Chapter 2 Chapter 2
I did not sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. Not the lazy smile from the party. Not the amused cruelty. But the way his eyes had darkened in the bathroom. Focused. Intent. Like he had seen something he was not supposed to want.
I hated that memory the most.
Morning came too fast. Pale light slipped through the curtains of my new bedroom. The room still smelled like cardboard boxes and unfamiliar furniture. I lay there staring at the ceiling, listening to the muffled sounds of the house waking up.
Laughter floated up from downstairs.
Her laughter.
I rolled onto my side and pressed my face into the pillow. My chest felt tight. Raw. Like last night had scraped something open that would not heal quietly.
Get up. Do not hide.
I forced myself out of bed and into the shower. The water was hot enough to sting. I scrubbed my skin like I could erase the feeling of beer soaking into my dress. Like I could wash away Kylen’s voice in my ear.
By the time I got dressed, my hands were steady again.
I chose jeans that fit properly and a simple top that made me feel like myself. Not Lilibeth’s shadow. Not her embarrassment. I pulled my hair back and looked at my reflection. My eyes looked different. Harder.
Downstairs, the kitchen smelled like coffee and toast. My dad sat at the table scrolling through his phone. Lilibeth leaned against the fridge, perfect as always. Kylen sat on the counter like he belonged there, a coffee mug in his hand. Relaxed. Comfortable. Like this house was already his territory.
My pulse spiked.
His eyes lifted the second I stepped into the room. They flicked over me. Slow. Deliberate. No amusement this time. Something unreadable passed between us.
“Morning,” my dad said.
“Morning,” I replied, forcing my voice to stay even.
Lilibeth snorted softly. “Wow. You actually made it down before noon.”
I ignored her and reached for a mug.
“You feeling better?” her mom asked gently. “Last night was a lot.”
I nodded. “I am fine.”
Kylen said nothing. Just watched me over the rim of his mug.
The silence pressed in.
“So,” Lilibeth said brightly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “He is driving me to campus today.”
His jaw tightened slightly at the sudden contact. So slight no one else noticed.
“Cool,” I said, my tone casual. “I was going to walk.”
Her brows lifted. “You hate walking.”
“I hate depending on people more.”
Her smile sharpened. “Good luck with that.”
They left together, and I finally felt like I could breathe.
Campus was louder than usual. Students everywhere. Laughter. Music. Life continuing like nothing had happened.
I walked with my head high.
Halfway across the quad, someone bumped into me hard enough to make me stumble.
“Watch it,” a male voice said.
I looked up.
Kylen.
He steadied me without thinking. His hands wrapped around my arms. Warm. Solid. The contact sent a shock through me.
“Sorry,” he said. “Did not see you.”
I stepped back immediately. “You always see me.”
His mouth curved slightly. “Do I?”
“You did last night.”
A pause.
“About that,” he said.
“I am not interested in your apology.”
“I was not apologizing.”
I met his gaze. Held it. Refused to look away.
“Then what do you want?” I asked.
His eyes flicked around us. Students passing. Watching. Listening.
“Not here,” he said quietly.
“Too bad.”
I turned to leave.
He caught my wrist.
I gasped softly at the contact. My skin burned where he touched me.
“Let go,” I said.
“You ran away last night.”
“I removed myself from a situation I did not belong in.”
“That is not what it looked like.”
I yanked my hand free. “You do not get to tell me what my humiliation looked like.”
His expression shifted. Something dark and sharp flashed in his eyes.
“You want to pretend it did not matter,” I continued. “Fine. But do not grab me like you have any claim.”
People were staring now.
Lilibeth’s voice cut through the air. “What is going on?”
I leaned against a nearby tree, keeping my voice steady. “Nothing.”
Her gaze snapped to Kylen. “Why are you touching her?”
He released a slow breath. “I was not.”
“I saw you,” she snapped. “Do not lie to me.”
“I shrugged. “It is fine. He just wanted to remind me I am clumsy.”
Her lips curled. “Figures.”
She hooked her arm through his. Possessive. Claiming.
“We are going to be late,” she said. “Try not to embarrass yourself today.”
I stood there shaking. Something inside me hardened. No more shrinking. No more apologizing.
That afternoon, I walked into my psychology lecture and stopped short.
Kylen sat in the back row. Alone.
I scanned the room. Plenty of empty seats. I chose the one directly beside him.
His head turned slowly. Surprise flickered across his face.
“You are brave,” he murmured.
“I am tired,” I replied.
He smirked. “Same thing.”
The professor started talking. I pulled out my notebook.
Ten minutes passed.
“Why are you sitting here?” he whispered.
“Why not?”
“You know why.”
“I do not care.”
I leaned closer. My shoulder brushed his arm. “You do not own this space.”
His breathing changed. Subtle. Controlled.
“You are playing a dangerous game,” he said.
“So are you.”
The lecture blurred. Awareness crackled between us. Every movement felt amplified. When he shifted, I felt it. When I crossed my legs, his gaze dropped before he caught himself.
At the end of class, he stood first.
“Walk with me,” he said quietly.
“No.”
He waited anyway.
Outside, the hallway emptied.
“You cannot keep doing this,” he said.
“Doing what?”
“Pushing me.”
“I am not pushing you. I am standing up for myself.”
His eyes darkened. “You liked the attention.”
My smile vanished. “You do not get to rewrite my feelings.”
Silence stretched between us.
“I am not your enemy,” he said finally.
“Then stop acting like I am disposable.”
His hand lifted like he might touch my face. He stopped himself inches away.
“You make this difficult,” he said.
“Good,” I replied. “Now you know how it feels.”
I walked away before he could respond.
That night, Lilibeth confronted me in the kitchen.
“Stay away from him,” she said without preamble.
I leaned against the counter. Calm. Collected. “I have not done anything.”
“You sat next to him today.”
“And?”
“And people noticed.”
“People always notice you,” I said. “That is not my problem.”
Her eyes flashed. “Do not pretend you are innocent.”
“I stopped pretending a long time ago.”
She stepped closer. “You think you can compete with me?”
“I am not competing,” I said.
Her voice dropped. “Because you would lose.”
Maybe.
But for the first time since moving into this house, I did not feel small.
“I guess we will see,” I said quietly.
Her face hardened. “You better remember your place.”
I smiled. “I am done remembering it.”
From the hallway, I felt Kylen’s presence before I saw him. Watching. Listening.
And I knew this was no longer just humiliation. It was war.