Chapter 5: What the hell is going on?

Jace

The hallway falls silent, but not the usual kind. The kind that comes after a bomb explodes.

Every face turns toward me, mouths hanging open, phones frozen halfway in the air. Nobody expected those words. Hell… neither did I.

My heart pounds so loudly in my chest, I wait for the words to come out, to deny her, to say i didn't mean everything i said. That Skye is not my girlfriend.

Yet i remain standing, not denying, not trying to take back what i said.

Tiffany blinks, then she laughs loudly—sharp, almost hysterical. “You are joking.”

I don't answer, and the smile slowly fades from her face. “Jace?”

“I meant what I said,” i utter coldly.

Another wave of whispers spreads through the hallway.

“What the hell?”

“He dumped Tiffany.”

“Did he seriously choose Skye Bennett?”

“I thought he couldn't stand her.”

Neither did I. Or at least, that’s what everyone believed. Not anymore.

If they are all going to cause her pain, then i won't accept it. They have to go through me first.

Especially Tiffany, who still watches me like I've suddenly grown a second head.

Tiffany marches toward me until she’s standing inches away, her cold eyes settle on me before she spits. “You embarrassed me.”

“You were humiliating someone who couldn't defend herself.”

“So you're defending her now?” she laughs, the sound tears through the dorm.

I glance at Skye. She hasn't moved; she's standing exactly where I left her, one hand gripping the wall—as if it's the only thing keeping her upright. Her cheek is already turning red from Tiffany’s slap.

Something twists painfully inside my chest, and I look away. I've seen that look before—years ago, back when we were kids.

Skye Bennett always cried silently, never loud enough for anyone to notice. Except… I noticed. Always.

She thought no one did. She made sure. Yet i did. Because it maybe sound stupid but i was always watching. Whenever she thinks no one was there to watch her crumble. I watched.

My jaw tightens.

Tiffany studies my face before letting out another bitter laugh. “You actually care.”

“No,” the answer slips out too quickly, too automatically, too falsely. “I don't just like bullies.”

She scoffs. “Since when?”

Since… I stop before finishing. That answer isn’t for her—it's for no one.

The hallway grows noisier as more students spill out of their rooms, phones everywhere. Every second, someone records another video.

Perfect. Before lunch, the entire campus will know—exactly what I want. Everyone needs to know that anyone who touches her answers to me.

I'm the only one who’s ever bullied her; no one else has that right. No one. Except me.

Tiffany folds her arms. “So that’s it? We broke up, and suddenly she’s replacing me?”

My voice stays calm. “I already told you, it’s over.”

Her eyes widen. “You are lying.”

I shrug. “If thinking that makes you feel better, go ahead.”

She searches my face for a crack, a smile, anything that shows this is one of my usual jokes. She finds nothing. Her expression crumbles slowly. “You slept with her…”

“I did.”

A chorus of shocked gasps ripples through the hallway.

My eyes drift to Skye. She’s staring at me as if I’ve completely lost my mind. Honestly, maybe I have. Because five minutes ago, I had no intention of making a scene—I only wanted everyone to leave.

Then Tiffany posted those pictures. I saw how Skye looked at the floor—as if she wanted it to swallow her whole.

And before I could stop myself, the words were out: “She’s my girlfriend.”

The biggest lie I've ever told. Or maybe the lie I wanted to be true. I push the thought away before it can settle. Not happening. Not in this lifetime. Not when the only person she’s ever looked at is my brother.

I learned that years ago—the first time she smiled at Ethan, the first time she saw Ethan pass by and looked right through him, as if I wasn’t standing there.

Some things never change. So why does it bother me now? Why did I get so angry when he rejected her last night? Or when she hit the floor and laughter erupted around her?

Behind me, I hear the faintest whisper, “Jace…” Her voice is shaky, broken.

I close my eyes for a brief second before opening them again. There’s no taking it back now. I look at the crowd. “I meant every word. You all should know she belongs to me now. Nobody bullies her—no one ever again.”

Another noise erupts, and through it, a familiar voice cuts through the crowd: “What the hell is going on here?”

Heads turn.

Ethan.

He pushes through the sea of students, his eyes flicking from Tiffany to Skye, then to me. Confusion slowly shifts to disbelief. “What did I just walk into?”