All Chapters of It Started With A Lie, And Ended With Us.: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

I sat on my seat, swinging gently left and right, my restless body betraying the storm in my head. My thoughts circled endlessly around Justin—like he was the only name the universe had written into my veins. The level at which he possessed me, the way he invaded every corner of my mind without permission, it felt like he should pay rent for living there. Rent-free wasn’t fair—he occupied me entirely.I let out a soft chuckle at the thought, though even that laugh carried a heaviness. Who was I kidding? I wouldn’t charge him a dime. If anything, I’d be the one compensating him—for the endless overthinking, for how much I drowned myself in him without asking if he wanted to be my ocean.My eyes drifted across the room to the empty desk opposite me. It was bare, cold, unwelcoming—but the sight alone pulled another smile from me, wide and helpless. My heart squeezed in a way I couldn’t explain. Was this what madness felt like? I knew I was going crazy. Completely. And yet… I didn’t need

I quickly moved, standing right in front as though my body could shield it, desperately trying to block his view, preventing him from seeing any further. My lips were at the mercy of my teeth, caught and stuck, betraying the nervousness that burned in me.“Don’t… don’t look!” I half-shouted, my voice cracking slightly, brows furrowed in both embarrassment and displeasure.I expected him to glance away, maybe even offer some respect for my frantic plea. But no—he tilted his head to the right instead, raising a single brow with the kind of infuriating calm that made my stomach twist. The sight of it was enough to make me choke on air. How could he make me feel this embarrassed without even trying?Worse? My pants were neatly hung inside the closet, exposed like a secret I didn’t mean to reveal. The thought of him seeing them—seeing that—made my skin prickle with heat.“H-have you no respect for ladies’ stuff?” I stammered out, my voice cracking under the weight of humiliation.Then, I sa

Every second that passes feels so intimate, so nurturing, and so priceless. With each breath, with each quiet glance, I find myself falling deeper into something I can’t quite name, but it wraps itself around me like warmth on a cold night. We grow closer than we were before, and we learn countless little things about each other — things that seem insignificant to the world, but to me, they are treasures.Now, I know that Justin doesn’t like green beans and that white paper somehow causes him allergies. Such tiny details, yet they feel like secrets entrusted only to me.The food he loves most? Italian dishes. His absolute favorite form of protein? Seafood — sea meat, as he calls it, with that boyish sparkle in his eyes whenever it’s served before him.As I walked into the restaurant that afternoon and placed our order, I couldn’t help but think of all the things we could do together, all the possibilities now that we no longer have to hold back. Not necessarily intimate things, but th

I stepped out of the bath, skin still warm and damp from the steam, and hung my towel carefully on the stand next to the door. Droplets slid down my back as I ran my fingers through my hair, letting the strands fall freely to my face. Lately, I have grown used to keeping it that way whenever we are at home. It was easier to let the trimmed locks cover my features, hiding me just enough so he couldn’t read me too easily. If he wasn’t paying close attention, he wouldn’t be able to predict the expressions I tried so hard to keep masked.My stomach grumbled loudly, a deep ache rolling through me, reminding me just how hungry I truly was. Even though I had eaten lunch, it felt as if I hadn’t had a proper meal in two days. I ate more than I should most times, not that I was complaining—if anything, it was a small comfort I could cling to. Still, I couldn’t ignore the truth. My body had been shrinking, weight dropping from me like sand through an open fist. Gaining some back wouldn’t be a ba

He had a small bag he'd packed from home, neatly tucked by his side. Inside were various snacks, carefully arranged as if each one had its own little place. I didn’t picture Justin as someone who ate snacks often, and even when he bought them, I would catch myself imagining what it would look like to see him actually enjoy them. There was something strangely captivating about that thought, though I would never admit it aloud.I pretended not to notice him working his way through the bag. He pulled out a pack of crackers and, with that faint, hesitant smile he always wore, offered them to me.I wanted to take them—oh, how I wanted to—but my mood was too sour, too prickly to let myself accept anything from him. So, I quietly ignored him, acting as if he hadn’t done anything at all.“Is that crackers?” Monica whispered from behind, craning her neck to peek above our seat.“Yes,” Justin replied softly.“Wow… I love crackers!” she exclaimed, eyes lighting up. “I can’t remember the last tim