All Chapters of Don’t Tell Our Parents : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Besides, I already told you Avery is helping me study,” Lael added casually, resting his arm along the back of his chair. “We literally just started two days ago.”Richard fell silent for a moment, his gaze moving between the two of us. Eventually, he gave a small nod.“True. Just make sure you’re actually taking it seriously.”“I am,” Lael replied without hesitation.His eyes briefly met mine, carrying a quiet, knowing look that made my stomach flutter. Under the table, his knee nudged mine again.This time, he didn’t move it away.The warmth of his leg remained against mine, an almost secret touch hidden beneath the table. I tried to ignore it, keeping my attention on the conversation as our parents shifted back to discussing wedding plans.They talked about dates, venues, guests, and everything else that came with planning a wedding. I listened when necessary, occasionally answering a question, but my mind kept drifting back to the quiet pressure of Lael’s knee against mine.Eventu

Monday finally came. I woke up knowing I had lectures by ten, so I jumped out of bed to get ready. I took a warm bath, put on a pair of denim shorts with a tight top, and packed my hair up into a messy bun. After applying a little makeup, I grabbed my bag and opened my bedroom door.At the exact same time, Lael was coming out of his room too, all dressed for the day in a dark jacket and pants.He kind of startled me, making me gasp and jump back a little."You're back!" I said, holding my breath."Yeah," he replied, leaning against his doorframe with that familiar, slow smirk."When did you—""Land?" he finished for me, his dark eyes casually scanning my outfit before settling back on my face. "A few hours ago. Flight got in early.""Oh," I mumbled, fixing the strap of my bag on my shoulder. "How was the exhibition match?""Easy win," he said simply. He stepped out into the hallway, walking alongside me as we headed toward the grand staircase. "You look like you're heading out.""Yea

I pushed open the heavy glass doors of the campus cafe, the rich smell of coffee hitting me right away. I scanned the crowded room and quickly spotted Mal sitting at a small table near the back.The second she caught sight of me, her face lit up with total relief, and she waved her hand to get my attention.I walked fast across the room and slid into the chair right across from her, dropping my bag onto the floor."Avery! Thank you so much for actually coming," Mal said right away, leaning forward over the table. "And thank you for keeping an open mind. Seriously, I've been a total mess all morning thinking you hated my guts.""Mal, please," I cut in softly, holding up my hand to stop her. I looked straight into her eyes, feeling a huge wave of guilt wash over me. "I should have known you weren't the one who did it. I am so, so sorry for dodging your texts and blaming you for everything."Mal froze, her jaw slightly open as she stared at me in total surprise. "Wait... really? You act

"Well, for starters, she was sleeping with my ex behind my back for months," I said, my voice dropping as I stared out across the grass. "And if that wasn't enough, I just found out this morning that she spiked the punch at a friend’s party and literally paid some guy twenty bucks to target me, just to ruin my night."I laid out the whole thing—Leon, the party, the bathroom stalls. By the time I stopped talking, my chest was heaving, the old anger burning hot in my throat.Arlo sat up, running a hand down his face as he stared at me in complete disbelief."Damn... that was messy as hell," he muttered, shaking his head. "Like, insane level messy. I knew Chloe could be annoying, but that's just evil, Avery.""Yeah," I laughed bitterly, plucking at a leaf on the grass. "So now you know why I looked like I wanted to murder her when she ran up to you.""Honestly? You're nicer than me, because I would've slapped her right then and there," Arlo said, giving me a small, sympathetic nudge wit

I grabbed my bag, braced myself, and walked up the long driveway toward the heavy front doors.I couldn't stop thinking about how horrible things had ended between Lael and me at school. My chest felt tight with a mix of anger and regret, and I knew I couldn't just sit in my room and pretend it didn't happen. I needed to confront him right now.I unlocked the front door and stepped into the quiet foyer. Heading straight for the stairs, I noticed a low, heavy bass thumping from the second floor. The higher I climbed, the louder it got, coming directly from Lael's bedroom down the hall.I walked up to his door and knocked hard. "Lael?"No answer. Just the music blasting.I knocked again, harder this time. "Lael, open up!"Still nothing. Annoyed, I reached out, turned the handle, and pushed the door open.The words froze in my throat.Lael was completely naked on his bed, and on top of him was assistant coach Irene—totally bare, gasping as he thrust inside her.A wave of pure shock an