Chapter 5 – The Morning After

FREYA.

I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the look on Maddox's face after our kiss. Then I remembered the moment Cassie walked into the library and everything fell apart. I kept wondering what she had said to him after I ran away. By the time my alarm rang the next morning, I felt more tired than when I had gone to bed. I stared at my bedroom ceiling for a long time, wishing I could skip the entire day.

Getting dressed felt like the hardest thing in the world. My school uniform suddenly felt too tight, and even brushing my hair seemed exhausting. Grandpa noticed how quiet I was during breakfast and gave me a worried look over his newspaper. Draven was already gone, probably meeting Maddox before classes started. The thought made my stomach twist into painful knots.

"Are you feeling alright, sweetheart?" Grandpa asked gently.

I forced a small smile.

"I'm just tired."

"You studied too much again, didn't you?"

I nodded, even though it was a lie.

"You need to rest more."

"I will."

He smiled warmly.

"Good girl."

His kindness almost made me cry. If he ever found out what had happened last night, I wasn't sure I could bear the disappointment in his eyes. I quickly finished my breakfast, grabbed my backpack, and hurried out before he could ask any more questions.

The moment I stepped onto campus, I knew something was wrong. Students weren't talking about classes or homework like they usually did. Instead, everyone stood in small groups with their phones in their hands. Some people looked shocked. Others laughed loudly. Everywhere I turned, I heard the same name over and over again.

"Maddox."

"Did you see the pictures?"

"I can't believe it."

"I knew something happened after the party."

A cold feeling settled in my chest.

Pictures?

My feet slowed as two girls rushed past me.

"The school blog posted everything."

"I've already shared it."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone with shaking hands. My fingers felt clumsy as I opened the school blog. The newest post was already at the top of the page, and thousands of students had liked it within only a few hours.

My heart nearly stopped.

The first blurry picture showed Maddox standing close to a girl inside the old library.

The second picture...

My breath caught.

It was the kiss.

The angle was terrible, and the room was dark enough that my face couldn't be seen clearly. Only the back of my head and my hair were visible. Maddox's face, however, was easy to recognize.

"Oh no," I whispered.

I scrolled through hundreds of comments.

"That's definitely Cassie."

"I knew they would end up together."

"She's finally dating the hockey captain!"

"They look so cute!"

I stared at the screen, unable to move.

Nobody knew it was me.

Nobody.

Relief washed over me so suddenly that my knees almost gave out. My secret was still safe. My brother wouldn't find out. Grandpa wouldn't know. For the first time since yesterday, I could finally breathe.

"Freya!"

I quickly locked my phone and turned around.

It was Mia, one of the girls from my literature class. She hurried over with wide eyes, holding her phone up in the air.

"Did you see it?"

I nodded.

"Everyone has."

She laughed.

"I can't believe Maddox and Cassie finally happened."

"I... guess."

"They've been flirting forever."

"I didn't notice."

"Seriously?"

I shrugged.

"I don't really pay attention."

"You should."

She grinned.

"The whole school is talking about them."

Before I could answer, another excited voice interrupted us.

"Cassie's coming!"

Students immediately turned toward the main walkway.

Cassie walked across campus like she was on a fashion runway. She wore oversized sunglasses even though the sun had barely come out. Her cheerleader friends surrounded her, laughing loudly while students whispered everywhere she went. Cameras flashed from several phones as people tried to get better pictures.

Someone called out loudly.

"Cassie! Is it true?"

She lowered her sunglasses just enough to smile.

"What do you think?"

The crowd exploded with excitement.

"Oh my gosh!"

"I knew it!"

"They're together!"

Cassie never actually answered the question. She simply smiled again before continuing toward the main building as if she enjoyed every second of the attention. Watching her made something inside me ache. She had stolen my moment, twisted it into something else, and somehow ended up looking like the winner.

I should have been happy.

Instead, I felt strangely empty.

The hallway outside my first class buzzed with gossip. Every conversation somehow returned to Maddox and Cassie. Even our professor had trouble getting everyone to settle down. I tried focusing on my notes, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the library.

Did Maddox hate me now?

He probably did.

I couldn't blame him.

Just before lunch, another wave of whispers spread through the hallway.

"He's here."

"Maddox."

I looked up without meaning to.

He walked down the corridor wearing his hockey jacket, surrounded by teammates. His expression was calm, but he didn't look happy. His blue eyes swept across the hallway, almost as if he were searching for someone.

For one terrifying second, I thought he was looking for me.

Then Cassie walked over and slipped her hand around his arm.

The hallway became completely silent.

One of the students finally spoke.

"So... are the rumors true?"

Maddox glanced at Cassie before looking back at the crowd.

"They are now."

Confused murmurs spread everywhere.

He spoke clearly enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"Cassie and I are together."

The hallway erupted.

"No way!"

"I knew it!"

"They're officially dating!"

I stared at him in disbelief.

Cassie beamed beside him, looking more pleased than I had ever seen her.

Maddox's eyes briefly met mine across the crowded hallway. The smile on his face disappeared. There was no warmth in his expression.

Only disappointment.

Then he looked away as though I didn't exist.

Something painful settled deep inside my chest.

Why did that hurt so much?

This was exactly what I wanted, wasn't it?

The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Teachers talked, students laughed, and classes came and went without me remembering much of anything. By the final bell, I was completely exhausted. All I wanted was to go home, lock my bedroom door, and pretend none of this had ever happened.

When I reached our apartment that evening, I found Draven sitting on the living room couch with Grandpa. They were watching a hockey interview on television while eating snacks.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Draven teased.

"I wasn't sleeping,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.

"You look like you were."

"I just had a long day."

Grandpa smiled.

"School gossip?"

"You have no idea,” I replied.

Draven laughed.

"I actually do."

I froze.

"What?"

"The whole campus is talking about Maddox."

I forced myself to stay calm.

"Oh."

"He called me this afternoon."

I swallowed hard.

"He did?"

"Yeah."

Draven grabbed another handful of chips.

"His parents had to leave town for work this morning."

I nodded slowly.

"Okay."

“And some renovation works will be going on at theirs as well.”

I blinked.

"What?"

"So they're fixing everything while his parents are away."

I frowned, not understanding why he was telling me this.

"So?"

Draven smiled as if it were no big deal.

"So, until they get back..."

He pointed toward the empty guest room down the hallway.

"Maddox's going to be staying here with us."

The room suddenly felt too small.

The smile disappeared from my face as my heart dropped straight into my stomach. Yesterday, all I had wanted

was to get away from Maddox DeLuca and forget that the library had ever happened. 

Now fate had played the cruelest joke imaginable. 

The one person whose eyes I couldn't bear to meet was about to live under the same roof as me, and there was absolutely nowhere left to hide.