Chapter 132 TYLER
I was already annoyed before I even got to the office.
The look on Harper's face when the intercom called my name still hadn’t left me. The way she told me to go, like she already knew I wouldn’t choose her in that moment. Like she’d already decided what I was going to do before I even had the chance to explain, made something sharp prickle in my chest.
The worst part was, she wasn’t wrong.
I ran a hand through my hair as I made my way down the hallway toward Principal Kade’s office, jaw tight.
“Perfect timing,” I muttered under my breath.
Every single time I tried to fix things with her, something got in the way. Something involving Racquel.
At this point, it was starting to feel less like coincidence and more like some kind of sick pattern.
I stopped in front of the office door, exhaling slowly before pushing it open.
The moment I stepped inside, I knew this wasn’t a normal call-in.
Principal Kade sat behind his desk, looking more serious than usual. And across from him sat a man and a woman I recognized instantly.
Racquel’s parents.
So that’s what this was.
I didn’t even look at them properly. I walked straight forward, stopping in front of the desk.
“You called me?” I asked, keeping my voice even.
Principal Kade leaned back slightly in his chair, folding his hands. “Yes, Tyler. Have a seat.”
“I’d rather stand.”
He arched a brow, obviously caught off guard.
Something in his expression shifted, but he let it go.
“Alright,” he said. “I’ll get straight to it. I’ve been informed that you’ve been… involving yourself in a situation that doesn’t fully concern you.”
I let out a small breath, already irritated. “And who informed you of that?”
Mr. Lawson shifted in his seat.
I glanced at him then, my expression flat. “Let me guess.”
Principal Kade’s tone stayed calm. “That’s not the point.”
“It is the point,” I said. “Because whatever they told you is a lie.”
Mrs. Lawson let out a quiet, disapproving sound. “Excuse me?”
I ignored her, keeping my focus on the principal. “You shouldn’t believe a word they say.”
Principal Kade sighed, like he was already tired of the conversation. “Tyler, whatever is going on, I need you to take a step back. Focus on your schoolwork. Stay out of matters that are clearly bigger than you.”
I let out a short laugh, disbelief creeping in. “Bigger than me?”
Mr. Lawson leaned forward slightly. “You don’t understand what you’re getting yourself into.”
I looked at him properly then, my expression hardening. “No. I think I understand perfectly.”
He held my gaze for a second before continuing. “I don’t know what you told your parents to get them involved in this… situation. But I suggest you fix it.”
My brows pulled together. “Fix what?”
“Tell them to drop the case,” he said, his voice lower now. “And make sure our son is granted bail.”
There it was.
I laughed again, this time without humor. “And what makes you think I’m going to do that?”
His expression changed instantly, the calm slipping just enough to show something colder underneath.
“You really have no idea who you’re dealing with,” he said.
Before I could respond, the door opened again.
I turned instinctively.
Racquel stepped in. She froze the moment she saw her parents.
The shift in her body was immediate. Shoulders stiff. Eyes wide. Like she’d walked straight into something she couldn’t escape.
She stayed near the door at first, like she wasn’t sure if she should come in at all.
Principal Kade gestured. “Come in, Racquel. Close the door.”
She did, slowly.
Her gaze flickered to me for a brief second before dropping. Then she moved quietly, stopping a few steps away from where her parents sat.
Not too close.
That didn’t go unnoticed.
Principal Kade cleared his throat. “Racquel, your parents are here to take you home.”
Her head snapped up slightly. “What?”
“They’ve decided to withdraw you from school,” he continued.
“What?” I repeated, louder this time. “They can’t just do that.”
“They’re her parents, Tyler,” the principal said firmly.
“That doesn’t mean—”
“It means exactly that,” Mrs. Lawson cut in.
I turned to the principal again. “Call my parents.”
“No,” he replied almost immediately.
I frowned. “What do you mean no?”
“This matter concerns the Lawson family,” he said. “Whatever legal situation is happening outside of school will be handled there. As far as this school is concerned, your involvement ends here.”
I stared at him for a second, disbelief settling in.
“You can't be serious.”
“I am.”
I let out a breath, shaking my head slightly.
Of course.
Of course this was how it was going to go.
“Fine,” I said finally, my voice tight.
Principal Kade nodded once. “You’re dismissed.”
I didn’t move immediately.
Neither did Racquel.
For a second, the room felt too small.
Then Mrs. Lawson stood up abruptly, grabbing Racquel’s wrist. “Let’s go.”
Racquel flinched.
“Wait—” she started, trying to pull back slightly. “You’re hurting me—”
“Good,” her stepmother snapped. “Maybe that will remind you to behave.”
Something in my chest twisted.
“Hey,” I said, stepping forward. “Let her go.”
Mr. Lawson stood up too, positioning himself between us slightly. “Stay out of this.”
Racquel looked at me then, her eyes wide. “Tyler, please—”
“Don’t,” her father warned.
I ignored him, moving closer. “You don’t have to go with them like this.”
“Yes, she does,” Mrs. Lawson said, tightening her grip.
Racquel’s voice broke slightly. “Please, don’t let them take me—”
I hesitated. Just for a second. Then I reached out and grabbed Racquel's hand, stopping her stepmother from pulling her any further.
Mr. Lawson stepped closer, his voice dropping low enough that only I could hear him. “You might think you’re untouchable,” he said. “Golden boy of this school. Influential parents. But don’t forget about that little girlfriend of yours.”
My jaw tightened instantly.
“What about her?” I asked.
He smiled, but there was nothing friendly about it. “With a few calls, I can make sure her future starts and ends in this town. No college. No opportunities. Nothing.”
My hand curled at my side.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
For a second, all I could hear was the sound of my own pulse.
Then I let go of Racquel and stepped back.
Not because I wanted to.
Because I had to.
Racquel’s eyes widened as she realized what I was doing. “Tyler—”
“I’ll fix it,” I said, even though I didn’t know how yet.
Mr. Lawson straightened. “You have twenty four hours. Tell your parents to withdraw the case and stay out of our family’s business.”
And just like that, they turned and walked out, pulling Racquel with them.
She kept looking back at me until the door closed behind her.
The silence that followed felt heavier than anything that had just been said.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the door.
Without waiting to think about it, I turned and walked out after them.
By the time I got outside, their car was already pulling out of the school gates.
I moved, getting into mine as quickly as possible.
“Yeah,” I muttered, starting the engine. “Not happening.”
I kept a distance as I followed them, making sure not to get too close. The last thing I needed was for them to notice me.
My grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
This didn’t feel right.
None of it did.
Something about the way Racquel reacted in that office. The way she stayed away from her parents. The way she looked at me like I was her only way out.
It didn’t feel fake.
It couldn’t be.
I followed them until their car turned into a private estate, the gates opening after a brief pause.
I slowed down, watching as they drove inside.
The gates closed behind them.
I parked a short distance away, cutting the engine.
For a moment, I just sat there, staring at the entrance, thinking of how to get in. If I left now, I’d be just like everyone else. Standing back. Letting it happen.
I got out of my car and walked up to the gate, spotting the security guard stationed nearby.
“Hey,” I called.
He looked up. “Yes?”
“I’m here to see Racquel,” I said. “She’s my friend.”
He shook his head immediately. “No visitors.”
“What? Why?”
“Boss’s orders,” he replied.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “I just saw her, why would they refuse her visitors?”
He didn’t respond.
I exhaled slowly, reaching into my pocket before pulling out some cash.
“I’m not here to cause trouble,” I said, holding it out. “I just want to check on her.”
The guard hesitated for a second before taking it, tucking it away discreetly.
Then he looked at me differently.
Not unfriendly.
Just… knowing.
“You shouldn’t be worried about her,” he said.
My brows pulled together. “What?”
“At least not the way you think,” he added.
I stepped closer. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He glanced toward the house before looking back at me. “For your own good, you should stay out of it.”
“Why?”
He held my gaze for a second, before he spoke again, quieter this time.
“Because that girl needs help,” he said. “She’s a sociopath.”
I blinked. “What?”
“She’s been making up stories,” he continued. “Trying to ruin her family’s name.”
I felt my chest tighten.
“No,” I said immediately. “That’s not—”
“It is,” he cut in. “All because they won’t let her come back to school.”
My expression hardened. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
The guard shrugged slightly. “Obsession doesn’t always make sense.”
Something cold settled in my stomach.
“She’s been trying to get close to someone here,” he added. “That Westfield high golden boy.”
I didn’t speak.
I couldn’t.
The guard looked at me for a moment longer before shaking his head slightly. “You didn’t hear it from me.”
I stood there, unmoving, as his words settled in.
Every conversation.
Every moment.
Every time she looked at me like she needed saving.
My jaw tightened slowly.
I couldn’t believe it.
She'd been playing me all along.