Chapter 7- Moving On…

Paige's POV

Without waiting for Leah, who was probably somewhere in the arena shamelessly chasing after Enzo, I took my taxi back to the apartment.

The fare flashed on my screen, I sighed heavily. There went another chunk of my allowance.

I tap Confirm anyway, after everything today, I wasn’t about to squeeze myself into a bus with half the students who had just witnessed my public humiliation.

As the taxi pulled away from campus, I rested my forehead against the window.

I really needed another job.

Leah’s dad was already doing more than enough. He paid our tuition and transferred us both a monthly allowance without fail. It was generous, more generous than I deserved, and the last thing I wanted was to ask for more because I couldn’t manage my money.

Before exams, I’d been working evening shifts as a waitress at a sports bar. The pay wasn’t amazing, but it covered the little things—cab fares, coffee, textbooks, the occasional late-night cravings. I’d quit to focus on finals.

Maybe it was time to start looking again.

The second I stepped into the apartment, I kicked off my sneakers, tossed my bag onto the floor, and collapsed face-first onto my bed, like a log of wood. I was knackered.

Classes.

The hockey game.

Running into Mike, that two faced bastard I blindly fell in love with and of course, the last person I wanted defending me had to step in to defend me again…

My groan was muffled by the pillow.

Knox.

Knox was insufferable, but the way he’d stepped in protectively between me and Mike as if marking me as……

The way he had kissed…..

“Enough Paige! Stop thinking about him!” I screamed into my pillow.

He was still the same annoying jerk who’d spent most of my childhood inventing new ways to get under my skin.

The same idiot who used to hide my backpack.

Who’d stolen my lunch money once and spent it on ice cream. The same person who disliked me been friends with his sister.

My lips twitched.

I frowned harder.

Why was I smiling?

I wasn’t smiling.

I refused to smile because of Knox Donovan.

Especially not after the stunt he’d pulled outside the arena.

Condescending jerk.

I buried my face back into the pillow.

“He's still a bully,” I muttered.

Still insufferable.

I let out a sigh and closed my eyes. Sleep took me almost instantly.

A pillow hit me square in the face.

I groaned.

“If the apartment isn’t on fire, I’m sleeping.”

“Oh, it’s not.”

Leah’s voice carried way too much excitement for someone who’d just assaulted me with a pillow.

I cracked an eye open.

She stood in my doorway with a grin that could only mean trouble.

“What?”

“You left.”

“I know.”

“You didn’t even wait for me.”

I hugged my pillow tighter.

“I was in a hurry. I had notes to catch up on.”

Leah folded her hands under her chest, looking at my face intently. From the looks she was giving me, she didn't believe me at all.

“Please.” she rolled her eyes.

“What?”

“You were avoiding Knox.”

“I was not.” I replied with a shrug on my shoulders.

“Paige, you practically sprinted out of that arena.”

“I had things to do, I don’t know why you’re making this into a thing.” I said sitting up on my bed.

“Because it is a thing.”

“It isn’t.”

She sighed dramatically “Why can’t you two just get along?”

I stared at her like she had two heads.

“Get along? Your brother made my childhood miserable.”

“Oh, come on.”

“Huh? He hid my backpack, he stole my lunch money, practically always bullied me.”

“He bought you ice cream with it.” Leah scoffed.

“My own lunch money!” I exclaimed

Leah shrugged.

“He still shared.”

I threw my pillow at her. “You’re unbelievable.”

She laughed, falling on the bed in resignation

“I’m just saying… he’s different now.” she said, her eyes fixated on the ceiling.

“I noticed.”

“You did?”

“He became taller.”

Leah burst into laughter.

“I was talking about his personality.”

“I wasn’t.”

She shook her head, still smiling.

“You are impossible.”

“So is your brother.”

For a second, neither of us spoke.

Then Leah suddenly gasped.

“Oh!” She sat upright so fast I nearly got hit in the face.

“What now? Did Enzo finally realize you’re the love of his life?”

She gasped.“No, but……He smiled.

I blinked “At you?”

“Hmmm…In my direction.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped me. “Oh my God.”

“I’m serious!”

“He was probably smiling because his team won.”

“He looked at me.”

I laughed harder. “You are actually delusional.”

She picked up my stuffed teddy bear and threw it at me.

“You’re a terrible best friend” she said, dropping back to the bed

“But you really should’ve stayed. The second you left, every girl in that arena surrounded me.”

I frowned. “What?”

“They wanted Knox’s number.” She held up a finger. “Or his I*******m.” Another finger “And they wanted to know if he was single. Can you believe one girl actually asked me if I could set them up?”

I laughed.

“So, did you?”

“Absolutely not, I'm not going to be dragged into the mess that's my brother's love life”

I laughed softly “You are so dramatic”

“I'm serious. And for the record…” She pointed a finger at me. “None of my friends are allowed to date my brother either.”

I barked out a laugh.

“Trust me, that’s one rule I’ll never break.” A flicker of guilt twisted in my stomach.

That stupid kiss flashed through my mind.

It was a mistake.

“Good.”

“I’d rather fail all my classes.” A mistake that was never going to happen again.

“See? This is why we’re best friends.” She bumped my shoulder.

“Oh, and before I forget…” she said standing up

She was already halfway to the door.

“The team is throwing a party tonight.”

“…Okay?”

“We’re going.”

I frowned.

“Leah—”

“Don’t start.”

She pointed a warning finger at me.

“I’ve already picked your outfit, and you can't avoid Mike forever.” She grinned.

“See you in 30minutes, Paige.”