Chapter 65

KAIA

I was grabbing the rest of my things—textbooks, charger, notebook I’d forgotten under my bed—shoving them into my tote like I was in a rush, even though class didn’t start for another thirty minutes.

Amy was knocked out on her bed, one arm dangling off the side and a leg half-hanging off like she had just collapsed there. I paused by her door, glancing in with a sigh. I had no idea what she’d gotten up to all weekend, but every time I walked into our dorm room, she was either passed out or chugging water with mascara streaked down her cheeks.

I shook my head and muttered, “You good, Amy?”

No response. Just soft snoring.

Classic.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and left, pulling the door shut behind me and heading for the stairs. The building was quiet for once—most people were either still sleeping or already out for the day.

I adjusted my hoodie and yawned as I stepped down the last flight, expecting nothing more than the usual boring walk to campus.

But then I entered the lobby and… froze.

Adrien was standing there. Arms clasped behind his back. Tall and perfectly still, like he’d been waiting there for a while.

I blinked in confusion, slowing down as I walked the last few steps toward him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, arms folding across my chest out of habit.

We hadn’t spoken. Not since I walked out of his condo on Saturday. No calls. No texts. Just silence. Which I hated more than I’d admit.

He didn’t speak immediately—just pulled something from behind his back.

A bouquet.

Except… not a typical one.

At the top, sticking out slightly at an angle, was a small note clipped on with a silver paper clip. It read: I’m sorry.

I stared.

Adrien gave me that look I could never hold up against—that soft, guilty, puppy-eyed thing he did when he knew he messed up.

“Forgive me?” he asked, a hopeful tilt to his voice.

I arched a brow. “You think a gift’s gonna sway me that easily?”

I started to walk past him, but he stepped sideways and blocked my path.

“Wait,” he said, eyes pleading. “Just… look inside.”

I sighed dramatically but glanced back down at the bouquet. My hand reached out slowly, and that’s when I noticed something was off. These weren’t flowers. They were books—stacked and tied together with twine like a floral arrangement.

I gasped. “Wait… are these—?”

I snatched it gently from his arms and looked closer. They were limited editions of my favorite fantasy series. Hardcover. Sprayed edges in shimmering gradient colors—reds, purples, midnight blue. Foiled titles on the spines. Some with character art inside the dust jackets.

I knew how rare these were. They sold out in minutes online. Resellers charged triple—if you were lucky. They were practically unicorns in the book world.

My anger was immediately swallowed by awe.

“Adrien… how did you even—?”

He scratched the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.

“I remembered I owed you new ones after that lake disaster. Thought this might cover the debt.”

A laugh bubbled up my throat as the memory returned—getting tossed into the lake by him and Nate last summer, clutching my poor book like it was a lifeline. The pages were never the same.

“You found these online?”

“Nope,” he said, proud. “I went to fifteen different indie bookstores this weekend. I have receipts—and bruises on my feet.”

My fingers brushed the spines. “You’re insane.”

He smirked. “Insanely forgiven?”

I bit my lip, pretending to consider. “Mmm. Close.”

“I can work with that.” He leaned closer. “So…a do-over?”

I looked up at him—at those eyes I hated loving so much—and nodded slowly.

“Yes, I'd love that.”

He grinned, the tension from before finally easing between us. The weight lifted. Like we were okay again.

But then we heard a soft chorus of giggles and teasing voices from behind.

I turned and spotted a few girls from our floor walking past, one winking dramatically while the others giggled and headed upstairs.

I laughed, shaking my head.

“Great. We’re giving the dorms a show.”

Adrien didn’t laugh, though. His gaze stayed on me. He lifted his hand, cupped my face gently, thumb brushing my cheek.

“I don’t want us to keep fighting anymore,” he said softly. “I hated not talking to you. It really messed me up.”

My heart melted a little.

“I know, and I'm sorry too,” I whispered. “And… thank you. For the books.”

He pulled me into his arms, wrapping me in a hug that was warm and safe and everything I didn’t know I needed. I sank into him, smiling against his shoulder.

But then… I opened my eyes.

And froze.

My smile slipped right off.

Because standing by the dorm’s main entrance, just inside the doorway, was Callum.

He wasn’t moving. Just staring.

And the look on his face—

Hurt.

Angry.

Shattered.

My arms dropped from around Adrien’s back.

Adrien must’ve noticed. He pulled away slightly and turned to follow my gaze.

Callum’s jaw clenched at the same time his fists did. He shook his head once—slow, disbelieving, and then turned sharply, storming out the way he came in.

Adrien turned back to me.

Our eyes met.

My heart was pounding.

I couldn’t hide anymore. I’d been caught.

And now… I had to end it.

Before I broke his heart even more.

Without saying a word, I shoved the bouquet of books back into Adrien’s arms and turned on my heel.

“Kaia—” he called behind me, but I was already pushing through the dorm’s doors.

My heart slammed in my chest as I spotted Callum outside, heading straight for his car. His back was stiff, his strides angry and fast.

“Callum!” I shouted, jogging after him.

He didn’t stop.

“Callum, please—wait!”

I reached him just as he was about to open the driver’s side door. I grabbed his arm, and he immediately yanked it out of my grasp like my touch burned. He swerved around to face me, and the second I saw his face, I froze.

His eyes were red. Wet. Glossy. The kind of look that didn’t need words to explain what he was feeling.

“Don’t,” he said, voice raw. “Just don’t, Kaia.”

“Callum, just listen to me—”

“This is why you’ve been ghosting me for weeks?” he cut in, his voice growing louder. “Because of him? Because of Adrien?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My throat was tight, my chest even tighter.

Callum laughed bitterly, like it physically hurt.

“Unbelievable.”

“It’s not like that,” I managed to say, barely above a whisper.

“Then explain it to me,” he snapped. “Help me understand. Because right now, it feels like you were just stringing me along while falling for someone else.”

“No—Callum, I was gonna talk to you—”

“When?” he barked. “When were you planning on telling me? Be honest with me, Kaia. Did you have feelings for him the entire time you were with me?”

That one hit harder than I expected. I felt the tears burn behind my eyes, but I blinked fast, trying to hold them back. My lips trembled, and I looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

The silence was deafening.

Callum scoffed and ran a hand roughly through his hair.

“Wow.” His voice dropped. “So I really was just your placeholder.”

“No—Callum, it wasn’t like that, I swear.”

“You know, I should’ve seen it. That day you went skating with him. The way he looked at you. The way you smiled back. I just… I trusted you.”

I shook my head quickly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you—”

“But you did!” he exploded, voice rising with pain. “You gave me hope, Kaia. From the start, you made me believe we were actually going to be something real. And then you just disappeared on me. No explanation. No goodbye. Just gone.”

A tear slipped down my cheek.

He took a step closer, jaw tight, eyes shimmering.

“I didn’t deserve that. Not from you. Not when I’ve been honest with you from the very beginning—about how I feel. About what I wanted.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry.”

He nodded once. “Yeah. Me too.”

Then he took a few steps back, eyes never leaving mine.

“I really hope he’s worth it," he said, before opening his car door and sliding in.

I stood there in the middle of the parking lot, heart in pieces, watching as he drove off and disappeared around the corner. The sound of his tires hitting the curb stayed with me longer than I expected.

I wiped my face quickly with the sleeve of my hoodie, trying to catch the tears, but they kept coming. I turned around slowly, and my breath hitched again when I saw Adrien standing in the distance—still near the dorm’s entrance. Watching everything. His face was unreadable.

I didn’t say anything. Just shrugged my shoulders helplessly, like I had nothing left to give.

Then I turned around and walked away.

Away from Adrien.

Away from the pain.

Hoping he wouldn’t notice the tears trailing down my cheeks as I headed to class—because I had just broken someone’s heart... in order to mend another.