Chapter 3– The price of one night

Lyra

I stood still. My breath hitched.

Nick was awake. He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes met mine, unreadable.

I froze.

He got out of bed, walking toward me. I didn’t know what to do. My heart thudded in my chest.

“Turn around,” he said, his voice calm, but serious.

I hesitated. “What?”

He didn’t repeat himself, just reached behind me and gently pulled something off the back of my dress.

It wasn’t the watch.

It was a condom wrapper.

My cheeks flamed.

He held it between his fingers like it was gold. “It’s very important,” he muttered under his breath, like he actually cared about it.

I blinked. Right. Of course. Nick the flirt. Nick who’s known for never sleeping with the same girl twice. It made sense that the only thing he cared about was his damn condom.

Maybe he hadn’t even noticed his watch was missing.

I forced a smile. “Of course.”

He walked back to the bed like nothing happened and laid down, arm behind his head, looking up at the ceiling.

That was it?

I stood there, awkward and unsure.

Then, without looking at me, he mumbled, “See you around.”

That stopped me.

See you around?

My head turned slightly. Did he just say that?

Nick never said that to girls. He didn’t “see them around.” He slept with them and left them in the wind. No second rounds.

But me?

He said it to me.

Why?

Did he… want to see me again?

My brain was spinning. My body still felt warm from what we did. I hated to admit it, but I’d enjoyed every second of it. The way he touched me. The way he made me forget everything else for a moment.

And now, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Or him.

I stepped out of the room quietly, heart still beating fast. My suitcase sat outside where I left it. I dropped to my knees, unzipped it quickly, and shoved the stolen watch into a small side pocket. My hands shook.

Thank God I wasn’t caught.

Now I was stuck thinking about a guy who probably forgot me the second I walked out.

The hostel was open now.

I didn’t think twice.

I grabbed my suitcase, crossed the street, and opened the dorm door—

“BOO!”

I screamed.

Almost jumped out of my panties.

Mirae stood there, grinning like a maniac. “I got you!” she laughed, nearly bending over from how hard she was giggling.

My heart was still pounding as I threw my arms around her. “You idiot! I missed you.”

She hugged me back tightly. “I missed you too.”

Then she pulled back and looked down at the suitcase beside me. Her brows furrowed. “Wait... what’s going on? Did you move out or something?”

I nodded, dragging the bag inside and sitting on the edge of the bed, feeling like my bones weighed a thousand pounds.

She sat beside me immediately. “Tell me everything.”

So I did.

Every damn thing, from the way my stepfather tried to force me to marry some creep, to how Jay humiliated me and threw my suitcase out, to how Rixa played me like a violin. I told her everything except one detail, what happened between me and Nick. That part... I couldn’t. Not yet.

“What?” Mirae’s voice rose with fury. “Where is that fool? I’m going to go rip his face off right now!”

She actually stood up, fists clenched, ready to fight the air.

I caught her wrist. “No. Just... let them be.”

Her chest heaved with frustration. “Lyra, he humiliated you! They both did! And that witch Rixa? Ugh, I hope she trips over her own lies.”

Before I could respond, the doorbell rang.

She stormed off to check, grumbling under her breath. Then she returned with a grin on her face, holding something up like it was gold.

“What’s that?” I asked, brows knitting.

“Someone sent this for us!” she beamed.

I took it from her and my eyes widened.

It was two hockey game tickets. Front row. For the school match that was sold out weeks ago.

“What the...?”

Who would’ve sent this?

I turned the ticket around, checking for a name, a note, anything. Nothing.

But I knew.

Nick.

It had to be him.

Why though?

Why was he sending me tickets?

“We should totally go!” Mirae squealed, clapping excitedly. “You need this, Lyra. It’ll cheer you up. We’ll dress hot as hell and make Jay regret ever letting you go!”

I blinked, still processing. “You go with someone else. I don’t think I can—”

“Don’t be like that,” she whined. “You know I don’t have other friends. Just come with me. I’ll make you look so good that even Rixa will choke on her own spit.”

It sounded like a good idea. A part of me wanted it, wanted revenge, wanted to feel powerful again. But then I thought about Nick.

He’d be there. He was the hockey captain after all. I hadn’t told Mirae what happened between us. And she was obsessed with him and his teammates.

“They’re not even Korean, Mirae,” I muttered, trying to change the subject.

She rolled her eyes dramatically. “What matters is that they’re hot. And have sticks.”

I snorted.

She grabbed my hands, her eyes pleading. “Come on. Please. Let’s go make your ex eat his heart out.”

I hesitated.

Then sighed.

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

Her squeal of victory echoed through the room.

I forced a small smile.

She danced around the room, humming off-key as I lugged my bags to the corner, trying to ignore the pounding in my chest.

As soon as she turned away, I slipped my hand into the side of my bag and brought it out, the watch. Heavy. Expensive. Guilt coiled in my stomach as I stared at it, the metal glinting under the light.

Why did I feel like this?

Maybe because I’d promised myself I would change. That I was done with stealing. That I wanted to be better than the person my stepfather raised me to be. And yet here I was… right back to my old habits.

Should I return it?

Would he even want it back?

I was still lost in my thoughts when the door burst open, slamming against the wall.

I jumped, quickly shoving the watch back into my bag as Mirae rushed in, panting like she’d just sprinted across campus.

Her face was pale.

“Lyra…” she breathed, eyes wide, “The police are here.”

My heart stopped.

No. No, no, no.

My stomach twisted.

Were they here for me? Did Nick call them on me?