Chapter 60

KAIA

The next morning, I finally decided to head back to the dorms. It was time. Time to face Amy. Time to catch up on schoolwork. Time to stop hiding.

Adrien drove me back to campus in silence, his fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel as if he wanted to say something but didn’t. When we pulled up outside my dorm building, I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to him with a small smile.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytime,” he said, his voice gentle. Then his eyes softened, concerned. “You sure you’re okay?”

I nodded, gripping the handle.

“I can’t keep hiding forever. I need to get some stuff done anyway.”

Adrien gave me a slow nod, like he respected that, even if he wasn’t totally convinced. We stepped out of the car together, and I started walking up the small stone steps leading to the entrance of my dorm building.

And then I heard it— The low growl of an engine behind us.

I turned just in time to see Callum pulling up and stepping out of his car.

My stomach dropped.

I hadn’t answered a single one of his calls or texts since that night. I wasn’t ready. I still wasn’t. But now I had no choice but to face him—and of course, it had to be now, with Adrien standing right beside me.

Callum started toward me, his eyes locking onto mine. But he didn’t even make it halfway before Adrien stepped directly in his path and—

Crack.

Adrien’s fist slammed across Callum’s face with a sickening thud, making me gasp.

“Adrien!” I yelled.

Callum stumbled back, clutching his jaw in shock.

But Adrien didn’t stop.

He grabbed the front of Callum’s shirt and shoved him back against his car.

“Keep your shitty friends away from her. I swear, if any of them come near Kaia again—if anyone lays a finger on her—I’ll hunt them down one by one and send every last one of them to hell.”

“Adrien, stop!” I cried, rushing toward them.

But he didn’t even glance at me. His eyes were burning holes into Callum.

Callum shoved Adrien’s hands off him, scowling. Then his gaze flicked to mine, and I saw it—the guilt, the regret in his expression.

“I heard what happened,” he said, his voice low and strained. “One of the guys at the party told me what Tyler did.”

The moment Tyler’s name left his mouth, my stomach twisted. Goosebumps raced up my arms, and I instinctively took a step back.

Don’t think about it. Don’t go there.

Callum stepped toward me slowly, cautiously.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, eyes filled with guilt. “I’m sorry for not being there to protect you from him.”

Adrien cut in sharply. “Are you?”

Callum gave him a glare before turning back to me.

“Tyler’s being handled. There are lawsuits filed against him… apparently you were not the only one he’s done this to. Other girls spoke up. The board had decided to permanently suspend him from the team as well.”

The words gave me some relief—but only a little. Knowing Tyler had tried the same thing with other girls made me feel sick to my stomach.

Adrien scoffed. Loudly.

We both looked at him.

“He shouldn’t be the only one held accountable,” Adrien said, his voice razor-sharp. “You should too. You took her to that party. You got wasted. You left her alone.”

“Adrien,” I whispered, trying to pull him back, but he wasn’t listening.

His eyes stayed locked on Callum like he couldn’t wait to throw another punch.

Then Callum did something I didn’t expect. He nodded.

“You’re right.”

Adrien’s brows rose slightly, surprised.

Callum looked at me again.

“It’s my fault. All of it. And I know I can’t take it back… but tell me what I can do to make it right.”

Before I could answer, Adrien cut in.

“Nothing. You can stay the fuck away from her. That’s what you can do. Keep your friends away too, if you value your life.”

Callum’s jaw tensed.

“Who the hell are you to make decisions for her?” he snapped. “Since when are you acting like you’re her boyfriend?”

Adrien smirked. “Maybe she should answer that.”

Both of them turned to look at me.

Their gazes were heavy. Expectant.

But I couldn’t do this right now. Not like this.

I shook my head slowly.

“I can’t… I can’t do this right now,” I whispered.

And then I turned and walked away.

I heard Callum call my name once, maybe twice, but I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.

Right now, I needed to focus on me. On school. On getting my life back. I needed normalcy again—something that didn’t include being pulled in two different directions by two people who both meant too much.

I’d deal with Adrien. I’d deal with Callum.

Just not today.

I walked up the stairs and down the familiar hallway with a heavy heart and a heavier head. My hand trembled just a little as I turned the knob to my dorm room and stepped inside.

The second the door swung open, Amy shot up from the couch like she'd been spring-loaded.

“Bitch, where the hell have you been?”

Her voice was sharp, but not angry—just desperately concerned, like she'd been holding it in for days. I closed the door behind me and gave her a weak smile, the kind that didn’t quite reach my eyes.

Amy’s face dropped.

“Babe…” she said, voice softer now. “Are you okay?”

I didn’t say anything. I just walked forward and wrapped my arms around her tightly. She froze for a second before hugging me back just as hard, burying her face into my shoulder.

“I’m okay,” I murmured. “I’m just… really glad to see you again.”

“I’m the one who’s glad to see you, idiot,” Amy mumbled, squeezing me tighter. “You barely texted. Didn’t even return half my calls. I thought you got kidnapped by some Mafia or something.”

I pulled away a little and gave her another small smile.

“Yeah… sorry. I just—needed time.”

Amy looked at me like she wanted to ask more but held back.

“You sure you’re okay?” she asked again, gentler this time.

I nodded. “Yeah,” I lied, and then turned and slowly made my way toward my bedroom.

Amy lingered in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest like she wasn’t quite ready to leave me alone.

“Hey,” she said. “I have ice cream in the fridge. Wanna eat it and cry over some dumbass rom-com?”

That right there made something loosen in my chest.

It felt like the first inhale after being underwater for too long.

A breath of normal.

I turned to look at her and managed a real smile this time.

“Absofuckinglutely.”

Amy grinned.

“I knew you were still in there somewhere,” she said before disappearing into the tiny kitchenette to dig out the ice creams.

And just like that, something shifted. It wasn’t everything—it didn’t fix the hurt, or erase the past, or quiet the war still raging inside me—but it was something.

Enough to make me feel like maybe I could breathe again. Like maybe my life wasn’t completely off the rails.

With Amy by my side, a spoon in one hand and chocolate ice cream in the other, the chaos could wait. For tonight, I didn’t need Adrien or Callum or thoughts of Tyler poisoning my brain.

All I needed was my best friend and a tub of double chocolate fudge to feel alive again.

And honestly? I couldn’t ask for anything more.