Chapter 95

I inhaled sharply, stepping back instinctively, my heart pounding in my chest.

*Austin and Chase?*

I had no idea.

*Were they… together now?*

I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on the door handle. A part of me wanted to step forward, to say something—anything—but the words stuck in my throat.

Instead, I took a slow step back, my heartbeat loud in my ears.

*Why didn’t Austin tell me?*

I thought we were close. I thought we told each other everything. But this? This was something huge. And I had to find out like this?

I exhaled shakily, my thoughts spiraling.

*Did Matt know? Did anyone know? Or was this something they were keeping a secret?*

What I did know was that Austin had been confused about his feelings for Chase.

I had warned him about this—told him to be careful, to figure things out before diving into something that could hurt him in the end.

I didn’t know he had actually pursued those feelings.

And yet, here he was. Kissing Chase.

I wasn’t mad… but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he should have told me. We were best friends. Weren’t we?

I sighed, stepping back quietly. There was no point in standing there any longer. Whatever was happening between them, it was clear Austin had already made his choice.

Without another word, I turned and left the rooftop, making my way down the stairs.

On my way downstairs, I nearly collided with Yanna. She was moving fast—too fast—her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she headed toward the rooftop.

I could feel it.

She was following someone. Austin… or Chase.

She avoided my gaze, trying to brush past me, but I quickly stepped in her way.

"What are you doing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at me, clearly annoyed.

I studied her carefully. "Are you going to the rooftop?"

She blinked once, then nodded. "Yeah. Just want to catch some air."

*Liar.*

I could tell from the way she said it, the slight tension in her voice, the way her eyes flickered for just a second

.

I didn’t know how much she knew, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.

"It’s closed," I said smoothly, keeping my expression neutral. "I just went there."

*I lied.*

Her lips parted slightly, surprise flashing across her face before she masked it with a frown.

"Closed?" she echoed, as if testing my words.

I nodded. "Yeah. Some of the school staff were checking the area. They don’t want people hanging around there."

"Are you sure?" Yanna asked, narrowing her eyes at me suspiciously.

I held her gaze, keeping my expression calm. "Yeah." I nodded, keeping my voice steady. "Come on, let’s go."

For a second, she didn’t move. Her eyes studied me like she was trying to catch a crack in my words, trying to see if I was lying.

I didn’t flinch.

Then, after what felt like too long, she let out a small sigh, rolling her eyes. "Fine."

Relief settled in my chest, but I didn’t let it show. I turned slightly, gesturing for her to walk with me, keeping her away from the rooftop stairs.

"Where were you before this?" I asked casually, trying to steer the conversation.

She shrugged. "Around."

Typical Yanna—vague and unreadable.

But I knew one thing for sure.

She was looking for Austin and Chase.

And whatever she was planning, I just made sure she wouldn’t find them.

\-

**AUSTIN's POV**

As we broke the kiss, we both smiled, breaths still mingling in the cool night air.

Chase chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming under the rooftop lights.

"Tss. Are you blushing?" I teased, tilting my head as I studied his face.

He looked away for a second, but the slight pink dusting his cheeks was impossible to miss.

"Maybe I am," he admitted, grinning.

I smirked. "Tss."

Chase rolled his eyes playfully before leaning against the railing. "What are you doing this weekend?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm going to visit my grandma. Do you want to come?"

"Can I come?" I asked, looking at him with a small smile.

Chase chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Of course, you can."

I felt a warmth spread through me at his words. He really wanted me to go with him.

"Okay. I'll come with you then," I said, nodding.

Chase's smile widened, and for a moment, we just stood there, the cool breeze brushing past us. It felt… nice. Peaceful.

\-

I woke up early, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sat up in bed. Today was the day—I was going with Chase.

The Sports Fest was over, but the emotions from that night still lingered. The thrill of winning, the way Chase had kissed me on the rooftop, the way my heart still raced when I thought about it.

I sighed, shaking my head with a small smile.

Stretching my arms, I got up and started getting ready. I wasn’t sure what to expect from today, but one thing was certain—spending time with Chase felt different now. It wasn’t just hanging out anymore.

It meant something.

And that thought alone had my stomach fluttering with nervous excitement.

I grabbed my phone, my fingers instinctively unlocking the screen as I checked my messages.

And as I expected—there it was. A *Good morning* from Chase.

A small smile tugged at my lips.

*"Good morning. I’m getting ready.*" I quickly typed back before tossing my phone onto my bed.

I headed straight to the shower room, turning on the water and stepping under the stream. The warmth washed over me, easing the lingering sleep from my body.

I ran my hands through my hair, lathering the shampoo before rinsing it out under the warm stream. The water felt good against my skin. After scrubbing my body clean, I finally turned off the water and stepped out.

Grabbing a towel, I ran it through my damp hair before wrapping it around my waist. A cool breeze from the slightly open window sent a shiver down my spine as I stepped out of the shower room.

I walked toward my closet, thinking about what to wear when my phone suddenly vibrated.

Pausing, I turned back to my bed and grabbed it. A message from Chase.

*"I'm outside."*

Already?

Frowning, I walked over to my window and peeked outside.

And there he was—standing, casually dressed, hands in his pockets, looking around as if he wasn’t just way too early.

I shook my head, a small smirk forming on my lips.

Guess I better hurry up.

"Just a moment," I quickly replied before tossing my phone onto the bed.

I grabbed a simple yet decent outfit and got dressed, making sure I looked presentable—not that Chase would care, but still.

Once I was done, I stood in front of the mirror, running a hand through my hair to fix it a little. Good enough.

Without wasting more time, I left my room, heading straight downstairs and out the door.

As I stepped outside the gate, my eyes instantly found him.

He was waiting there, hands still in his pockets, and the moment he saw me, a bright smile spread across his face.

"Ready? This is a long travel," Chase chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement.

I smirked. "Ready."

He let out another soft chuckle before reaching for my hand, his fingers lacing through mine like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Let's go."

"Wait," I said, glancing around. "Are we taking a taxi?"

Chase grinned. "No. We’ll take a bus."

I blinked at him. "A bus?"

"Why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, we can use my car."

Chase chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, but I want to take a bus. It’s an adventure."

I stared at him for a moment, then sighed with a small smirk. "Okay."

He grinned, clearly pleased with my answer.

"Let’s go."

With our hands still loosely intertwined, we started walking toward the bus stop. Maybe this really would be an adventure.

\-