All Chapters of Rejected by One, Wanted by Another : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Lucy spent the afternoon sleeping. The stress of the morning call and the hangover from the night before had exhausted her. When she finally woke up, the sun was beginning to set. Her head felt clearer, but she remembered had dinner with Adrian.She stood in front of her small closet and looked at her options. Usually, she would spend an hour picking a dress that Adrian would approve of… something expensive, tight, and striking. Today, she didn't have the energy. She reached for a simple, navy blue A-line dress that reached her knees. It was plain and comfortable. She brushed her hair until it was straight, skipped the heavy makeup, and only applied a bit of lip balm. She didn't want to stand out. She just wanted the night to end.Just as she reached for her purse to head out, the door to the room swung open. Zoe walked in, looking slightly out of breath. She was wearing a new silk blouse and carrying several shopping bags."Oh, you’re still here," Zoe said, tossing her bags onto her

The walk back to the dorm was a struggle. She kept her shades on even as she walked through the hallways of the residence hall. She just wanted to crawl under her covers and disappear until Monday.She pushed open her door and dropped her bag on the floor. Zoe wasn't there, she kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of her bed, reaching up to rub her sore neck. She reached for her pillow, ready to sink into a nap, when her phone rang on the mattress.Her heart skipped. She looked at the screen. It was Adrian. She considered letting it ring, but the thought of him showing up at her door in a rage was worse. She answered on the fourth ring."Hello?""Pack a bag," Adrian said. He didn't say hello. He sounded different than he had in the hallway… calmer, almost cheerful in a way that made Lucy’s skin crawl. "We’re going away for the weekend. I’ve booked a cabin at the Lake Ridge Resort."Lucy sat up straight, her exhaustion replaced by anxiety. "The weekend? Adrian, I have so much study

The drive back from Lake Ridge was long and quiet. Adrian kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other on his phone, his thumb typing across the screen every few minutes. He didn't offer a single word about the weekend or the drive. The car finally pulled up to the curb of the university dorms. "I have a meeting at the firm," Adrian said, staring straight ahead through the windshield. He couldn’t even help move her bag. "I’ll call you tomorrow. Don't look so miserable, Lucy. It was an expensive weekend.""Goodbye, Adrian," Lucy said quietly.She climbed out of the car and dragged her suitcase onto the sidewalk. She didn't wait to watch him drive away. As the car disappeared down the street, she finally felt free. She dragged her bag up to her room, found it empty of Zoe, and immediately changed into a pair of worn-out jeans and an oversized sweater. She needed to wash the scent of the resort off her skin.She hadn't been in her room for twenty minutes when a text buzzed on her

Lucy sat quietly in the library staring at a poem, trying to force the words to make sense, when her phone began to vibrate violently against the wood. She saw her mother’s name on the screen. Her mother almost never called during the day; she preferred long, rambling texts in the evening.Lucy grabbed the phone and walked towards the reading room doors. "Mom? Is everything okay?"Her mother’s sob came through the line. "Lucy... oh, Lucy. You need to come to the hospital Now. Your father... he collapsed in the garden. He’s in the ICU."Lucy felt the world tilt. She didn't even go back for her books, she just ran down the library stairs and sprinted for the campus gates. She stopped a taxi, her voice shaking as she gave the address.When she arrived at the hospital, the private wing felt extremely cold. She found her mother sitting on a plastic chair outside Room 402, her eyes red and her hands trembling."He’s awake," her mother whispered, grabbing Lucy’s arm. "But the doctors... the

Jonathan opened his eyes first. He felt the weight of Lucy’s head on his chest and her soft breathing. He stayed still for a few minutes, watching the way the early light touched her face. He didn't want to wake her, but he knew the risk of her being seen leaving his place after sunrise.He reached down and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead. "Lucy," he whispered. "Lucy, hey. It’s morning."Lucy stirred, her eyelashes fluttering before she opened her eyes. For a second, she looked confused, her eyes darting around the unfamiliar room. Then she saw Jonathan, and the tension left her shoulders. She sat up slowly, the wool blanket sliding down to her waist."What time is it?" she asked, her voice raspy from sleep."Just past five," Jonathan said. He stood up and stretched, his muscles stiff from sleeping on the sofa. "The sun isn't fully up yet. I need to get you back to the dorm before the campus wakes up. I’ll ride you on the bike."Lucy nodded and stood up. She fel