Chapter 4: I Never Let Go

I never stopped watching her.

Not really.

Five months ago, I walked across that high school stage, pretending like I was leaving Vee behind. Like I’d finally outgrown her, outgrown the mess we made of our past.

But the truth was, I wasn’t ready to let her go.

Not when she haunted my every thought, like a ghost that refused to vanish. Not when every stupid joke I made, every shove in the hallway, was just a dumb way to say I cared.

So when I found out she was going to Westbridge University, I made up my mind. I’d go there too. No matter what it took.

I planned it out like a mission: classes, dorms, even her favorite coffee spot. I knew her schedule better than she probably did. Maybe it was obsessive. Maybe it was crazy. But I didn’t care.

Because deep down, I knew this was my chance. My chance to fix everything.

Walking into the lecture hall that morning, I saw her right away. The same way I always did—the girl who tried to disappear from me, but never quite could.

She had changed. A little. More confident? Maybe. But still wrapped in that quiet bubble of hers.

I smirked, the same way I always did, and felt the old rush of adrenaline.

I shot a text to her, knowing full well she’d see it.

Nice socks. Miss me?

It was stupid. Petty. But also true.

When I saw her freeze, coffee slipping from her hand, I almost laughed. Purple socks with cats. Of all things.

I wasn’t ready for the way she looked at me. The mixture of shock, anger, and something else I couldn’t quite place. Maybe fear? Maybe... curiosity?

I wanted to reach out. Tell her I was sorry. Tell her everything I never said.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I waited.

Later that day, I saw him.

That guy from her psych class—the one who had been hovering too close, smiling too much.

I saw the way he looked at her like she was a prize to win. Like he could just sweep her off her feet without a second thought.

I hated it.

Because she was mine.

I moved in fast, shadowing the guy’s steps until I could step between them.

“Hey,” I said, voice low and sharp.

The guy’s grin faltered, and Vee looked up, eyes wide.

“You alright?” I asked her, all possessiveness wrapped in one word.

She nodded, but I could see the tension in her jaw.

I wasn’t the same kid who’d pushed her in the hallways anymore. No, I was something worse.

I was the guy who wanted her. Who needed her.

Who was willing to do whatever it took to make sure she knew it.

That night, lying in bed, I stared at the ceiling and thought about what I wanted.

Not just her body. Not just the thrill of finally breaking down her walls.

But her. All of her. Her laughter. Her stubbornness. Her scars.

I’d been a bully for so long because I didn’t know any other way to hold onto her.

But this time?

This time, I’d be different.

Because I never let go.