Chapter 39

**KAIA**

The Ferris wheel swayed gently as we reached the top, the city stretching out beneath us in a sea of glowing lights. The fairgrounds buzzed with life, laughter, and the distant sound of carnival games, but up here, it was quiet—just me and Callum, watching the world move below.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me, feeling the crisp night air against my skin. Beside me, Callum shifted slightly, resting his arm on the safety bar as he turned to look at me.

“So,” he started, his voice smooth but curious. “How you been these days? I feel like I never see you around anymore.”

I glanced at him, forcing a small smile.

“Just… caught up with school stuff, you know how it is.”

Callum chuckled, nodding.

“Yeah, I get that. College is a whole different beast.”

Silence settled between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just there, stretching out as we both took in the view. And then, after a beat, he spoke again.

“I missed you.”

I swallowed hard, my heart skipping a beat as our eyes locked.

*Damn it, Kaia. Don’t fold so fast.*

I quickly tore my gaze away, smiling just enough to cover the sudden rush of emotions inside me. I didn’t trust myself to say anything back, so I just turned to look down at the fairgrounds, pretending to be fascinated by the twinkling lights below.

“What’s that on your neck?”

Panic shot through me so fast, I barely had time to school my expression.

Shit. The hickey.

I had completely forgotten about it. The damn thing Adrian left behind still hadn’t faded, and now Callum had noticed. I scrambled for an excuse, my brain short-circuiting.

“Oh—um—” I stammered before blurting out, “I burned myself with my hair iron a few days ago.”

Callum’s blue eyes studied me for a second longer than I liked. He gave a slow nod, but the look on his face told me he wasn’t fully convinced.

Before he could press further, I latched onto the first thing that came to mind.

“So, uh… do you have a hockey game coming up?”

His lips twitched slightly, like he knew what I was doing, but he played along.

“Why?” he teased. “You wanna come watch me play?”

My cheeks warmed instantly. Of course he had to make it sound like that.

I quickly looked away, but I could feel his smirk without even seeing it.

“I’d love for you to come watch me play someday,” he added, his voice softer this time.

I finally looked back at him and smiled. “Okay.”

Something shifted in his expression. The teasing was gone now, replaced by something… more. He reached over, took my hand in his, and held it between his own, his thumb brushing against my skin.

“I feel good about you,” he murmured. “I think I’m starting to really like you, Kaia.”

I froze.

The words settled in my chest, warm and unexpected, and before I could even think, my mouth betrayed me.

“…Me too.”

Callum’s lips stretched into a slow grin before he leaned in, his breath warm against my skin. And then—his lips pressed against mine.

It was soft. Gentle. Sweet.

But all I could think about… was Adrian.

Kissing him had never felt like this. With Adrian, it was fire—intense, messy, a storm of emotions that I could never quite get a hold of. It left me breathless, dizzy, and absolutely furious at how easily he could make me feel things I didn’t want to feel.

And now here I was, trapped between two guys who made my head spin in completely different ways.

Callum made me feel safe. Steady. Like he actually meant everything he said.

But Adrian… Adrian confused the hell out of me.

And I hated him for it.

**OoO**

The Ferris wheel ride ended with a soft jolt as our cart reached the bottom. Callum helped me down, his fingers lingering around mine for a second longer than necessary before he let go. The night air was colder now, and I tucked my hands into my jacket pockets as we made our way back to his car.  

The drive back to campus was mostly quiet, just the hum of the engine and the low music playing from the speakers. I could still feel the ghost of his lips on mine, but my mind was somewhere else. Somewhere darker.  

When we reached my dorm, Callum parked by the curb, letting the engine idle as he turned to look at me.  

“See you around?” he asked, his voice hopeful.  

I nodded, forcing a small smile. “Yeah. See you.”  

With that, I pushed open the door and stepped out, watching as he pulled away, his loud red Ferrari revving obnoxiously as he sped off into the night. I shook my head with a small laugh. Typical Callum.  

But when I turned around, the amusement faded instantly.  

Adrian was standing outside my dorm building, staring at me.  

I hadn’t seen him in a week—not since that day in his dorm when I went looking for my school ID. And now, here he was, looking as irritated as ever, arms crossed over his chest, jaw tight, eyes locked onto me like I’d personally offended him just by existing.  

I sighed, pushing my hair back as I made my way up the steps. He met me halfway, descending with slow, deliberate steps until we were face to face.  

“I’m surprised you have time to go out on dates,” he said, voice flat, but there was an edge to it.  

I scoffed. “I’m surprised you care.”  

“I don’t.”  

I tilted my head slightly, lowering my voice. “Then why are we even having this conversation?”  

He didn’t answer. He just stared.That silent, unreadable glare of his that always made my stomach tighten with something I refused to acknowledge.  

I let out a breath and brushed past him, but then—  

"He’ll ruin you.”  

I stopped dead in my tracks.  

Slowly, I turned back around to face him. He was still standing on the steps, looking down at me, his expression unreadable, but his words lingered.  

“You’re wrong,” I said firmly.  

His jaw tensed. “So you’re sticking up for him now?”  

“Yes.”  

That made something flicker in his eyes. Anger? Disbelief? I couldn’t tell.  

I hesitated, swallowing hard, knowing what I was about to say next was something I wasn’t supposed to say. Something I had promised myself I’d keep hidden. But I said it anyway.  

“If there’s anyone Callum is willing to ruin,” I said carefully, “it would be you.”  

The words hung between us like a live wire. His expression barely shifted, but I saw it—the slight narrowing of his eyes, the subtle tension in his shoulders. He was processing it, trying to figure out why I would say something like that.  

My throat tightened. The truth was clawing at me, but I forced it back.  

“And I'm trying to stop that from happening,” I added, the words barely above a whisper. “So… you’re welcome.”  

For the first time in a long time, Adrian looked genuinely caught off guard. His brows furrowed, his mouth opening slightly like he was about to say something.  

But before he could, I turned on my heel and disappeared inside the building.  

The second the door shut behind me, I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my back against the wall.  

What the hell did I just do?  

I had been so careful—so desperate to keep this from him. And now, just like that, I had let it slip.  

I wasn’t sure if Adrian would let it go.  

But I had a feeling I had just given him something to hold onto.