Chapter 182 REVELATION

Chapter 182 REVELATION
Bodhi's Pov

I couldn’t say a word.

My entire body had gone rigid. It felt as though someone had reached inside me with cold hands as I stood there.

He rose from the chair with slow, deliberate grace, the kind that was ingrained in him. He smoothed invisible wrinkles from his suit, his cufflinks gleamed under the light. Then he looked at me with eyes I had liked to imagine looked like mine.

“This is your final warning, child.” His voice was calm, controlled. “You will not disgrace me again. You will not ruin this family's image with your recklessness.”

Every word landed with the sharp precision of a whip. I swallowed hard, but my throat still felt too tight.

“If you pull something like this again,” he continued, taking a step closer, “I will drop your ungrateful ass right back into the gutters I picked you out of.”

The room went silent after that.

He let his words sit around us for a minute before he side-stepped me. The door shut softly behind him.

The chill crawled through my body, starting somewhere deep in my chest before spreading outward. I wrapped my arms around myself instinctively, but it didn’t help.

How could he do this?

How could he weaponize love every single time I disappointed him? One wrong move and suddenly I wasn’t his son anymore. One mistake and I became the stray he rescued. The charity case. The ungrateful burden he could throw away whenever he pleased.

He really had just threatened to I'm in the ya again because I liked kissing Maverick? Because I loved kissing Maverick? Because I loved him?

Wait, what?

I choked on nothing, clutching my throat.

What the fuck?

What did I mean by that? I loved— what?

The realization made my stomach twist. I was going to be fucking sick.

I stumbled backward until the backs of my knees hit the bed, then collapsed onto it. The mattress dipped beneath my weight as I pressed trembling hands against my face.

Breathe. Just breathe.

I inhaled deeply, held it, exhaled slowly. Then I did it again, and again.

But no matter how hard I tried, my chest still ached.

What… do I do?

—
Maverick's Pov

My thoughts were a jumbled mess that repeated themselves over and over in my head as I walked briskly toward the dorm building.

I wonder what's going on in there.

Also, fianceé?

My shoes struck hard against the pavement, each step sharp with restless energy I couldn’t get rid of. By the time I reached the building, I was way too wound up just got inside the room and sit still.

So I just paced.

The night air was cool against my skin, but it did nothing to calm me down. I kept glancing backwards towards his dorm building.
I hoped Bodhi was okay.

He has a fianceé?

I rubbed a hand over my head and exhaled sharply before finally sinking down onto the concrete near the entrance. Maybe if I sat still for one second, my brain would stop spiraling. It didn’t.

I had barely settled on the ground when a shadow fell over me. I looked up, shading my eyes with a hand.

Jack.

I nearly groaned out loud. Of all people, now? “What are you doing here?” I muttered before I could stop myself.

“Hi,” he said instead, lowering himself beside me like we were old friends catching up after running into each other.

I stared at him before I replied, flatly, “Hi.”

I stifled another sigh. This was a free country. Technically he could sit wherever he wanted.

He exhaled as he settled into the narrow strip of space beside me. I hadn’t moved over for him, deliberately. I didn’t want him here. Hopefully if he felt cramped this conversation wouldn't be a long one.

He could go exercise his freedom somewhere else, far away from me.

“So…” he began softly, “how’ve you been?”

I almost laughed at the ill-timed question.

My life was actively collapsing in on itself. Between my father, Bohdi, his fianceé and exams I wanted to slam my head into a wall repeatedly until nothing mattered anymore. I had so much going on that for one second, I actually considered venting to him, just unloading it all.

But this was Jack.

If I gave him an inch emotionally, he’d take it as an invitation back into my life. And suddenly we’d be dating again. No, thank you.

So I kept my face blank when I responded, “Fine.”

His eyebrows lifted slightly, like that wasn’t the answer he’d expected. Why? Did I look that bad? Was I wearing my problems on my face?

“That’s great, considering everything you’ve been through,” he said quickly.

After everything I'd—? How did he know?

I turned slowly to look at him, my voice sharp. “All I’ve been through?”

Jack froze.

It was subtle, barely noticeable but I saw it. It looked like he had been caught in a bad act but then he blinked and the look was gone.

He opened his mouth, then hesitated when he caught the expression still on my face. “Yeah,” he said carefully. “I mean… it’s not far-fetched to assume. Everyone’s going through stuff.”

Oh, okay. That made sense but for some reason warning bells rang in my head. When would it not be rude to stand up and leave?

“Yeah,” I said flatly, hoping he’d get the hint and stop talking. He didn’t.

“And I just know,” he continued, voice dropping softer, “that losing someone you care about can really mess with your head—”

I went still.

Losing someone I cared about? That was too specific, way too specific. The air around us suddenly felt heavy.

Jack glanced at me as he continued, really letting me see the pain in his eyes. “I did too. So if you ever want to talk, cause I do…”

As he spoke, he reached over and placed a hand on my thigh. Maybe If I was less irritated already, I would have chalked all this up to him just looking for companionship during time of his tragedy but as his plan settled on my skin, something clicked into place.

I looked down at his hand, yhen back at him. “It was you,” I said quietly.

“What?”

“You took that video, didn’t you?”

His face changed immediately and he jerked backward as if I’d struck him. Shock flashed across his face too quickly to hide. His mouth parted slightly, eyes widening in sheer panic.

There was my admission of guilt.

A muscle in my face twitched like it wanted to jump him. I took a loud noisy breath, willing myself to calm ad flung his hand off my thigh.

“Jack, I want you to listen to me when I say this,” I hissed through my teeth, “the next time you try to meddle in my life in any way, I will find you and I will beat you to a pulp.”

His eyes widened and he leaned away from me. “Do you understand? Have you gone deep enough to know that I can keep that promise? And I will, I promise you that.”

He nodded slowly, looking at me like he was seeing me for the first time.

“Good.”

Then I stood and walked inside, just as my phone pinged with a message.