Chapter 1

Naomi Walker's degree slipped from her hand as she bolted out of the ceremony.

I clutched mine and shouted after her, "If you walk away today, don't come back to me!"

She paused for just a second, then disappeared into the crowd without looking back.

I stood there as the tassel on my graduation cap swayed before my eyes. All around me, there was laughter, shouting, and chaos.

The university president stood onstage with a microphone, looking from me to the direction Naomi had run, clearly at a loss for words.

Naomi's parents, George Walker and Andrea Willow, came over, their faces dark with anger.

George grabbed my hand. "Caspian, I'll drag that idiot girl back here right now!"

I shook my head and slowly kept my degree away.

"George, Andrea, let her go."

My parents looked even worse. My father, Frederick Abbott, had gone pale with anger, while tears streamed down my mother Claire Sutton's face.

"How did things end up like this? It's your graduation day—and your engagement celebration! What will people think of our family?" Mom said.

I stepped off the stage and took my mother's arm, saying, "Mom, Dad, I'll take you home."

The entire venue was in chaos.

Naomi's roommate, Ava Jackson, approached me nervously, fidgeting with her hands. "I'm sorry, Caspian. It's an emergency. I…"

I just looked at her without saying a word.

Ava had been Naomi's roommate for all four years of college, and she knew Luca Brown too. To both of them, he was someone who needed protecting.

But someone who truly needed protecting wouldn't choose the most important day of someone else's life to create a crisis.

I picked up my degree and walked away from what should have been a celebration.

My phone kept vibrating in my pocket, but I didn't answer.

I knew it was Naomi. She would explain and apologize. She would tell me Luca was in danger and that she couldn't just leave him.

After four years together, I knew exactly what she would say.

She had a strong sense of responsibility, especially toward people she believed she had hurt.

During our sophomore year, there was a discussion about financial aid for low-income students.

Naomi, the student council president, publicly questioned some of the documents Luca had submitted because she thought parts of them didn't add up.

Later, it turned out to be a misunderstanding. Luca had simply filled out the paperwork incorrectly.

But by then, he had become the laughingstock of the department, and Naomi had carried the guilt ever since. For two years, it had haunted her.

I used to think helping him was the right thing to do. She had made a mistake, so she should make it up to him.

But today, I finally realized that some of the things she did to make amends had crossed the line.

Back at the dorm, I took off my graduation gown and changed into my own clothes.

I knew Luca had been taken to the nearby hospital, so I grabbed my keys and headed there.

Naomi was exactly where I expected her to be—sitting beside his bed.

Luca lay there with an IV in his arm, pale and weak, his eyes closed.

Naomi held his hand tightly, her brow furrowed with worry.

After a brief pause, I walked toward them.

When she saw me, she jumped to her feet, guilt filling her eyes. "Caspian, you're here. I'm sorry about today—"

"How is he?" I cut her off, looking at Luca.

"The doctor says his condition has stabilized, but he's still weak and emotionally unstable."

I nodded. "That's good."

Then I turned to leave.

Naomi quickly reached out and grabbed my wrist.

"Caspian, please don't be mad. This happened because of me. I can't just ignore him. He's young, his family is struggling, and he has no one. He's already been through enough."

I pulled my hand away.

"Naomi, I'm not angry. I just realized that apparently, a junior you've known for two years matters more to you than the graduation day we were supposed to share."