Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Bad Boy’s Regret: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

MONICA Jules didn’t care though, he tossed his jacket somewhere on the floor and whipped around to me with this wild grin like he was about to baptize me into bad decisions. “Monica, don’t start,” he yelled over the music, already dragging me through the crowd like some glitter, covered tornado, “you’re not allowed to be emo tonight, it’s illegal.” “I don’t want to be here,” I muttered even though he couldn’t hear me, but he saw my face and rolled his eyes at me so hard I thought they’d fall out. “You’re gonna vibe,” he shouted, “even if I have to drug you with Sprite.” “Very comforting,” I said, grabbing one of the red cups he shoved at me but only sipping the tiniest bit because I’ve learned my lesson with parties, God knows I have scars to prove it. He clinked his cup with mine and then disappeared into the crowd because apparently he saw “the guy,” whoever that was, and he was determined to flirt for dear life. I took a deep breath, trying not to look too awkward standing

GABRIEL But even heaven can knock you out, apparently, because the next thing I remember is her voice calling my name, all distant and blurry, like she was underwater or maybe I was the one sinking. And then? Nothing. Darkness.Just static and regret.When I drag myself upright, I’m sweating and freezing at the same time and my room looks like a crime scene. My shirt is halfway across the floor with this dried stain on it that sends a fresh punch of embarrassment straight into my gut. Fantastic. Vomit. Sexy. Very classy of you Gabriel.I groan and rub my face, wishing I could erase the whole night but keeping that kiss. That one part stays. Burned into my skull.I reach for my phone like it's life support and the brightness almost blinds me but then I see her name and everything inside me starts racing like I’m seventeen and stupid again.Monica: You’re home. I brought you back with Damian’s help and I left a few pills in your pocket. If you wake up with a dying headache, it'll help.

MONICA “I do!” he yelled so loud it punched the air between us. His voice cracked halfway, like he didn’t even care if it hurt him. “I’m not afraid to say it because it’s true! You’re driving me insane, Monica, I swear to God you are. Every single time I try to move on, you show up again with freaking Gabriel and it all comes back and I hate it, I hate how much power you have over me. It's killing me.” He was breathing hard now, words spilling like he’d held them back for years. “You think I like feeling this way? You think I like watching you run into his arms while mine are right here? You think I like pretending I’m okay every time he touches you? I’m losing it. I’m actually losing it, and you’re the only one who doesn’t see it.” I blinked. Hard. The tears kept coming anyway. He stepped closer till his forehead almost touched mine and his voice dropped, raw and broken. “I love you. I’ve loved you since before I even understood what the hell love was and I still do and I regret

MONICA “Are you really with Gabriel?” he asked, voice low. My throat closed. My chest squeezed. I wanted to speak but no words came out. I wasn’t with Gabriel. Not really. Not properly. Not honestly.But I also couldn’t say no. So I didn’t say anything.I grabbed the door handle, jerking it open like I needed oxygen, and escaped before Damian could see the guilt smashing me apart.I didn’t look back. I literally couldn’t because If I did, I’d never leave that room.During lunchtime, I sat at my usual spot in the cafeteria staring at my untouched plate like it was some abstract painting I couldn’t decode even if someone put a gun to my head. Everything around me was loud. There were metal clinks, people laughing, trays dropping, chairs scraping, but it all felt far away, like I was underwater and voices were muffled behind thick glass. My heart still hadn’t calmed down since the empty-classroom moment, since Damian’s hands on my waist, since my brain almost short circuited from one

MONICA The rest of the day drifted in this weird fog where I kept glancing over my shoulder like some lovesick loser expecting Gabriel to pop out from behind a locker or something. He didn’t, not once, not even a glimpse of that stupid hair or the way he always grinned at me like he knew something I didn’t and everyone else seemed normal but I felt like someone had scooped my organs out and replaced them with buzzing bees, all restless and annoying. Classes dragged, teachers talked, Zoey made some snarky comment about me, Damian pretended I was invisible which pissed me off more than I thought it would because I swear just yesterday he couldn’t keep his hands off me in that damn car and now he’s all radio silence like nothing happened and I hated that I cared, God, it was humiliating. When school closed, Julian hooked his arm around my shoulder the way he always did when he was in his silly big-brother mood and chimed, “Let’s get you to work before you get fired for existing,”