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Chapter 16 - THE CRUELTY

last update Last Updated: 2025-12-22 21:52:40

Adrian POV

The door to my dorm closes behind me, and I lean against it like it's the only thing holding me up.

My hands are shaking. My entire body is shaking.

COWARD!

Jules' voice echoes through my head, louder than my heartbeat. The raw pain in her scream, the way she looked at me with those hollow eyes.

I push off the door and pace my small room. Three steps to the window, three steps back. My roommate is out, thank God. I can't handle witnesses right now.

She waited for me in the cold, just to talk to me.

And I called what we had a mistake.

"Fuck!" The word explodes from my chest.

I grab the first thing I can reach—my statistics textbook—and hurl it across the room. It hits the wall with a satisfying thud but does nothing to ease the pressure building inside me.

She grabbed my jacket. Her hands were freezing, red from cold, shaking so badly I could feel it through the fabric.

And I pulled away.

My reflection in the room mirror stares back at me. Dark circles under bloodshot eyes.
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