something about “boys being boys” and “sort it out yourselves,” then walked off like nothing happened. Typical. This school thrived on violence as long as it was contained.
But I couldn’t breathe. My chest still hurt where Declan’s goon had slammed me. My pulse was stuck in my ears. And Elias—he stalked beside me in silence, jaw tight, eyes darker than usual.
The silence was worse than the fight.
We didn’t stop walking until we reached Dorm 9. Elias slammed the door behind us, his hand curling so tightly around the knob I thought it might snap off.
“Elias—”
“What the hell was that?” His voice cracked like a whip.
I froze. “What do you mean?”
He whirled on me, eyes blazing. “Don’t play dumb. You almost got your head smashed in tonight. Do you even realize how close you were?”
I flinched at his tone. “I realize,” I said quietly.
“No, you don’t!” His hands flew up, then dropped to his sides, fists clenching. “You walk around here like you’ve got nothing to lose, but you—” His voice broke off, like he couldn’t find the right words. “You scare the crap out of me.”
I blinked at him, thrown. “You? Scared?”
“Yes!” he exploded. “Because you’re reckless, Sam. You think you can handle guys like Declan, but you can’t. No one can. And you keep putting yourself right in their line of fire.”
Anger shot through me before I could stop it. “You think I wanted that to happen? You think I like being their target?”
“Then why don’t you stay out of it?” Elias snapped. “Why don’t you just—just keep your head down, like everyone else?”
I laughed bitterly. “You really think that works? Look around you, Elias. They’ll always find someone to crush. Hiding doesn’t save you.”
“Then what? What’s your plan?” His voice was sharp, demanding. “Because it sure looks like you’re just waiting to self-destruct.”
I bit my lip, heart pounding. He didn’t know the real plan—the one that kept me awake every night, whispering my sister’s name into the dark. He couldn’t know. Not yet.
So I said the next best thing. “My plan is to survive. Just like you.”
“That’s not good enough!” He shoved his hand through his hair, pacing like a caged animal. “You don’t get it. You—” He stopped, spun toward me again, eyes burning. “When that guy had you pinned… do you know what went through my head?”
I swallowed hard. “What?”
“That I was going to lose you.” His voice cracked raw and unfiltered. “And I couldn’t let that happen.”
The air between us felt like it vibrated. My throat closed, heat crawling up my neck. He had no idea how close to the truth he was.
“Elias…” I whispered.
But then his anger flared again, masking the vulnerability. “You’re hiding something,” he said, low and dangerous. “I know it. And whatever it is—it’s going to get you killed if you don’t stop.”
My breath caught. “I’m not—”
“Yes, you are!” he cut me off. “Every time I look at you, it’s like I’m staring at someone wearing a mask. You flinch when people touch you, you keep your distance, you—hell, you even sound different when you’re tired. And I’m sick of the lies.”
The words sliced through me like glass. He was too close to the truth. Too close.
“I don’t owe you my secrets,” I snapped before I could stop myself.
His face hardened. “No. You don’t. But don’t you dare act like what you do doesn’t affect me. Because it does. Tonight proved that.”
We stood there, both breathing hard, staring at each other across the small dorm room. The air was heavy, electric, like something was about to break.
Finally, Elias muttered, “You drive me insane, you know that?”
“Good,” I shot back, even though my chest ached. “Maybe now you know how I feel.”
That shut him up. His eyes widened slightly, like I’d just admitted something I hadn’t meant to.
Silence crashed down again.
I turned away, my hands trembling. “I didn’t ask you to protect me,” I whispered.
“You don’t have to ask.” His voice was low, firm. “I’m going to. Whether you like it or not.”
My throat tightened. “Why?”
For a long moment, he didn’t answer. Then, softly, almost like he hated saying it out loud: “Because I care.”
The floor felt like it shifted under me. I gripped the edge of the desk, my disguise stash hidden inside it, praying he didn’t hear my heart pounding out the truth.
“Elias…” I breathed, not knowing what to say.
But before I could find words, a knock rattled the door.
We both froze.
“Open up,” a voice barked from the other side. Male. Harsh. Not a prefect this time.
Declan.
Elias’s jaw locked, his hand instinctively reaching toward the door like he was ready for round two.
And I… I realized if that door opened, I might not walk away this time.