MasukCHAPTER 149BACK IN MY SHELL ISLAI didn’t plan to withdraw back into my shell.It just… happened.The first day, I told myself I needed rest. A quiet day to reset after everything that had happened. I needed rest after the comments that felt like knives buried under casual words. So I stayed in bed, pulled the blanket up to my chin and let the world move without me.Sonia left for classes that morning after giving me a long look, but she didn’t push. She just asked if I was okay, and I lied like it was second nature.“Just tired.”She nodded slowly and left, and the silence that followed was heavy. But at least, it was safe.When evening came, I hadn’t moved much. My phone buzzed with messages — Asher checking in, Noah sending dumb memes and Rowan flirtung with me. I replied with short answers, but I didn’t want to explain why even breathing felt exhausting.The second day was worse because I knew I was hiding, and still… I stayed. I skipped class, Ignored calls and I told myself I
CHAPTER 148THIN ICEISLAI stood there long after Lara disappeared, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag until my knuckles hurt.The hallway kept moving like nothing happened. People still stared, whispering what I could and could not hear. There was nobody who stopped and asked if I was okay.And honestly… that hurt more than Lara’s words.God! I missed Talia!I forced myself to inhale slowly, one breath at a time after the other. I wasn’t going to cry in the middle of the walkway. I refused to give anyone that.So I started walking again, towards the destination I originally had in mind. The path toward the athletics building felt longer than usual, my legs felt heavy, my thoughts louder than the chatter around me. I still couldn't shake off the stares and whispers.“Bad luck runs in the family.”The words looped in my head no matter how much I tried to shake them off. I knew who my parents were. I knew they had tried to fix what they’d done. I knew they had paid for i
CHAPTER 147WHISPERS ON THE STREETSISLAI woke up before my alarm, and that almost never happened.For a few seconds, I just lay there staring at the ceiling and listening to the familiar sounds of dorm life waking up around me. Doors closing, someone laughing in the hallway, a shower running somewhere down the corridor and voices shouting for others to hurry up or they'll be late for class.Everything was usual and for once, I felt ready for it.I rolled out of bed with more energy than I’d had in weeks. I took my time getting ready, standing in front of the mirror longer than usual, brushing out my hair and choosing clothes that felt comfortable but put together. I didn't know where the excitement came from, but I opened my arms to it. Wholeheartedly. Last semester brought a lot of pain and heartache and I was positive about this one. Sonia watched me from her bed, half awake, with raised eyebrows. She'd been watching me for a while, but I pretended not to notice her.“Okay,” she
CHAPTER 146CONTINUOUS ORGASMISLA“Let's get this party started properly, shall we?” I couldn't have agreed more with what Ellis said. The party was barely started and I was already pooling my pants. Noah stepped closer, ready to ignite the flame, but I stepped back. “I need to take a quick shower.”Rowan whined. “Is that really necessary?”“I ran almost all the way here. I'm sweaty,” I countered, smoothening my hair back. “What's the need of showering when you're still going to get sweaty?” Ellis asked, his eyebrows raised. “Yeah, but—”I didn't get to give him the answer I'd formed at the back of my throat when he cut me off. “Get on the bed.”I opened my mouth to argue, but the dark lust swimming Ellis eyes, clasped my mouth shut. The look on his face tightened my stomach and made juices pool my panties. Without further complaints, I stripped and got on the bed. All three men stood in front of me, stark naked and dicks pointing aggressively towards me. I swallowed from how h
CHAPTER 145THE ACHE OF WAITING ELLISàI didn’t realize how much noise she made in my head until she left. She became a constant in my brain my brain acknowledged her every second. It was the kind of quiet presence that sits at the edge of everything you do. Walking past the rink, seeing her empty usual spot by the glass. Hearing Asher talk about something and waiting for her to roll her eyes at him. Even Rowan got quieter without her around, which should’ve been impossible.Noah kept saying it felt weird.Well… he wasn’t entirely wrong.During the holidays, the days stretched longer than they needed to. My room has felt heavier and lonlier. Nothing felt the same way and I knew deep inside me it was because she was missing.And somehow that shifted the balance of everything.I tried not to think about it too much. Tried to focus on the days that dragged on slowly and the fact that I was doing going to see her. And then school resumed. And somehow it almost made things worse. Becaus
CHAPTER 144OLD ENEMIES, NEW RULESISLA“Leave that girl alone.”The voice came clipped and steady from behind Jade, weaving through the tension before I could even react to Jade's words.Jade’s smirk faltered for a second as she turned around to see the source of the voice. Sonia stood a few steps away, one hand on the strap of her bag, the other resting loosely on her hip. She didn't raise her voice, she didn’t need to. There was something about the calm certainty in her tone that made the air feel safer for me to breathe. “Oh,” Jade said lightly, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she rolled her eyed. “Didn’t realize she needed a bodyguard.”“She doesn’t,” Sonia replied. “You’re just being a bitch.”I almost laughed at how flat she said it and the instant drop in Jade's expression was a classic. But she was quick to recover. Jade scoffed, crossing her arms. “I was just talking, nothing more.”“No,” Sonia said, taking a step closer. “You were provoking. There’s a difference.”







