Chapter 78 : Expression Shift Into Something Brighter
HAYDEN’S POV
The second the door clicks shut behind Stephen, the room feels… wrong.
Like something important just got ripped out of it.
I stood there for a second, staring at the spot where he was just standing, as if I could focus hard enough, I could rewind everything, take it back, and say or do something different.
My chest tightens.
I drag a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply, but it doesn’t help. Nothing does. His words are still echoing in my head, every single one of them hitting harder now that he’s gone.
You’re running.
My jaw clenches.
I turn away, pacing once across the room before stopping near the desk, gripping the edge of it.
“I’m not,” I mutter under my breath, even though there’s no one here to hear it.
But the words don’t land right.
Because part of me knows he’s not wrong.
My phone lights up again on the desk, buzzing against the table.
It was still Lilian.
I stare at it for a second, watching her name flash across the screen like a reminder of everything I just tried to put back in place.
This is normal. This is what I’m supposed to want.
Not… whatever last night was.
My chest tightens again at the thought, sharper this time.
I grab the phone and answer before I can overthink it. “Yeah,” I say, my voice rough.
“Finally,” Lilian’s voice comes through, slightly breathless. “I’ve been calling you.”
“I know.”
There’s a pause. “Are you okay?”
I glance toward the door again without meaning to. “Yeah,” I lied. “Just… busy.”
Another pause, like she’s trying to read between the lines. Then she exhales. “I’m outside.”
That makes me blink. “What?”
“I came over,” she says, like it’s obvious. “Open the door.”
My grip tightens slightly on the phone.
For a second, I consider telling her not to. That’s not a good time and I need space. But then Stephen’s voice cuts through my thoughts again.
You think pretending last night didn’t happen is going to fix this?
My jaw tightens.
“Yes,” I mutter under my breath, more to myself than to her.
“What?” Lilian asks.
“Nothing,” I say quickly. “I’m coming.”
I hang up before she can ask anything else.
For a second, I just stand there again, staring at the door. Then I move.
When I open it, Lilian’s already leaning against the wall, her arms crossed loosely, her expression softening the second she sees me.
“Hey,” she says.
“Hey.”
There’s a beat where neither of us moves, like we’re both waiting to see what the other will do.
Then she steps forward and hugs me.
It’s familiar and normal.
I hesitated for half a second before hugging her back.
Her arms tighten slightly around me. “You look like you didn’t sleep,” she murmurs.
I let out a quiet breath. “Something like that.”
She pulls back, studying my face like she’s trying to figure something out, but whatever she’s looking for, she doesn’t push.
Instead, her expression shifts into something brighter.
“I have news,” she says.
I frown slightly. “What?”
Her lips curve into a small smile. “Your results came out.”
My stomach drops.
For a second, everything else disappears. The tension, the argument, Stephen…..All of it.
“What?” I ask, sharper this time.
“You passed,” she says.
I blink. “What?”
“You passed, Hayden,” she repeats, a little more excited now. “Your exam. You did it.”
For a second, I just stare at her. Then the words actually sink in.
I passed.
My chest loosens all at once, like I’ve been holding my breath for weeks without realizing it.
“And your scholarship,” she adds quickly, like she knows exactly where my mind went, “it’s safe.”
A breath leaves me, shaky and disbelieving.
“Seriously?” I ask.
She nods, smiling now. “Seriously.”
Something in my chest lifts, light and overwhelming all at once.
I let out a short laugh, running a hand through my hair again, but this time it’s different.
Relief. Pure, blinding relief.
“Shit,” I mutter. “I thought I was done.”
“I told you you’d be fine,” she says, nudging my arm lightly.
I shake my head. “No, you didn’t. You said I might be fine.”
She shrugs, unapologetic. “Same thing.”
I huff out a quiet laugh despite myself. For a moment, everything feels… okay and simple, like maybe I didn’t just blow everything up.
Then it creeps back in—Stephen’s face. The look on its face when I said it was a mistake.
My chest tightens again, the relief dimming just a little around the edges.
Lilian must notice the shift because her expression softens slightly.
“Hey,” she says, quieter now. “There’s something else.”
I look at her.
She hesitates for a second, then exhales. “About last time.”
My jaw tightens slightly. “What about it?”
She winces. “The fight with Ella.”
I don’t say anything.
She looks down briefly, then back up at me. “I shouldn’t have done that,” she admits. “I let it get out of hand.”
That… wasn’t what I expected. I blink slightly.
“I was pissed,” she continues, shrugging a little. “And she was running her mouth and I just…” She cuts herself off, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have escalated it.”
I studied her for a second.
“You’re apologizing?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes slightly. “Don’t make it weird.”
I huff out a small breath. “I’m not. I’m just… surprised.”
“Yeah, well,” she mutters, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Don’t get used to it.”
That almost makes me smile. Almost.
“I just don’t want that whole thing hanging over us,” she adds, quieter now. “Or over you.”
My chest tightens slightly at that.
If only she knew.
“I talked to her,” Lilian continues. “Not… a full conversation or anything, but enough. We’re not exactly friends now, but it’s… done.”
I nod slowly. “That’s good,” I say.
“And I want us to move past it too,” she says, her gaze steady on mine now. “All of it.”
There’s something in her voice that makes my stomach twist slightly.
If she knew what “all of it” actually included…
I swallow hard, forcing that thought down. “Yeah,” I say finally. “We should.”
She studies me for a second longer, like she’s trying to see past the surface.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” she asks again.
I hesitated, just for a second. Then I nod. “Yeah,” I say. “I’m good.”
The lie sits heavy in my chest but I hold it there anyway because this…this….is what makes sense.
This is what’s safe.
Not the way my heart is still racing for the wrong reasons or the way I can still feel Stephen’s hands on me when he pulls as I fucked him.
“Good,” Lilian says softly.
She steps closer again, her hand brushing lightly against my arm and I let her.
Because it’s easier and expected.