Chapter 70 : Atmosphere Feels
HAYDEN’S POV
The moment I step inside the dorm building, the atmosphere feels… wrong.
There were clusters of students lingering in the lobby, their heads bent over glowing phone screens. A couple of them laugh under their breath while someone else mutters, “Play it again.”
I try not to look, but my stomach already knows. It was the video. It’s everywhere.
As I walk past them toward the stairs, I hear the unmistakable audio from the clip.
It was Lilian’s voice and the sound of lockers rattling.
Someone yelled. “Dude, that’s Hayden’s girlfriend.”
“Yeah, that’s her.”
“Crazy.”
My jaw tightens. I climb the stairs two at a time, hoping to get to the dorm room before anyone else tries to drag me into a conversation about it.
By the time I reach our floor, my head is pounding and the hallway isn’t much better.
Two guys leaning against the wall glance up as I approach. One of them quickly lowers his phone, but not before I see the paused frame on the screen.
It was Ella against the lockers and Lilian mid-shove.
This was fucking perfect.
I shove my hands deeper into my pockets and keep walking.
Just a few more steps. I remind myself.
The door to my dorm apartment comes into view. I pull out my key and unlock it, slipping inside as quickly as possible.
The moment the door shuts behind me, the outside noise disappears.
For a second, I think maybe I got lucky and maybe Stephen isn’t home yet. Maybe….
“Nice timing.”
My shoulders stiffen. I slowly turn toward the living room. Stephen is sitting on the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His phone rests loosely in one hand. The TV is on, but muted, and he doesn’t look up.
My stomach drops so much for peace. “You saw it,” I say quietly.
Stephen finally glances up at me. His expression is unreadable and flat.
“Hard not to,” he says. His voice is calm, but there’s something cold underneath it.
I drop my bag near the door. “It’s not as dramatic as it looks.”
Stephen snorts softly. “Hayden,” he says, lifting his phone slightly. “It’s literally in a video.”
I rub the back of my neck. “Yeah, well… it escalated.”
“That’s one way to describe it.” He looks back down at his phone.
I guess the conversation is over.
The silence stretches across the room like a thick fog. Normally, Stephen would ask a hundred questions by now.
Did you pass the exam? How bad was it? Did Dalton put the elasticity stuff on there?
But he doesn’t ask any of that. Instead, he just sat there scrolling on his phone.
My chest tightens. “You could at least ask how my exam went,” I said after a moment.
Stephen pauses.
His thumb freezes on the screen. Then he shrugs. “We studied for two days,” he replies flatly. “You’ll probably be fine.”
Probably? That’s it. There was no teasing, no interest, or concern.
Something about the distance in his voice bothers me more than the fight video.
“Are you mad at me or something?” I ask.
Stephen exhales slowly and sets his phone on the table. Finally, he looks directly at me. His eyes are sharp.
“I’m not mad,” he says. The words are calm but I don’t believe them for a second.
“Really?” I ask.
“Yes,” he responded.
“Because you kind of look mad.”
His jaw tightens slightly. “I just watched a video of my brother standing around while his girlfriend throws my ex into lockers,” he says. “Forgive me if I’m not thrilled.”
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “I didn’t just stand around.”
“Well, you walked away,” he corrects.
That hits harder than I expected. “I left because it was turning into a circus,” I say defensively.
Stephen leans back against the couch. “And then?”
I hesitate. “And then what?”
“And then you went for a nice walk with Ammy.”
My stomach twists.
“You saw that? Wait, you know Ammy?”
“Everyone saw that and yes I do.”
Great. I pinch the bridge of my nose. “She just helped me get away from the crowd.”
Stephen’s expression doesn’t change. “Sure.”
Something in his tone makes irritation spark in my chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
“Stephen!”
He shrugs again. “I just think it’s funny,” he says lightly, “how fast you moved on from the chaos you probably caused again.”
“I didn’t move on!”
“It looked like it.”
My patience starts to crack. “She took me somewhere quiet so I could breathe,” I snapped. “Sorry if that’s a crime.”
Stephen stares at me for a long moment, then he looks away. The tension in the room becomes suffocating.
I suddenly feel exhausted again. “I’m going to my room,” I mutter.
“Do whatever you want,” Stephen says. His tone is neutral.
I grab my bag and walk down the short hallway toward my bedroom. The moment the door closes behind me, I drop onto the bed.
My brain feels like it’s running ten different conversations at once.
The exam, the fight, Lilian, Stephen, and that stupid video.
I pull out my phone and stare at the screen for a second. Then I open my messages.
My thumb hesitates before tapping Ammy’s name as I type.
You were right.
The typing bubble appears almost immediately. Ammy texted back.
About what?
I replied. The video is spreading fast.
Three dots appear again. Uh oh. That bad?
I let out a tired laugh and type. Half the dorm is watching it like it’s a movie.
A few seconds pass before her reply pops up. Campus drama loves an audience.
I stare at the ceiling. Then I type again. My brother already saw it too.
Stephen?
I hesitate before I respond. Yeah.
Her reply comes slower this time. How did he react?
I think about the cold look on his face. The way he didn’t even ask about my exam.
He was weird.
Weird how? She asked and I sighed and rolled onto my side.
He looked cold and distant.
Another pause came before she responded. Maybe he’s just stressed too.
Maybe. But it didn’t feel like that. It felt like something else.
I type again. He was acting like I betrayed him or something.
This time the typing bubble appears… then disappears… then appears again.
Finally, her message arrives.
You said earlier that you think he might have feelings for you.
My chest tightens. Yeah. I did say that. I stare at the screen for a long moment before replying.
Yeah… and I still don’t know if I’m imagining it.
Another message appears from her.
If he does… watching you walk off with another girl probably didn’t help.
I groan quietly and rub my face.
Great. Just great.
Everything in my life is turning into one giant emotional knot and I don't know how to fucking fix it.