All Chapters of Don’t Tell Our Parents : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Soon enough, the heavy bass of thumping music and flashing colored lights cut through the dark, signaling that we had arrived at the massive off-campus house where the party was already in full swing.Cars were parked along both sides of the street, but Lael smoothly pulled up near the front yard like he owned the place.He put the engine in pack and killed the engine. Before I ever had a chance to reach for the handle, the passenger side door popped open.Lael stood there waiting, holding out a hand with a completely theatrical, exaggerated bow. I rolled my eyes, but since we were officially on the clock, I decided to play along. I slipped my hand into his,letting him help me gracefully step out onto the curb.The second my feet hit the ground, he closed the distance between us, sliding a heavy, possessive arm securing around my waist. His warmth radiated right through the thin fabric of my dress, sending an annoying little shiver straight up my spine.He leaned down so his lips brus

Lael’s gaze didn’t move. He didn’t blink, and didn’t offer Chloe the polite dismissive nod most people gave when they wanted to escape a conversation. Instead, he just stared down at her with a look of supreme, icy boredom, letting her little backhanded insult hang in the air like a bad smell.When he finally spoke, his voice was smooth, deliberate, and loud enough to carry over the bass thumping from the living room.“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Lael said, his tone dripping with absolute certainty. He didn’t even glance back at Chloe as he shifted his weight, his hand sliding smoothly from my waist to gently taking my hand instead. He flashed me a slow, devastating genuine smile that made my stomach do a complete flip. “Come on, babe. I told the Dj to play our song. Let’s dance.”Our song?Panic spiked my chest. What song?! We didn’t have a song! We had known each other for five minutes, and our entire relationship existed solely to make everyone in this room loose their mind

“I guess,” I muttered softly, letting the silence settle between us as the heavy iron gates of the estate slowly parted.Lael guided the car down the long, dimly lit driveway, the engine purring as he cut the ignition right outside the grand stone garage.I glanced at the time. It was already past 11. My mom was definitely fast asleep by now—she’s always been an early sleeper, especially after an exhausting day of moving boxes and playing interior designer.We stepped through the door into the quiet, echoing foyer. The grand chandeliers were dimmed to a soft golden glow, casting long shadows across the polished marble floor.I kicked off my heels, holding them by the straps as my bare feet touched the cool marble floor.Lael leaned back against the heavy mahogany door after closing it behind with a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he looked down at me.“Well, I’d say today was an absolute success,” he murmured, his voice echoing softly in the quiet foyer. “Now we just sit

I swallowed hard, unbuckled my seatbelt, and pushed the heavy passenger door open. The moment my sneakers hit the pavement, it felt like the entire quad went dead silent for a split second before the whispering erupted like a wildfire.Lael stepped out of the driver's side, popping the trunk to grab his heavy hockey duffel bag. Slinging it casually over one broad shoulder, he walked around to my side of the car.Every single eye on the courtyard was locked on us. Phones were out, people were nudging their friends, and the muttering was loud enough for me to pick up pieces of it as we stood there."Is that actually her?""Wait, Avery Sullivan? Since when?!""No way, they looked so real in that video...""She's literally so basic, how did she pull Lael De La Fontaine?""Honestly? They kind of look hot together."A sudden wave of anxiety hit me, making my hands go a little cold. But before I could overthink it, Lael stepped directly into my space, blocking out half the crowd with his ta

I made it to my lecture hall with about two minutes to spare. But the second I pushed the heavy wooden doors open, I realized my quiet life as a nobody on campus was officially over.Head after head snapped in my direction. The low hum of conversation in the room immediately died down, replaced by loud, furious whispering that echoed all the way up the tiered seating. People were pointing, staring, and checking their phones like I was some kind of walking main character in a movie.Yep, definitely popular now.I kept my chin up, pretending I didn't notice a single one of them. But as I started walking down the aisle to find an empty desk, my eyes accidentally landed on the third row.Sitting there in a light pastel cardigan was Chloe.She was glaring straight at me, her eyes narrowed into pure, bitter poison. If looks could kill, I probably would have dropped dead right there on the floor.But I didn't give her the satisfaction of a reaction. I just held her gaze for a split second