003

Harper's POV

The second Ethan disappeared around the corner, it felt like the floo had ripped out from under me.

I stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, my ohon still gripped in my trembling hand, staring at the call screen until my vision blurred as every of his words echoed in my head.

My chest hurts so badly it felt like I had swallowed some brown glass.

He had declined my call. Just like that. After everything, after the kiss, after Madison, after the video, after blaming me for something I didn't even remember if I did. He had walked away like I was the problem.

Like I was the one who had ruined us.

A group of girls passed by, laughing too loudly, and one of them deliberately bumped my shoulder. “Careful,” she muttered to her friend, “Wouldn't want her trying to steal your boyfriend next.”

They laughed as they walked off.

Heat flooded my face and I wanted to disappear. I wanted the ground to open and swallow me whole.

I should have gone back to my dorm, locked myself in my room and cried until I had no tears left to shed, but I was here, in the cafeteria.

Doing what exactly? Maybe I still stupidly thought about Ethan.

“Wow,” a voice said behind me, dripping with fake sweetness. “She actually came out in public.” I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Sienna Blake. The beautiful flawless cheerleader that was always in Ashton space, kissing him, getting all touchy even during his games.

“I mean, if I threw myself at Ashton Reid and got caught on camera, I'd probably transfer.”

The girls around her laughed, but Sienna wasn’t done.

“I guess it makes sense, though,” she continued, her voice louder now, meant for an audience. “Ethan didn’t want her, so she went for the older brother. Kind of desperate, but creative.”

“Did you see what Ashton said? He told the guys he only did it bevause she looked like she was going to have a breakdown. A fucking pure charity! The nerd girl needed his hot buggy.”

I stopped in my tracks near the entrance of the dining hall, the words hitting at my face. I whipped around and for a moment, I thought I'd misheard the voice. “What?”

I had spent entire morning drowning in guilt over Ethan. I had leg him make me feel like I had betrayed him, like I had done something awful.

I had been sick with embarrassment, sick with confusion, sick with not knowing what had happened after I drank too much.

And Ashton Reid? He had the nerve to make it worse? To turn me into some pathetic joke for his teammates? To act like he'd done me a freaking favor?!

A charity?

I head to the center where the blue and white jerseys gathered like some royal court.

Ashton was there, sitting at the head of the table.He was still in his hockey jacket, dark hair messy in that careless way that probably took effort, and he was leaning back, a sports drink in one hand, looking every bit the king of Westbrook. When he saw me, he didn't look guilty or concerned. He looked bored, with a smirk playing on his lips that said he expected me.to. come crawling over to perhaps thank him for the ‘attention’’ I gained.

“Well,” he drawled, his gaze dragging over me slowly. “Look who…”

“Don’t.” My voice cut through his words, sharp and clear and the table went completely still, even sienna leaned forward slightly in disbelief.

“You don’t get to stand there,” I said, with a steady voice despite the storm raging inside me, “and act like you did me a favor.” I slammed my fist on the table in front of him as his smirk faltered.

“Excuse me?” he said, his tone cooling in disbelief.

“You heard me,” I shot back. “I don’t know what version of the story you’ve been telling your friends, but let’s get one thing straight….”

I took a step closer, my heart pounding but my voice unwavering.

“That night meant nothing.”

A ripple moved through the crowd gathering around us.

Ashton’s eyes narrowed slightly in disbelief. “Careful with what you say,” he warned softly and it only made me laugh.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You don’t get to warn me. Not after you went around telling people I threw myself at you like you’re some kind of prize.”

His jaw tightened.“Maybe if you didn’t….”

“I don’t even remember kissing you,” I cut in, my voice rising just enough to carry. “That’s how insignificant it was.”

And I knew it hit him so damn well that his shoulders stiffened just slightly.

“Trust me,” I continued, my words colder now, sharper and matching his energy, “if I had been in my right mind, it never would have happened.”

A few gasps came in as people started bringing out their phones. Because no one talked to Ashton Reid like that. No one rejected the captain’s word in front of his court.

And I wasn’t done.

“You’re a legend in your own mind, Ashton,” I continued, my voice cutting through the stunned silence. “But to me? You’re just a mistake I wouldn’t repeat.”

Another loud gasp erupted. “Keep your ‘charity’. I’d rather be invisible than be another notch on a jersey that’s going to be forgotten the second you graduate.”