Chapter 24 Shattered Hope
Liam's POV
I stayed in my seat long after the bell rang, pretending to scroll through my phone as the classroom slowly emptied. I had practiced what I wanted to say in my head. Just a few simple words for Mia.
"Are you okay?"
"Ignore them."
"You did not deserve that."
I had wanted to be the one standing beside Mia, to say something that would make her feel better after everything she had been through. But when I finally found the courage to move, Daniel beat me to it. He was already there, talking to her like nothing had changed. I froze at the back of the room, unnoticed.
I watched as Daniel bent down beside her desk and handed her something. I saw her stiffen at first, avoiding his eyes. Then she looked up.
And she smiled. It was small and faint, but it was a smile she had not given anyone else all day.
My jaw tightened. I did not know why it hurt so much. Maybe because I wanted that smile to be for me. Because I wanted to be the one to tell her I was there for her, that she was not alone anymore.
But Daniel was there now, standing where I wanted to be. He spoke to her in a low, familiar voice, and it made something tighten in my throat.
Then the girls came back. The moment turned sharp. Belle led with cruel words, the others close behind her like a pack. I was already moving toward them when Daniel stepped in front of Mia.
He protected her. He said exactly what I was about to say. And somehow, that hurt even more.
My hands clenched at my sides. My nails dug into my palms, the only thing stopping me from lashing out. I could not stay to watch Daniel talk to her again. I turned and walked out of the classroom, my jaw tight, something heavy and unspoken burning in my chest.
I did not want to admit it, not even to myself, but I wanted to be there for her, even while wondering if she was living a double life. I could not stop thinking about her. I wanted to protect the innocent image she had here in Suncrest, yet I could not ignore how different she was on the yacht. It made me question how much of her I truly knew. Still, I wanted to say something that might have eased her pain, even for a moment.
I planned to eat lunch with Mia. I was holding a bottle of orange juice, carrying a quiet and awkward hope that maybe today we could spend some time together.
But she never came to her favorite spot under the Acacia tree. Instead of looking for her, I stayed in the Academy's cafeteria with her former friends.
By then, I knew them well enough to sense the change in their behavior. The way they leaned closer to each other, whispered too sweetly, and looked at Mia like she did not belong there, let alone deserve to do better than them.
They were planning something. And I needed to be there when it happened.
Daniel joined in late and dropped into the seat beside Belle. His jaw was tight, his eyes distant.
Belle spoke immediately. "How could you talk to her, Dan?" she hissed, her voice low and sharp with accusation.
Daniel did not even blink. "It is none of your business who I talk to. Mia was my friend long before you ever were."
The color drained from Belle's face, then quickly turned into anger.
"Oh, so now that she is getting perfect scores and playing the poor comeback girl, you suddenly care?" she snapped. "Is that all it takes to get your attention? One top score?"
I raised an eyebrow and stayed silent, watching closely.
Daniel turned to her, his voice calm but cold. "You do not get to twist this. You know exactly what you have been doing. Spreading lies, isolating her, and dragging her name through every hallway like it is some kind of game."
Belle looked like she had been slapped. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
"And for what?" Daniel continued, his voice firmer now. "Because she walked away from your toxic behavior? Because she refused to stay broken just to make you feel better?"
The table went quiet. Even Kim and Chloe looked uncomfortable. I felt a small sense of satisfaction as I watched Belle's face lose its color. I only wished Mia had been there to see it, to see someone finally stand up for her.
"That is not funny, Dan," Belle said after a moment. Her voice shook, tears filling her eyes.
"I am not trying to be funny, Belle," Daniel said calmly. "I am telling the truth. Whatever fantasy you had about us, it is over."
He stood up, picked up his untouched drink, and walked away without looking back.
I followed him, grabbing my own lunch just to have something in my hands. I caught up with him halfway across the quad.
"So," I said lightly as I matched his pace, "did you just break up with your girlfriend in front of everyone?"
Daniel scoffed. "She was never my girlfriend."
I let out a quiet laugh that did not quite reach my eyes. "Dramatic. I like it."
But beneath the joking, something twisted in my chest.
Because it was not just that Daniel finally spoke up. It was the fact that Mia had once liked him. Everyone knew it.
She never said it out loud, but it showed in the way she looked at him, like he was the center of all her daydreams. And maybe, if Daniel acted now, he could win her back. Even if Mia was with Josh. Even if I was not supposed to care.
Daniel sat beside me, still shaken, his eyes distant. "What is your plan now?" I asked casually, even though I already felt the answer coming like a punch.
"I think it is time," he said. "I am going to tell Mia how I feel."
I breathed out slowly and looked down at the grass, my jaw tight.
Then he added, softer, "I know you like her too, Liam. I do. But I have liked her for a long time, since before everything fell apart. Please do not get in the way. Do not go after her."
I chuckled again, but this time, it sounded a little sad.
"Even if I wanted to, it is already too late for both of us," I said, my voice low.
Daniel frowned. "What do you mean?"
I finally looked at him, something heavier in my eyes now. "Of course, you do not know. You stopped being her friend too. You were not there."
I let the silence hang for a moment before continuing.
"Mia has a boyfriend."
Daniel's breath caught. "What?"
"His name is Josh," I said, and just saying it tasted bitter in my mouth. "They were at dinner last weekend. His family and mine. Josh's dad is my father's best friend, and they are planning to work together on a new venture. I did not expect to see her walk in, holding his hand."
Daniel went still, the color draining from his face. "You are lying."
"I wish I were," I muttered, leaning back against the bench. "But I saw it with my own eyes."
And just like that, the hope in Daniel's expression shattered, and he had no idea that I felt the same way too.