Chapter 23 : Bad timing
STEPHEN’S POV
I knew they would be going back together. I just didn’t expect it to hit me the way it did.
The party had ended in chaos—shouting, spilled drinks, Ella storming out with tears in her eyes, and one of the cheer girls, Jesse, standing there like she didn’t care who she hurt. I told her that she shouldn't have said those words to Ella but she rolled her eyes and ignored me.
By the time I got back to the dorm, the hallway lights were dim and the place was quiet.
I tossed my keys onto the table and loosened my collar, trying to shake off the tension from earlier. I told myself I didn’t care what Hayden did. He and Lilian were grown.
But then I heard it when i got to living room. It was coming out of Hayden’s room. It was a moan which was soft at first, then it grew louder.
I froze in the middle of the living room, every muscle in my body going rigid. The headboard hit the wall once and a breathy laugh followed. Then another moan and I recognized the voice. It was unmistakably Lilian’s.
I clenched my jaw.
So that’s how this was going to be.
After the fight with Haydne and after she had her goons made Ella cried. She went straight to his bed.
I dragged a hand down my face and let out a bitter laugh. “Unbelievable.”
The sounds didn’t stop. If anything, they got louder, like they wanted the world to know.
Or maybe it just felt that way because I was standing there listening.
I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and twisted the cap off harder than necessary. The plastic crinkled under my grip. I took a long gulp, trying to drown out the noise but it didn’t work.
Another moan but it was his voice this time. I slammed the bottle down on the counter.
“Seriously?” I muttered under my breath. I wasn’t jealous.
That’s what I told myself.
I wasn’t jealous of Hayden. I wasn’t jealous of whatever the hell they were doing in there. I was angry. Angry because Ella was supposed to be Lilian’s friend, because I knew this would explode and because Hayden had this stupid habit of taking whatever he wanted and dealing with the aftermath later.
And I was always the one stuck watching the fallout.
The noises went on for what felt like forever. I ended up in my room with my headphones on, music blasting in my ears, but it didn’t completely block it out.
I didn’t sleep much that night.
The next morning, I was in the kitchen earlier than usual. I needed black coffee to stop from feeling like a zombie.
Hayden’s door was closed with no movement or sound.
I leaned against the counter, scrolling through my phone, pretending I wasn’t waiting for either one of them to pop out.
The soft click of a door opening made my head snap up.
It was Lilian, she was stepping out of Hayden’s room quietly.
She was wearing last night’s dress. Her hair was slightly messy, lips swollen, eyes avoiding everywhere.
She froze when she saw me.
For a second, neither of us said anything.
“Oh,” she said softly, clutching her purse tighter.
“Morning.”
I took a slow sip of my coffee. “Is it?”
She shifted awkwardly. The confident, seductive girl from last night was gone. Now she looked… unsure.
“I was just leaving,” she mumbled.
I let the silence stretch and feel uncomfortable. She tried to step around me.
“That’s it?” I said.
She stopped. “That’s what?” she snapped, defensive already.
“That’s how you’re playing this? Sneak out in the morning like nothing happened?”
Her shoulders stiffened. “I don’t owe you an explanation, Stephen.”
“No,” I agreed. “You don’t owe me one.” She visibly relaxed for half a second. “But you owe Ella one.”
That did it.
Her head whipped toward me, eyes flashing. “Don’t start.”
“I’m not starting anything. I’m just stating facts.”
Her jaw tightened. “Ella and Hayden are not together.”
“They don’t have to be officially together for this to be messed up.”
She let out a sharp laugh. “Oh my God. You sound ridiculous.”
“Do I?” I pushed off the counter and stepped closer. “She cried last night, Lilian.”
She looked at me confused, “That’s not my fault.”
Her expression hardened. The shyness vanished completely. “So what? I’m supposed to ignore someone I like because she fucked someone?”
“She’s your friend.”
“And she is your ex ,” Lilian shot back. “Hayden is not her property. He broke up with her and she has refused to move on.”
I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. “You know what this looks like?”
“I don’t care what it looks like.” she rolled her eyes.
“Of course you don’t.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Say what you actually want to say.”
I held her gaze. “You’re betraying your friend for some dick.”
The words hung in the air. Her face went from anger to fury in under a second. “Excuse me?” she hissed.
“You heard me.”
She stepped closer, pointing a finger at my chest. “You don’t get to talk to me like that.”
“I just did.”
“You think you’re better than everyone, don’t you?” she snapped. “Mr. Moral High Ground.”
I folded my hands “This isn’t about me.”
“No, this is about you sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong!” Her voice rose. “You’ve always had something against me, don't you?”
I laughed in disbelief. “Against you? Please. I just don’t like watching people wreck friendships for fun.”
Her eyes glistened, but she didn’t let the tears fall. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough.”
“You know what, Stephen?” she said, her voice trembling with contained rage. “Maybe you’re just bitter.”
“Bitter?”
“Yeah. Because Hayden doesn’t look at you the way he looks at me.”
I blinked. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re always watching him, always quick to judge and maybe your gay ass couldn't handle the fact that he doesn't want you.”
“That’s not…..what the hell?” I stopped myself, jaw tightening. “You’re deflecting.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m done being judged by the fucking school playboy who sticks his dick on anything.”
“So telling you the truth is not minding my business?”
“Yes, by acting like I committed a crime!” she shot back. “Two single people slept together. It’s not the end of the world.”
“It is to Ella.”
She hesitated for a second and I could see guilt flickered across her face, then she buried it.
“I can’t live my life based on someone else’s feelings,” she said quietly.
She walked out without giving me a chance to say much.
Fuck this shit.