CHAPTER TWO

~RHEA~

I had blacked out from that day.

The last thing I remembered after running out of the stadium was calling my dad while hysterically crying.

It wasn't the silent tears I had grown accustomed to, it was ugly and bitter. The kind that clawed its way out my chest until breathing itself hurt.

Everything else after that was a blur.

I opened my eyes slowly and was met with the familiar beige walls of my room in my father's house which was a contrast to my new room at my mother's house.

For a few seconds, I just stared at the ceiling blankly, praying I could just forget about that night but just like always, reality came settling in.

Chase, Sienna, this kiss, their words…

My stomach twisted violently as I rolled over and buried my face into my pillow. I was tired of crying at that point.

I wasn't sure how long I had been in that room. All I knew was that when I woke up, the pain only doubled.

I couldn't bring myself to turn on my phone after the first night. Chase had called non stop until my phone battery had eventually died.

I was tempted to call him back, to reply to his messages but I couldn't because a twisted part of me feared that if I did, I'd still forgive him and that thought disgusted me more than anything.

A soft knock echoed through the room before the door was slowly pushed open.

Dad stepped in holding a tray of food just like he had done every day since I got here.

He looked exhausted. Not physically but emotionally.

There were more grey hairs in his dark beard that I remembered and the tiredness in his eyes made guilt curl painfully in my chest.

Our family had died way before Lyra even did but her death had been the last straw for my Dad.

Dad couldn't handle the way Mom treated me afterwards. They always argued about it till he packed up his bags and left.

He had begged me to come with him but back then, Mom would cry every night while clutching onto Lyra's pictures as she whispered about how she couldn't afford to lose two daughters so I stayed.

Somehow at sixteen, I had convinced myself that it was my responsibility to save her, take care of her even if it destroyed me in the process.

Dad placed the tray on the bedside table before pulling the chair closer to bed.

“Heather stopped by two days ago to check up on you but you wouldn't let her in. She was worried but had to head off to college and get settled in. We are both worried about you and you barely eat” He told me.

“I'm not hungry”

“It has been five days, Rhea. You keep saying that”

My eyes widened at that. It has been five days already?

I looked away as Silence stretched between us.

Dad sighed as he reached forward to caress my hair.

“You can't lock yourself away forever, sweetheart” He murmured and the softness in his tone brought tears to my eyes.

“Maybe it would be better because I'm tired, Dad.” I whispered brokenly. “I'm so tired”

The words seemed to physically hurt him as he flinched.

He leaned forward, resting his elbow against his knees.

“I understand…”

“No you don't, Dad” My voice cracked as I sat up abruptly. “Everyone leaves eventually, even you” I uttered and immediately regretted it when pain flashed across his eyes.

“You know that's not true. I would never abandon you, sweetheart. You have me”

His words were firm and as I looked at him, I knew he meant every word.

“And you will always have me” He whispered and a tear slid down my cheeks.

“I don't think I want to do this anymore,” I whispered.

“If by this you mean pretending to be okay then no, you probably can't” His jaw tightened slightly. “But if you mean throwing away your entire future away because of a measly boy then absolutely not”

I let out a hollow laugh.

“You don't understand, Dad. Chase and Sienna… They're going to the same college. Do you really expect me to be okay seeing them flaunt their relationship in front of everyone?” I asked.

Westbridge university had never been my choice. That had been Lyra's dream college and never mine but my mother decided that wanting anything different from Lyra was practically betrayal.

She hadn't allowed me to apply anywhere else.

Dad studied me for a moment before letting out a chuckle.

“When you were little,” He began slowly. “You used to come home covered in dirt almost everyday”

I frowned slightly, confused by the sudden subject change.

“People said you were supposed to be a boy because you climbed trees higher than the boys in the neighbourhood. Do you remember how you punched that boy in fourth grade because he made fun of Heather's pigtails?”

I giggled at the thought.

“He deserved it” I replied and he nodded.

“He did but my point is you used to be fearless, Loud, stubborn and wild” His eyes held mine. “You never cared what people thought about you”.

Something painful twisted in my chest.

“That girl doesn't exist anymore” I whispered and he immediately shook his head.

“She does because I can still see her”

I stared down at my hands.

For four years, I had let everyone shape me into someone that was more acceptable because fighting back had felt hopeless but where had that gotten me?

I had lost myself in the process and gained nothing in the end.

Dad grabbed my hand, forcing me to look at him.

“You'll go to college and this time, you'll live for yourself. You'll live for Rhea and have the best time of your life” He murmured and in that moment, something cracked inside me.

Almost freeing.

Maybe I didn't know who I was anymore but maybe there was still a chance to find out.

●

“You are not going there to embarrass this family” My mother had warned sharply before leaving with Dad. “Lyra worked too hard for this school”

I swallowed the bitterness that rose up in my chest as I walked towards the housing office.

I had resumed pretty late so I hadn't really seen anyone moving in along with me. Luckily, I hadn't carried that much luggage.

“You accepted your admission pretty late and unfortunately, all female dorms are occupied”

My stomach dropped as I stared at the woman in front of me.

“What?”

“I'm so sorry dear. Normally we would place you on the waiting list but there might be one option” She muttered apologetically as she clicked away on her computer.

Hope flicked within me.

“There's a student here with a private dorm arrangement,” She continued. “Tecnically the room is large enough for three people even but he requested to stay alone….”

“I'm sorry, he?”

She looked up.

“Yes”

I blinked.

“But I'm a she?” An amused smile crossed her face.

“I'm well aware, Miss Vale. I understand your hesitation but unless you can afford off campus Housing immediately…”

She trailed off and I sighed.

I had spent all my savings on that stupid Hockey stick for Chase. God, I was so stupid.

“I'll take it” I said quickly before I could overthink it.

It was just a guy, what could go wrong?

“It's not easy, Miss Vale” She stated and I frowned.

Oh…

“But maybe if you talk to him, he can make an exception for now till we can get you your own dorm. He's at Houston Hall, third floor, Room 4D”

I grabbed the paper she handed me with a smile and thanked her before hurriedly walking away.

By the time I reached the third floor, my nerves were sky high.

Sharing a room with a guy wasn't just insane but dangerous.

What If he was a psychopath?

There was no turning back now.

I took a deep breath before knocking on the door but got no response.

I frowned slightly before trying the handle and surprisingly, it was unlocked.

Slowly, I pushed the door open and walked.

I froze almost instantly.

Hockey Equipment littered the floor near the entrance while loud music played faintly from somewhere deeper inside the dorm. The room itself was huge, it looked more like a luxury apartment than a dorm.

But that wasn't what caught my breath but the Massive framed poster hanging on the wall.

A Hockey player I knew against my will stared back at me with cold gray eyes, dark messy hair and the kind of sharp features that made Him look unreal.

“Who the fuck are you?” I gasped then turned around so fast, I almost gave myself whiplash.

Standing in front of me with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, exposing His hard Toned muscle and abs was None other than Zander Cole.

Not only had my sister been obsessing over him before she died, she was the reason she had applied for this college in the first place!

Oh I'm fucked!