Chapter 2 Not His to Judge

Conrad said bread made me fat. Noodles made me fat. Meat made me fat.

Whenever I brought him bottled water while he played basketball, he would not even look at me. He would just tell me not to drink too much.

Even drinking water was apparently enough to make me fat.

Silas paused, his expression turning serious. His voice was firm, almost cold. "If you run on an empty stomach, your blood sugar could drop in less than ten minutes. If you fall and hurt yourself, do you think he'll care?"

My lips parted, and my heart tightened.

He would not.

Just like that time during the morning run when someone tripped me. Conrad had only clicked his tongue as he watched me get back up.

"She's so fat, she can barely even run."

The evening breeze had turned cold, and my eyes began to sting.

Silas held out his jacket. "That's enough for tonight. I'm taking you to get something to eat. Starting tomorrow, you have to send me pictures of all three meals. No skipping any."

I rubbed my eyes and nodded.

…

By the time I got back to the dorm, it was already 10 p.m. Silas told me I had to be asleep in half an hour.

I hurried through my shower and washed my clothes, then went straight to bed.

I did not even have time to wish Conrad good night.

I dreamed I was back in that moment. I forced myself to my feet despite the pain, only to find Conrad already gone, laughing with the others about how ridiculous I had looked when I fell.

This time, I did not cry.

I just felt ridiculous.

…

The next morning, when I arrived in class, Conrad was setting out breakfast for Brynn. A layered mousse cake, a soft-boiled egg, a box of blueberries, and a cup of yogurt. "I got all this just for you. You're way too skinny. Eat more."

She glanced over the spread before her eyes landed on me. "There's no way I can finish all this, Tessa. Here, have some."

I looked at the two blueberries in her hand and said nothing.

She blinked. "Not enough? You can have the rest, then. I never eat that much anyway."

Conrad laughed. "Even if she ate all of it, it wouldn't make a dent in her appetite."

He shot me a glance. "Tessa, try eating less. Everyone in this class gets one seat, but you need two all to yourself."

A few classmates nearby laughed along.

Brynn stuck out her tongue with a coy smile. "I was just trying to be nice. I didn't want her to go hungry."

I lowered my eyes to my phone and saw Silas' reply. "Looks good."

The photo I had sent him was right above his message—steamed purple sweet potato, an egg, and unsweetened yogurt.

"7:30. East Gate."

I replied with a simple "Okay," but my gaze kept drifting down toward my seat.

…

When the class bell rang, I realized I had accidentally sent him the thought running through my head. "I'm not taking up two seats."

I hurried to unsend the message, but Silas' reply popped up first.

"He's not you. He doesn't get to make demands of you or decide who you are. Pay attention in class. Remember to send me a picture of your lunch."

I stared at the screen for a moment, then smiled faintly.

When I looked up, I met Conrad's eyes.

He looked me up and down again. When he noticed my phone screen lighting up, his eye twitched.

I pretended not to notice, put my phone away, and opened my textbook.

…

That evening, Silas started teaching me how to jog.

On my second lap, as we passed the west side of the track, I spotted Brynn sitting on the grass in a long dress.

As we went by, Conrad let out a derisive snort, loud enough for me to hear.

"The track's huge, but she just has to run right here. Like she's trying to make sure I see her. She's been like this since we were kids. Always finding excuses to show up wherever I am."

Brynn shot me a displeased look, though her voice remained gentle. "Don't say that. Tessa just wants your attention."

Conrad took off his jacket and draped it over her legs. "Her whole body jiggles when she runs. I just think it's hilarious."

I did not stop. I kept running.

…

After the final lap, Silas had me stretch.

As I stretched, he pointed toward my calf with one finger, careful not to touch me. "A little lower. Push a little harder."

Conrad's voice carried over from the grass. "Silas will do anything for a little money, won't he?"

Silas walked over and stepped in front of me. "Keep going. Don't stop."

…

By the time I finished stretching, Conrad and Brynn were gone.

Silas handed me a bottle of water. "It's a big track. Anyone can use it. Don't pay attention to them."

I hesitated, unsure whether to take it. "Silas, do I look ugly when I run?"

He unscrewed the cap for me, his voice calm and even. "You're running with such determination. There's nothing ugly about that."