CHAPTER EIGHT

LILIAN

Alex parked at the corner of the roadside and walked toward me, his eyes moving over my face.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “I thought you had a car.”

I looked away, fighting the tears threatening to spill. I wasn’t going to cry in front of him.

“Come on. Let me drive you.”

He opened the passenger door, and I climbed inside.

“Thank you, Alex.” I buckled my seat belt. “I thought you were already at school. The first lecture is almost over.”

He started the engine and pulled away from the roadside.

“You know, you should be more concerned about yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your—”

“My GPA.” I cut him off, knowing exactly where he was going. “Don’t worry about me.”

I turned toward the window, hoping he would drop the subject.

“Today is the third day of our fake relationship, so we have four days left before we end this.”

He glanced at me, his expression shifting.

“I wanted to ask if that sits right with you. You don't seem to care about it.”

I frowned. Why did he suddenly sound bothered?

“Why should I care about a fake relationship?”

The words came out sharper than I intended.

The car fell silent.

“I’m not saying you should.” His fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel. “I was just asking.”

I said nothing.

After a few moments, he cleared his throat.

“There’s a house party at seven. Are you going?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t have money to attend a house party, and I’m not interested anyway.”

“Oh.” He shrugged. “It’s okay. Maybe I’ll go alone.”

I sighed and leaned back against the seat.

If only he knew what kind of mess I was in.

My bank card was frozen. My phone had been smashed. I didn't even know how I was supposed to get through the rest of the day.

“What happened this morning?” Alex asked as he pulled up in front of the lecture hall. “I was trying to talk to you when your phone suddenly cut off.”

I opened my mouth to explain, but before I could, my eyes landed on Professor Lydia walking out of the hall.

“Oh no, fuck!”

I pointed toward her as she disappeared into the crowd.

“The class is over.”

Alex followed my gaze.

“We’ll get the notes.”

I nodded, still watching Professor Lydia walk away.

Seeing her reminded me why I had chosen Sports Management in the first place.

Three years ago, before Fiona came into the picture, my adoptive parents had encouraged me to study it, especially my father. They believed I would eventually become the heiress of the Williams Hockey Club, even though I had never been particularly good at hockey or sports.

I had agreed because I wanted to make them proud. I wanted to prepare myself for the future they had envisioned for me.

Back then, I believed I would one day take over the rink and prove I was worthy of everything they had given me.

Now that Fiona had entered our lives, I wasn't even sure that future still belonged to me.

“I should get down.”

I reached for the door handle.

“Where are you going? Our next class starts in two hours.”

“You can stay with me until then.”

Alex gave me a puppy-dog look.

Before I could answer, movement across the parking lot caught my attention.

Michael was running after Fiona.

“Why are you ignoring my calls?”

His voice carried across the area. He sounded tense, almost desperate.

I stared.

Michael was practically begging her.

He had never begged me like that.

Fiona finally turned around, her expression hardening.

“Are you uncomfortable?” Alex asked, following my gaze.

“If you don’t want to see them, we can drive somewhere quiet.”

I shook my head, unable to tear my eyes away.

“Forget about what happened that night!”

Fiona's voice rose, drawing the attention of the students around them.

“Yes, we had sex, but I can’t date a guy who leeches off women.”

Michael's face tightened.

A few students stopped walking. Then someone pulled out a phone.

“I leech off women?”

“Yes, you truly leech off women.”

Fiona's voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

More phones appeared.

I watched Michael's humiliation unfold in front of the crowd.

Then John appeared.

The guy Alex had introduced to me as the Westbrook Ravens captain.

He wasn't with the girlfriend he had compared me to at the hotel this time.

He stopped near the crowd, his attention fixed on Fiona and Michael.

“I think we should leave,” Alex murmured.

“Hold on.”

I kept watching.

His eyes narrowed.

“Why are you so invested in this?”

I turned toward him. “What?”

“Do you miss Michael?”

A frown settled across his face.

“Why would I miss—”

I stopped myself.

“Why do you care?”

“Why am I the one who cares?” His voice carried a hint of irritation. “You’re the one who keeps staring at him.”

“I’m not staring at him.”

“You've been watching them since we got here.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Man, why are you so obsessed with him?”

“I'm not obsessed with him.”

“Was his dick that good?”

I stared at him.

Did he seriously just ask me that?

I grabbed the water bottle from the cup holder and twisted off the cap.

“Why would you say something like that?”

I poured the water out of the bottle.

“You keep acting like he has the best dick in the world.”

Alex's lips curved into a teasing smile.

“I think you should taste mine.”

I immediately covered my ears.

“I don't want to hear this anymore.”

He laughed.

“What?”

“Just drive.”

I lowered my hands and sighed.

“What quiet place should we go to?”

“Probably one of the cafeterias.”

Alex turned the car away from the lecture hall.

I glanced back toward Fiona.

The moment she saw John, something changed.

The colour drained from her face.

Her eyes widened.

Fear flashed across her features before she quickly looked away.

I frowned.

Why did seeing John affect her like that?

And what exactly was she afraid of?