All Chapters of His Favorite Hate: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Vee – Age 8 I don’t remember the first time Xavier Knight looked at me like I was the punchline of a joke only he understood. But I do remember the first time he said it. “Ugly Vee.” Three syllables. That’s all it took to make my stomach twist and my chest burn. We were in third grade. It was raining. Not the soft kind of rain you see in movies—the kind that feels romantic and gentle. No, this was cold, angry, mud-churning rain. The kind that turns playgrounds into war zones and sneakers into heavy, soggy nightmares. I was standing at the edge of the school steps, hugging my backpack like a life raft, my purple cat socks soaked through. I loved those socks. My mom bought them for me after my hamster died. They were soft, fuzzy, and somehow comforting—like a shield. But that day, they were dripping and disgusting. That’s when Zay stepped into the puddle right next to me. I didn’t even see him coming. One stomp, and the icy splash hit my shins. Mud streaked up my jeans, an

There was no logical reason for my stomach to be in knots. This was supposed to be the first day of the rest of my life. New city. New start. New me. Westbridge University stood like a castle of opportunity: ivy-covered, wide walkways, smiling freshmen lugging boxes and dreams. My roommate had already texted me three selfies and two cat memes. I had three sharpened pencils, a hot pink planner, and zero tolerance for anyone who reminded me of the past. Especially him. I hadn’t seen Xavier Knight in five months. Not since high school graduation when he smirked at me across the gymnasium stage like he knew I’d still be thinking about him. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t. I hadn’t been since the day I blocked him on every social media account I had. Which, for the record, was incredibly satisfying. Watching his stupid, brooding profile disappear from my life felt like finally scraping the gum off the bottom of my shoe. So when I walked into the crowded lecture hall that morning, the

Vee’s POV College was supposed to be my fresh start—the place I could finally breathe without looking over my shoulder. A place where I could forget about Xavier “Zay” Knight and all the years of torment he’d put me through. But fate? Apparently, fate had a wicked sense of humor. Because the second I stepped onto campus and saw him sitting like he owned the place, that whole dream shattered. I thought if I avoided him—changed my classes, took the long way around the library, even skipped the usual coffee shop—maybe he’d just disappear. Maybe he’d finally get the hint. Wrong. Zay was everywhere. Like some bad penny that kept turning up, only with better hair and tattoos now. I tried to convince myself it was all in my head. Maybe I was just paranoid. But every time I rounded a corner, there he was. Leaning against a wall with that cocky smirk. Sitting two tables away in the cafeteria. Walking behind me like a shadow I couldn’t outrun. It was exhausting. Every day felt like a c

Vee’s POV I never wanted to be the center of attention. Especially not at the campus coffee shop, where everyone was either trying to look cool or drowning in their own stress with a giant cup of caffeine. But somehow, fate always had a way of throwing me right into the spotlight — usually in the worst possible way. That day, I was on my way to meet a study group when I spotted him. Zay. Standing by the counter, leaning like he owned the place, his trademark cocky smirk firmly in place. The sight of him twisted my stomach into knots — not the kind that faded away easily. I tried to avoid him. I told myself I’d just slip past quietly, maybe order a coffee from the corner, and disappear before he noticed. But of course, it never worked like that. No matter how many times I thought I could outrun him, he was always there — right where I least wanted him. As I rounded the corner, heart racing, I didn’t see him step forward. Our collision was sudden and messy — my coffee cup tipped, sp

Zay’s POV College was supposed to be a fresh start for Vee. A place where she could finally breathe without the constant shadow of her past—especially me. But the moment I saw her walking across the quad that afternoon, headphones on, books pressed tight to her chest, something twisted inside me. She wasn’t the scared girl from grade school anymore. No, she had grown into someone stronger, fiercer—and yet, here I was, still the asshole who had made her life miserable for years. I followed her to college because I never stopped thinking about her. Because somewhere deep down, I wanted to protect her, even if I had to wear the mask of the villain to do it. I never imagined I’d care this much. Never thought I’d risk everything. That day, after psych class, I saw her slipping away to the student lounge, headphones drowning out the world around her. I sat a few feet away, my heart pounding like a war drum, trying to find the courage to talk to her—really talk. Finally, I cleared my thr