Chapter 003

•ALEXIS•

━━━╾𖤓╼━━━

The morning sun felt too bright after everything that had happened the night before.

I pulled my hood over my head and kept my eyes on the ground as I crossed campus. My shift at the bookstore started in forty minutes. I only needed to stop by the library to pick up my syllabus before heading to work.

My phone kept buzzing in my pocket.

Jasmine had sent me six messages already, but I hadn't opened a single one.

I wasn't ready to talk about last night.

I just wanted to get through the day without seeing another familiar face.

The campus was already busy. Students walked around with coffee cups and backpacks, laughing with their friends as if nothing in the world could go wrong.

I kept to the side of the walkway, counting my steps and trying not to think about Dylan.

I almost made it past the big oak tree near the student center when I heard a familiar laugh.

I looked up before I could stop myself.

Dylan was walking toward me with Paige tucked under his arm.

She was wearing one of his hoodies, with the sleeves covering most of her hands. Her hair was down, and she looked perfectly happy. Dylan's hand rested on her waist as they walked, and when she turned her head, I noticed a small mark on her neck. Obviously, it was a hickey.

My stomach twisted.

Paige noticed me first. She slowed down, and Dylan followed her gaze. His smile disappeared for a second before returning.

Then he pulled her closer and continued walking.

They passed so close that Paige's shoulder almost brushed mine.

"Told you she'd still be hanging around," Dylan said loudly. "Some people just don't know when to move on."

My vision blurred as her words sank in.

I kept walking.

My face burned, and my hands tightened inside my hoodie pockets. Every part of me wanted to turn around and say something, but I refused to give them that satisfaction.

I wasn't going to stand in the middle of campus and become their entertainment.

I had already given them enough of my dignity.

I walked another few steps before someone called my name.

"Alexis!."

I turned and saw Logan Wright coming toward me.

His backpack hung over one shoulder, and his team polo was neatly tucked beneath an open jacket. With his sandy hair and warm brown eyes, he looked like the kind of guy who belonged on a college recruitment poster.

He stopped in front of me.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

I let out a short breath. "What's your definition of okay?"

His eyes moved past me, following the direction Dylan and Paige had gone. His expression changed slightly.

"I heard about last night."

"Of course you did. Everyone has."

"I'm sorry, Alexis."

"Don't be. You weren't the one I caught on the couch."

He looked uncomfortable. "Still, you shouldn't have to deal with this. Especially not when you have to see them everywhere you go."

I shrugged.

"It's a small campus. I'll survive."

Logan shifted his backpack. "If you need anything, just let me know. Notes, a ride, or even someone to sit with at the dining hall. You don't have to deal with everyone staring at you alone."

"I know."

"I'm serious."

He paused before speaking again. "Remember freshman year? You used to skip the dining hall whenever it got too crowded. You'd take your food to the library stairwell instead."

I looked at him.

"I remember."

"I always wondered if you were doing okay back then."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

Logan had always been kind to me. Even when we almost started dating freshman year, he never made me feel like I owed him anything. Things simply hadn't worked out.

I had been struggling to pay my bills and keep up with school. Dating was the last thing on my mind.

He seemed to understand that without needing an explanation.

"Thanks, Logan," I said quietly.

He gave me a small smile.

"Anytime."

I was about to say something else when someone stepped between us.

"Connor."

Logan's voice changed.

I looked up and found Connor Young standing beside me.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and built like someone who spent more time in the gym than anywhere else. His dark hair was still damp, probably from morning practice, and a small scar cut through one eyebrow.

His pale blue eyes moved from Logan to me.

He wore a team hoodie with the sleeves pushed up, revealing strong forearms and a gold chain around his neck.

He didn't look particularly happy to see either of us.

Logan straightened.

"Connor."

Connor barely acknowledged him.

"Are you done?"

Logan frowned. "We're talking."

"Not anymore." Connor turned to me. "Walk with me, Alexis."

I stared at him. “Are you serious?”

I should have told him to mind his business. I barely knew the guy, and he was already acting like he could order me around.

But before I could respond, Logan spoke. "You don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to."

I glanced at him.

"It's fine, Logan."

He studied my face for a moment before nodding.

"Okay. You know where to find me."

He walked away, leaving me alone with Connor.

Connor watched him disappear before looking back at me.

Up close, he smelled like a fresh expensive cologne. He was also much taller than I had expected.

"You’re the girl my brother embarrassed in front of everyone."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the introduction."

He ignored my sarcasm.

"And you're still walking around like nothing happened."

My expression hardened. "Do you always start conversations this way, or am I getting special treatment?"

"Today, you are."

He nodded toward a quieter path behind the science building. "Come with me. It'll only take two minutes."

"I have somewhere to be."

"Then don't waste time arguing."

I should have walked away.

I had a bookstore shift, bills to worry about, and my mother's medical tests to pay for in five days. The last thing I needed was another hockey player making my life more complicated.

But something about Connor's expression made me curious.

Against my better judgment, I followed him.

The path behind the science building was much quieter than the main quad. A few students walked past, but most people were heading toward their morning classes.

Connor stopped beneath the building's overhang and turned to face me. "Dylan is an asshole."

I folded my arms. "That's an interesting thing to hear from his own brother."

"He stopped being my problem a long time ago."

He leaned against the wall. "He's been sleeping with those girls for weeks. Maybe even longer. Everyone knew about it."

"Everyone?"

The word came out quieter than I intended. How many people had watched me make a fool of myself without bothering to tell me?

"Majority of the people who smiled at you in class."

For a moment, I couldn't speak.

I had spent months believing I was the only woman in Dylan's life. I had defended him whenever someone made a comment about his behavior.

Apparently, everyone else had known the truth.

I looked away, trying to hide how much his words had hurt.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "I already caught him cheating. I don't need a detailed report."

"Because you're walking around campus without a clue what's coming next."

I looked back at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means Reid already started talking about you at the diner. By lunchtime, the entire team will have their own version of what happened. By tonight, you'll either be the poor girl who got cheated on or the joke everyone laughs about.”

His words made my stomach turn. "And you think telling me this is helping?"

"I'm telling you because you need a plan."

I studied his face. "Why do you care?"

"I don't."

He answered so quickly that I almost laughed.

"Then why am I standing here listening to you?"

"Because my brother is walking around like he won something, and I'm tired of watching him get away with everything."

He paused.

"Besides, people are already looking at me differently because we're brothers. I don't need his mess becoming mine."

I shook my head. "That's a lovely family relationship."

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it."

His fingers brushed against the scar cutting through his eyebrow.

I crossed my arms tighter. "So, what's your point, Connor?"

For a few seconds, he said nothing. Then he pushed away from the wall and took a step toward me.

His eyes stayed on mine.

"Do you want to get back at him, or are you just going to let him humiliate you?"

I stared at him.

The question was rude, but it hit a nerve.

I had spent the entire morning trying to pretend I didn't care. I had walked past Dylan and Paige with my head down because I didn't want anyone to see how much they had hurt me.

But the truth was, I cared. I cared more than I wanted to admit.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" I asked.

A small smile appeared on Connor's face. "Something that will make my brother regret ever touching another girl while he was dating you."

I raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be?"

"Something that could put money in your pocket, too."

That caught my attention.

"Money?"

He nodded.

"Something that makes him choke every time he sees you. Something that gets people off your back and gives you a reason to hold your head high again."

I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was getting at. "And why would you help me?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, Alexis. I'm not doing this because I like you."

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual."

He almost smiled.

"Good. Then we understand each other."

I waited.

He glanced toward the main quad before looking back at me.

"So, are you interested, or would you rather go back to counting tips at the diner while my brother enjoys his new girlfriend?"

My jaw tightened.

He was getting on my nerves, but he had my attention. I thought about my mother's medical bills. My unpaid expenses. The way Dylan had looked at me that morning, as if I were nothing more than an inconvenience.

Then I looked at Connor again. "What do you want me to do?"

His expression changed slightly, like he had been waiting for me to ask that exact question.

Before he could answer, someone called my name from the other end of the path.

"Alexis!"

I turned.

Jasmine was walking toward us, her face filled with worry.

Connor didn't look in her direction. He kept his eyes on me and lowered his voice.

"Think carefully, Alexis. This could be your chance to make him regret everything.”