All Chapters of The Bad Boy’s Bet: Chapter 21 - Chapter 22

The greenhouse had become our place again.Not every day, but when the weight of the world felt too heavy, when my parents’ packing boxes appeared in the living room or when the fear of leaving became too loud, we found our way back here. Tonight was one of those nights.Rain pattered softly against the cracked glass roof. The air smelled of wet earth and wild jasmine. Dim moonlight filtered through the vines, casting silver patterns across the old wooden bench where we sat.Aiden was quieter than usual. He sat close tonight, closer than he had in weeks, our shoulders brushing. The careful distance we had maintained was slowly dissolving, moment by moment.“I told my parents I want to stay until the end of the year,” I said softly, staring at my hands. “They didn’t say yes… but they didn’t say no either.”Aiden turned toward me. “That’s something.”“It feels like everything is slipping away,” I whispered. “The scholarship. My plans. This… whatever this is between us.”He was silent fo