Chapter 24 Chapter 24
Emily's POV
The campus looked deceptively normal. Students walked in clusters across the quad, laughing, talking, carrying backpacks like nothing in the world mattered beyond assignments and weekend plans. The air was warm, sunlight spilling over the stone pathways, catching in the trees just as autumn started to creep in.
It should have felt ordinary, but it didn't anymore. I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder and kept walking, my mind already running through Noah’s afternoon rehab schedule which was range of motion reassessment, resistance progression, post-session recovery...
“Is that her?”
My steps slowed. I didn’t mean for them to. But something in the tone which was low and curious that caught my attention. I didn't turn around and I didn't look. I just listened.
“Yeah,” another voice said. “That’s her.”
My chest tightened slightly. “Emily, right? The rehab girl?”
“The one living with Noah Harris.”
“I heard she only got that internship because of him.”
My grip tightened on my bag strap. That wasn’t true. It wasn’t even close to true.
“She’s smart, though,” another voice added.
“Yeah, but come on,” the first one said. “You don’t just end up living with the team captain unless there’s something in it for you.”
I kept walking like I hadn’t heard anything, like my heart hadn’t just dropped into my stomach.
“I mean, have you seen her Instagram?” someone else chimed in. “She’s probably using this to boost her following.”
“Exactly,” the first voice said. “Fake relationship, real benefits.”
My throat tightened. The words pressed against something deeper than they should have, because it wasn’t just what they were saying. It was how easily they said it, like it made sense. They cannot even know that this whole thing is fake to begin with.
I turned the corner before they could see my face. My steps didn’t falter. My posture didn’t change. But inside, something cracked. I reached the athletic complex and pushed through the doors, the cool air inside hitting my skin like a reset. I needed control...control of the this.
I walked straight to the training room, setting my bag down on the counter with more force than necessary. The familiar environment around me should have grounded me, the equipment, schedules and the structure, but the words followed me in.
Using him.
Fake relationship, real benefits.
I exhaled slowly.
“No,” I muttered under my breath.
That wasn’t why I was here. I had earned this. Every late night, every exam, every internship application, every rejection before this one. I hadn’t needed Noah Harris to get here.
I had needed...
I stopped because the truth wasn’t that simple anymore. Yes, I had earned the internship. But the recommendation? The scholarship? The opportunity tied to this arrangement? That part was connected to him.
My stomach twisted. The door opened behind me. I straightened immediately into professional mode.
Lucas stepped inside. “You’re here early,” he said.
“Always.”
He studied me for a moment, not in a way that would make anyone uncomfortable, but carefully like he noticed things other people didn’t.
“You’re tense,” he said.
“I’m focused.”
“Those are not the same thing.”
“I’m preparing for Noah’s session.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
I busied myself with the equipment. Adjusting resistance bands, checking the tablet. Anything to avoid the conversation I didn’t want to have.
Lucas didn’t push. He just leaned lightly against the counter. “Rough morning?” he asked.
“No.”
“Rough campus?” I paused for a second but he caught it. “What happened?” he asked quietly.
“Nothing.”
“Emily.” His voice wasn’t forceful. It wasn’t demanding, it was patient, that made it harder to ignore.
I exhaled slowly. “People talk,” I said.
“They do.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“So what did they say?”
I hesitated. “That I’m using Noah.” The words felt sharp leaving my mouth. Lucas didn’t react immediately. He just watched me... waiting. “They think I’m here for attention,” I continued. “For followers. For… proximity to him.”
Lucas nodded slowly. “And that bothers you.”
“It’s not true.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
I clenched my jaw. “Of course it bothers me.”
“Why?”
“Because I worked for this.” My voice sharpened slightly. “I didn’t get here because of him. I didn’t build my academic record because of him. I didn’t earn my qualifications because of him.” Lucas didn’t interrupt, which only made the words come faster. “But now, everything I do is going to be seen through that lens.” I crossed my arms. “Every success, every opportunity, it’s all going to be tied back to him.”
Lucas tilted his head slightly. “And that feels unfair.”
“Yes.”
“And frustrating.”
“Yes.”
“And a little humiliating.”
I swallowed.
"Yes.”
Silence settled between us. He pushed off the counter and walked a few steps closer. “Do you believe them?” he asked.
“No.” The answer came immediately.
“Then why do they matter?”
“Because perception matters.”
“Not always.”
“It does in professional environments.”
“Only if you let it define you.”
I shook my head. “It’s not that simple.”
“It is,” he said calmly. “You’re either confident in your work, or you’re not.”
“I am.”
“Then other people’s opinions don’t change that.”
I exhaled sharply. “They change how I’m seen.”
He's gaze softened slightly. “And you care about that.”
“Yes.”
He nodded slowly. “That makes sense.”
“You’re not like them.” That caught me off guard.
“Like who?”
“The people talking.”
I frowned slightly. “What does that mean?”
“It means that you didn’t come here looking for attention.”
“No.”
“You came here to work.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re doing that.”
“I am.”
“Then their assumptions don’t define you.”
I looked down at my hands. “But they still exist.”
“Yes.”
“And they still affect how people see me.”
“Only if you let them.”
I shook my head again. “You make it sound easy.”
“It’s not easy,” He said. “It’s just necessary.”
I looked up at him. “And you have never dealt with this?”
He smiled faintly. “I’ve dealt with worse.”
That didn’t surprise me. Lucas seemed like someone who had been through complicated environments before.
“You learn quickly that people will always try to simplify things they don’t understand.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“They see you with Noah. They see proximity. They don’t see the work behind it.” He said.
“That’s exactly the problem.”
“It’s also exactly why it doesn’t matter.”
I stared at him. “It matters to me.”
He's expression softened. “I know.” There was silence between us now, before he continued. “Emily,” he said quietly. I looked at him. “You’re stronger than this place.”
I didn’t respond immediately because I wasn’t sure I believed him. I wanted to, but the doubt lingered.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
Lucas smiled slightly. “You will.”
He stepped back, giving me space, just leaving the words there.
I looked down at the rehab chart on the table, at Noah’s progress and the work I had done. Those were real. Those couldn’t be taken away by rumors, but the feeling didn’t fully disappear. As Lucas turned to leave, he paused at the doorway. “You don’t need to prove anything to them,” he said and then he left.
The room fell quiet again. I stood there for a long moment, thinking. Feeling something unsettled inside me, because the truth was, I had come here for my career, my future and my goals. But somewhere along the way, things had become more complicated and more personal and that made the rumors harder to ignore, because even if they were wrong, they weren’t entirely baseless anymore. And that was the part that scared me the most.