All Chapters of CRAVING THE BAD BOY: Chapter 101 - Chapter 108

Ariana POVI did not sleep. I tried. I closed my eyes. I turned on my side. I turned again. I held my pillow. I even counted numbers like people say helps. Nothing worked. Every time I started to drift, something pulled me back. A thought. A memory. A feeling. Nick’s face.The way he looked at me last night. The way he said nothing when I needed him to speak. By morning, I gave up. I sat up slowly and reached for my phone. My heart was already beating fast, like it knew something before I did. I unlocked the screen. And everything hit me at once. Notifications. Messages. Mentions. My name. His name. Our names. Together. I frowned. "What…?"I opened one. Then another. Then, I saw it. The video. My hand froze. For a second, I didn’t press play. Because something inside me already knew. But I still tapped it. It started. Music. People. Lights. Nick. My breath caught immediately. He looked perfect. Dressed like something out of a dream. Clean. Calm. Controlled. Like nothing messy had ever

Ariana POVI did not cry when I left. That surprised me. I thought I would break down the moment I stepped out of the café. I thought I would not be able to breathe. I thought I would call him back. But none of that happened. I just walked. One step. Then another. Then another. Until the noise behind me faded. Until the air felt different. Until it was just me.My chest still hurt. But it was quieter now. Like the pain had settled somewhere deep instead of screaming at the surface. "Okay," I whispered, as I stared at the main road. Cars passed. People moved. Life continued. Nothing stopped because my world just shifted. And somehow, that made it easier. Because if the world did not stop…Then I would not either. By evening, I made a decision. I was not staying in my room. I was not hiding. I was not going to sit there and scroll through videos of him and Laura. No. Not tonight. I stood in front of my closet for a long time. Just staring. Then my eyes landed on it. The dress. Black. Si

Ariana POVI did not expect to laugh. Not today. Not after everything that happened. But somehow, I did. It came out small at first. Then a little louder. And for a moment, I forgot. Forgot the video. Forgot the ring. Forgot the way Nick looked at me when he said nothing."That’s better."I looked up. He was still there. The same guy from earlier. Standing across from me with a calm look on his face. Like he already knew something I didn’t. I crossed my arms slightly. "You again."He shrugged. "I never left."That made me pause. "You’ve been here this whole time?""Most of it.""Why?"He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer. Not too close. Just enough. "I like the way you carry yourself," he said.I blinked. That was not what I expected. "You don’t even know me.""I don’t need to know everything."I raised a brow. "That sounds like something people say before they make bad choices."A small smile touched his lips. "Or good ones."Silence, then, "You’ve been watching m

Ariana POVThe question stayed in the air. "Who are you?"I didn’t raise my voice. I didn’t step back. But something inside me had already shifted. The way I was looking at him now, it was not the same. Mark didn’t answer immediately. He just stood there. Calm. Too calm. Like this moment didn’t surprise him. Like he had been expecting it. That made my chest tighten."I asked you something," I said. Still quiet. Still steady. He let out a slow breath. "I know.""Then answer."Silence. The noise around us faded again. People were still walking. Cars were still passing. But it all felt far away. Like it didn’t matter anymore. Because right here, something was wrong. "I’m someone who doesn’t want you to get hurt," he said finally.My brows pulled together. "That’s not an answer.""It’s the truth.""No," I said. "It’s what you want me to believe."His jaw tightened slightly. "You think I’m lying?""I think you’re hiding something."Silence. Then, "So are you," he said.That caught me off g