Chapter 68 : Stephen's Ex
HAYDEN’S POV:
By the time we step outside the economics building, the noise from the hallway fades into a distant murmur.
The cold air hits my face like a reset button.
I inhale deeply, filling my lungs with something that doesn’t smell like stress, panic, or overheated classrooms. The girl beside me walks quietly, matching my pace as we cross the courtyard.
Students are scattered around campus, some celebrating the end of the exam while others sit on benches looking like their academic lives just ended.
Honestly, I feel somewhere in between.
“Where are we going?” I ask after a minute.
She gestures toward the far side of campus where a small path leads toward the old botanical garden. “There’s a quiet spot near the pond,” she says. “Most people forget it exists.”
That already sounds perfect.
We walked along the stone path lined with tall trees. The campus noise fades further the deeper we go until it’s mostly just the sound of leaves rustling and distant birds.
Eventually, we reach a small clearing with a wooden bench overlooking a narrow pond. The water reflects the pale afternoon sky, barely disturbed except for the occasional ripple.
It was peaceful, way more peaceful than the disaster I just walked away from.
The girl sits on the bench and gestures for me to join her. I drop my bag beside my feet and lean back, letting my shoulders relax for the first time in hours.
For a moment, neither of us says anything. Then she turns slightly toward me.
“I should probably introduce myself,” she says with a small smile. “I’m Ammy.”
“Hayden,” I reply automatically.
She laughs softly. “Yeah. I know.”
I rub the back of my neck. “Right.”
Her expression is warm, but there’s something thoughtful behind her eyes. “I’ve actually wanted to talk to you for a while,” she says.
That surprises me enough that I sit up a little. “Really?”
She nods. “You’re kind of hard to approach.”
I blink. “Me?”
She laughs again. “You’re the star athlete, Hayden. People either admire you from a distance or assume you don’t want to be bothered.”
I hadn’t really thought about it like that before. “I’m not that intimidating,” I say.
She raises an eyebrow. “Tell that to half the freshman class.”
I huff out a small laugh. For a few seconds, the quiet between us feels comfortable instead of awkward.
Then Ammy studies my face more carefully. “Are you okay?” she asks gently.
The question catches me off guard.
I open my mouth to give the usual automatic answer.
Yeah, I’m fine. But the words don’t come out.
Instead, I sigh. “No,” I admit.
Ammy didn’t interrupt instead she waited.
And for some reason, sitting here in this quiet place with someone who isn’t already tangled up in the chaos of my life makes it easier to talk.
“I might have completely failed that exam,” I start.
She tilts her head. “Economics?”
“Professor Dalton,” I say darkly.
She winces. “Yeah… that explains a lot.”
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
“If I fail that class, my scholarship’s in trouble,” I continue. “And if I lose that…” I shake my head. “I probably can’t stay here.”
The words feel heavy once they’re out. I don’t usually say that part out loud.
Ammy's expression softens. “That’s a lot of pressure.”
“Yeah.”
I stare at the pond for a moment before continuing. “And school isn’t even the only thing going wrong right now.”
She stays quiet, giving me space to keep talking.
So I do.
“I’ve got… relationship problems,” I say awkwardly.
Her lips twitch slightly. “I noticed.”
I groan and run a hand through my hair. “Lilian and Ella,” I mutter. “They’ve been at each other’s throats for weeks.”
“Lilian’s your girlfriend,” Ammy says.
“Yeah.”
The word feels strangely complicated when I say it.
I stare at the water again. “But lately… things feel weird.”
“Weird how?”
I hesitate before answering because this is the part that even I don’t fully understand.
“It’s not just Lilian,” I say slowly.
Ammy watches me carefully.
“There’s my roommate and brother,” I continued. “Stephen.”
Something flickers across her face at the name, but it disappears so fast I almost think I imagined it.
“He helped me study for the exam,” I say. “Actually, he basically forced me to study for two days straight.”
“That sounds like a good brother and friend.”
“Yeah,” I say quietly. “He is.” I pause, struggling to explain the rest. “But lately he’s been… different.”
Ammy tilts her head slightly. “Different how?”
I sigh. “I think he might have feelings for me.”
The words sound strange even to my own ears.
I rub my forehead. “And I don’t even know if I’m imagining it or not. He gets weird when Lilian’s around. This morning he looked like he wanted to punch a wall after she kissed me.”
Ammy stays very still.
“And the worst part?” I add.
“What?”
“I don’t know how I feel about any of it.” The admission feels heavier than everything else. “I care about Lilian,” I continue. “She’s been my girlfriend for months. But everything’s been so messy lately.” I shake my head. “And Stephen… he’s been there for me more than anyone else, even though we had been on each other's throats for a while.”
The wind stirs the trees above us and for a moment, neither of us speaks.
Then Ammy asks quietly, “Do you think you might feel something for him too?”
The question hits harder than I expected. I stare at the water. “I don’t know,” I admit. And that’s the truth.
My head is a complete mess right now with school, scholarship, Lilian, Ella, Stephen…
It all feels tangled together in a knot I don’t know how to untie.
Ammy watches me silently for a few seconds. Then she smiles softly. “You’re dealing with a lot, Hayden.”
“Yeah.”
“But you don’t have to figure everything out today.”
I let out a quiet breath. “That’s good,” I say. “Because today’s already been a disaster.”
She laughs softly.
For a moment, things feel lighter, like maybe this random walk was exactly what I needed.
Then Ammy glances down at her phone. Her smile fades slightly.
“What is it?” I ask.
She hesitates.
Then she turns the screen toward me and on it is a video.
My stomach drops the moment I recognize the setting. The economics building hallway, with the crowd, Lilian, and Ella, right in the middle of the screen…The moment Lilian shoves Ella hard enough that Ella slams into the lockers.
Students scream and the caption above the video reads:
“STAR ATHLETE’S GIRLFRIEND STARTS CAMPUS FIGHT.”
My chest tightens.
“How many people have seen that?” I ask slowly.
Ammy's expression turns uneasy. She scrolls down slightly.
My heart sinks.
“Half the campus,” she says quietly. Then she looks up at me. “But that’s not the worst part.”
My stomach twisted. “What do you mean?”
She hesitates.
Then she shows me the comments and right at the top is one that makes my blood run cold.
“Stephen’s ex is fighting for his brother? Wait until Stephen sees this.”