All Chapters of The Guy Who Lives Next Door : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Ruby learned the sound of a trap before it snapped.It was the way Brielle smiled too sweetly when she volunteered to “help,” the way a few heads turned before the teacher even finished the sentence, the way the room seemed to lean forward like it wanted a show.It was third period—Civics. The class where discussions turned into performances and opinions became weapons. Mr. Calder stood at the front, shuffling papers.“Today,” he said, “we’ll be doing short, impromptu presentations. Two minutes. No notes. I’ll call names.”Ruby’s stomach tightened. She was fine with speaking—usually. But lately, anything that put her in front of people felt like standing under a spotlight with no way to blink.“Brielle Fontaine,” Mr. Calder said.Brielle rose gracefully, already smiling. She spoke smoothly about community responsibility and image—about how perception shaped reality. She didn’t look at Ruby once.But Ruby felt every word aimed at her.When Brielle finished, polite applause followed. Mr

Ruby didn’t sleep.She lay on her back staring at the ceiling, the glow of her phone burned into her vision long after she locked the screen. Every time she closed her eyes, the same words resurfaced.Why she really left.Her chest tightened.By morning, the gossip app had doubled its traffic. The post hadn’t revealed anything yet—but that was worse. Speculation filled the gaps like poison gas.She walked into school braced for impact.Whispers followed her again, but they felt different now. Less sharp. More curious. Like people were waiting for permission to decide what to think of her.Ruby ignored them until lunch, when she finally cracked.She didn’t sit in the cafeteria.Instead, she led Lila and Zara to the empty courtyard behind the arts wing—a forgotten space with chipped benches and overgrown ivy. It felt safer there. Quieter.“Okay,” Lila said gently, dropping her bag. “You don’t have to say anything. But you look like you’re carrying a bomb.”Zara nodded. “And we’re alread

Ruby found Theo in the library after school.He always chose the same corner—third table from the window, back turned to the main aisle, books stacked neatly but unread. It wasn’t avoidance exactly. It was strategy. Like he preferred to see the room without being seen himself.Today, though, he looked tense.He glanced up the moment she approached, dark eyes sharpening. “You shouldn’t be here.”Ruby stopped short. “Excuse me?”Theo sighed and closed the book in front of him. “I mean—people are watching you more than usual.”“People have always been watching me,” Ruby said, pulling out the chair across from him. “The difference now is I’m done pretending I don’t notice.”Theo studied her for a long second, then nodded slowly. “Okay.”She leaned forward. “Brielle cornered me today.”His jaw tightened. “I figured.”“And Kai defended me.”Theo’s fingers stilled on the edge of the table. “I know.”That made her pause. “How?”Theo exhaled. “Because when Kai Kingston shifts the balance, ever

And silence was safer than honesty.because silence didn’t disappoint people.It didn’t get twisted into headlines, gossip posts, or boardroom leverage.Or neither did it give anyone something to use against him.So he’d built himself out of it.Standing alone on the edge of the football field, long after practice had ended and the sun had dipped low enough to bleed orange across the bleachers, Kai let the quiet settle around him. His phone buzzed nonstop in his pocket—texts from friends, notifications from the gossip app, his mother’s assistant reminding him about a dinner he wouldn’t attend. But he just ignored it.Ruby’s voice still echoed in his head.You don’t get to care now.He dragged a hand down his face, jaw tight.She didn’t know how close she’d been to the truth.The Kingston house had never felt like a home.It was too big, too clean, too quiet. A place designed to impress guests who never stayed long enough to notice the emptiness echoing through the halls.Kai had grow

The rooftop door was unlocked.Ruby didn’t know why that surprised her. Maybe because everything else lately felt sealed shut—truths, people, chances. She pushed the heavy metal door open and stepped into the cold night air, letting it slam quietly behind her.The city stretched out in front of her, endless and glowing. Lights blinked from windows and streetlamps, traffic hummed far below, and somewhere a siren wailed and faded again. New York never slept. It didn’t stop for heartbreak. It didn’t slow down just because someone was drowning.Ruby walked to the edge and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest.She hadn’t cried when Kai told her to stay away from him.She hadn’t cried when the rumors spread.She hadn’t cried when teachers looked at her like she was already guilty.She’d held it together because she had to.But up here, with no one watching—no whispers, no phones, no judgment—something inside her finally gave way.Her shoulders shook first.Then the tears came.Not loud,