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chapter 77
Last Updated:
2026-01-13 17:50:38
Latest chapter
Built with a Dare, broken by the Truth chapter 79
Dual POV — Randy / CarlsonThe campus changed at night.Randy had always noticed it,the way the air cooled faster than expected, how shadows stretched longer than they had any right to. The familiar buildings felt quieter, heavier, like they were holding their breath along with him.He walked without purpose at first, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, sketchbook weighing down his bag like an accusation. Every step echoed too loudly in his head,every memory replayed itself without permission.Carlson in the studio doorway,carlson laughing with joy,Carlson leaving, almost.That word had lodged itself beneath Randy’s ribs, sharp and persistent almost looking. Almost touching,almost saying something real.He hated how close it felt now—like one careless moment could undo months of restraint.He didn’t expect to see Carlson near the old lecture hall.Carlson stood beneath a dim lamppost, phone in hand, shoulders tense, posture rigid in a way Randy had never seen before. The light ca
Built with a Dare, broken by the Truth chapter 78
Randy’s POVRandy started noticing the absences before anyone else did.It wasn’t a dramatic announcement, no empty chair that screamed for attention,just small things. He joy Carlson's alleged fling arrived late,leaving early laughing a little too quickly, like he was trying to smooth over something sharp underneath.Randy told himself he was projecting. That he’d been wound too tight lately, seeing fractures where there were none.But then Carlson started watching joy the same way Randy had been watching Carlson, that realization sat heavy in Randy’s chest.He caught it during class first,Carlson’s attention drifting, gaze flicking toward joy whenever he shifted in his seat. Then again near the cafeteria, Carlson paused mid-sentence to ask if joy was eating. Small things, protective things.Randy hated the way jealousy flared before he could stop it.Not because he thought Carlson wanted joyBut because Carlson needed him, and that felt worse.Barry noticed, of course.“You’re st
Built with a Dare, broken by the Truth chapter 77
Carlson’s POVCarlson noticed Randy before Randy noticed him.It wasn’t dramatic, no sudden pull, no sharp turn of the head,just a quiet awareness, like sensing heat behind you before you step too close to a fire. Carlson was halfway through a laugh at something Troy said when the feeling settled at the base of his spine, familiar and unwelcome.Randy was across the quad, sketchbook tucked under his arm, posture deliberately casual. Too deliberate Carlson's smile didn’t falter, but something inside him tightened anyway.So he’s watching againCarlson kept talking,kept nodding,kept letting Troy’s voice wash over him while his attention slipped sideways, catching fragments instead of the whole. The fountain splashed. Sunlight glinted off the water,students passed in clusters, oblivious.Randy didn’t look jealous. That was the problem, he looked careful.Carlson hated how well he recognized the difference.He laughed again—too loud this time—and Troy shot him a curious glance,Carlson
Built with a Dare, broken by the Truth chapter 76
The next morning, the campus felt colder somehow, though the sun was bright, almost too bright. Randy walked across the quad, sketchbook tucked under his arm, pretending to notice the way the wind tugged at his jacket. He told himself it was just habit,observation, nothing more. But even before he looked, he felt it that presence at the edge of his awareness, a weight he couldn’t quite shake.And then he saw him, Carlson. Laughing with Troy near the fountain, shoulders relaxed, gestures fluid and unguarded. Randy stopped, almost imperceptibly, pretending to adjust the strap of his bag, heart hammering in his chest. That laugh—the one he knew so well, the one that always seemed effortless—hit him like a physical blow. His stomach twisted, a mixture of longing and irritation that he hated himself for feeling.He forced himself to keep walking, to keep moving, but every step was heavy. Every step pulled him closer to a line he wasn’t supposed to cross. He reminded himself silently tha
Built with a Dare, broken by the Truth chapter 75
The sun was setting, the campus bathed in a golden-orange glow that made the buildings look warmer than they were. Randy sat on the stone steps outside the arts building, sketchbook balanced on his knees, pencil moving almost automatically. Ramson was beside him, explaining a small detail about shading, laughing softly at one of Randy’s awkward lines.And yet, Randy’s focus kept drifting,he could feel it before he even looked. That familiar presence. The weight of it at the edge of his awareness, making his chest tighten. Carlson.He didn’t look up immediately,he tried not to. Tried to concentrate on his lines, his shading, the soft laughter of Ramson beside him. But then, like a current he couldn’t resist, he felt Carlson’s eyes on him.Randy’s pulse spiked, and his pencil faltered. He’s back. He’s really back.Carlson wasn’t approaching recklessly—not yet. He was standing a few feet away, leaning casually against a column, hands in his pockets, surveying the quad. But Randy’s min
Built with a Dare, broken by the Truth chapter 74
The sun was low, spilling amber across the quad, and Randy felt its warmth against his skin but didn’t really notice it. His sketchbook lay open on his lap, pages already filled with rough lines and half-formed shapes. Ramson sat beside him, pointing out small adjustments, laughing softly at something Randy had drawn, and Randy felt that familiar tightness in his chest,the one that told him he was safe, that he was content, that this moment, however small, mattered.But then he felt it. That subtle weight. That presence at the edge of his awareness. "Carlson"Randy’s chest tightened, and his pencil paused mid-stroke. He didn’t look up immediately. Not yet. He wanted to make sure it wasn’t imaginary.No,that unmistakable tilt of the head, the faint shadow near the railing,it’s him.He kept his posture relaxed, casual even, as though he hadn’t noticed, but his heart betrayed him, thudding harder with each heartbeat. Carlson wasn’t approaching recklessly. Not a step out of line. Jus
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