After hanging up the call, Alora returned to campus.

She still had an elective that morning: "Stage Management and Movement Performance."

It was a cross-department course shared between drama and athletes.

Originally, she'd taken it to broaden her perspective-and to accompany Caden.

Now, the last person she wanted to see was him. But she hadn't done anything wrong, so there was no reason to avoid it.

She was, as always, the first to arrive in the classroom. Not long after she sat down, a sharp pain struck her lower abdomen again.

The last time she took emergency contraception, she'd had diarrhea for two days. Though she'd braced for side effects this time, she still underestimated how much it would affect her.

Her stomach churned, her whole body weak.

She lay her head on her arms on the desk, eyes closed, cold sweat beading along her forehead.

Suddenly, a large hand gripped her elbow hard, the force sharp enough to send a stab of pain up her arm. She gasped, another wave of cramps hitting her abdomen.

Before she could react, Caden had already dragged her behind the thick curtain at the back of the classroom. Her arm went numb, shoulders tensed, her body trapped in the tight space with nowhere to step back.

She jerked her head up-right into Caden's icy blue eyes.

He leaned in, broad shoulders looming, arms strong, chest taut beneath his athletic shirt, the fabric clinging to every sculpted muscle. Heat radiated from him, the air thick with sweat and mint, suffocating.

His gaze swept from head to toe, pausing on the skirt she wore today. His expression turned cold, voice low and rough with a growl:
"You're wearing this again?"

Before she could respond, he stepped in, chest pressing her shoulder, arms boxing her in, breath hot against her ear, the cramping in her belly drowned out by the suffocating closeness.

"Tell me, you're still thinking about our moment the other night, aren't you? Rara?"

She raised her head sharply, waiting for the cramps to ease a little. Then she pushed his lips away and snapped, "Don't touch me."

Caden sneered, his blue eyes dark, voice a low growl. "That's not what you said last night, Alora."

With that, he moved to kiss her again. Alora immediately began struggling. Just as she thought she wouldn't break free, footsteps suddenly echoed outside.

Voices called out, teasing: "Yo, someone's behind that curtain, right? Who is it?"

"Wouldn't be Caden, would it?"

Hearing the voices, Caden's eyes cooled, jaw tight. Reluctantly, he let her go, stepping back, gaze still locked on her. He muttered coldly, "Fucking buzzkill."

The next second, he yanked the curtain aside and strode out, movements sharp, exuding an arrogant, aggressive energy as if he didn't care about the stares around him.

As soon as he emerged, the guys in class let out a round of whistles.

"Whoa, it's really Steele!"

"But Caden, you didn't last as long as you do on the field!"

Caden swept the room with a glance, blue eyes glinting with amusement, lips curling into a cold smirk. He shrugged casually. "Why so loud? The main event hasn't even started."

Mason burst out laughing. "Got it, got it, just the appetizer, huh?"

"Damn, the drama genius already conquered? Alora's got a killer body!"

"She looks so icy, but I bet she's wild in bed!"

"Our star striker's the champ both on and off the field!"

The classroom erupted in raucous laughter.

Behind the curtain, Alora gritted her teeth as she adjusted her clothes, fury burning inside her.

She took a deep breath and stepped out, pale-faced, just in time to hear the teasing continue. The guys stared openly at her; the girls whispered among themselves, eyes unreadable.

Caden had returned to his seat, scrolling his phone indifferently, not even bothering to look her way.

Her chest tightened painfully, eyes stinging. She bit her lip hard, holding back tears.

Five days.

She repeated it in her mind.

Just five more days, and this would all be over.

The moment the bell rang, Alora stood up, clutching her books, ready to leave.

Her stomach still ached, legs unsteady. She just wanted to rest.

Before she reached the door, Mason called out, "Football party tonight, same spot! Alora, you're coming too!"

Alora wanted to refuse, but Caden's large hand grabbed her wrist again, voice low and commanding: "Let's go. Don't drag."

Pain shot through her wrist, her face paling further, but in the end, she couldn't shake him off.

The party was held at a lakeside villa off-campus, the team's usual spot.

As soon as she walked in, Alora spotted Brielle.

She wore a sleek fitted dress, makeup flawless, calm and poised in the center of the crowd-drawing eyes effortlessly.

Alora, exhausted, pale, and wracked with cramps, hadn't even bothered with makeup. The last thing she wanted was to interact with Brielle.

Caden stood beside her, shoulders tense, gaze drifting unconsciously toward Brielle.

"Damn, who invited Brielle?" Mason muttered.

Logan shrugged. "She's here already. Let's not kill the vibe. Party on."

Soon, someone suggested truth or dare, and the mood picked up.

When it was Caden's turn to spin the bottle, the room buzzed.

"Steele! Be honest-where was your last hookup?"

Caden smirked, blue eyes sweeping the room, flicking open his lighter with a sharp click. His voice was low, with a rough edge: "Drama hall. Prop room."

The room exploded.

"Damn, the drama genius is conquered!"

"Harper looks cold, but she must be wild in bed!"

"Our football king is champion both on and off the field!"

Sitting to the side, Alora gripped the edge of her chair, knuckles white, cramps worsening, sweat soaking her back.

She suddenly looked up, just in time to catch Caden's fleeting glance toward Brielle-eyes icy.

Next round, the bottle pointed at Brielle.

The room went quiet for two seconds.

Mason, tipsy, suddenly shouted:

"Brielle, you and Steele used to date, did he take you to the prop room too?"

The air froze. Laughter bubbled nervously around them.

Brielle's face drained of color. Before she could answer:

CRASH!

Caden shot to his feet, tipping the coffee table with a violent shove.

Beer bottles flew, glass shattering across the hardwood floor.

The entire room froze. No one moved, all eyes locked on Caden's thunderous expression, the muscles in his arms and chest flexing beneath his fitted shirt as his breath came hard and fast.

"You ask a girl shit like that, and you think that's fucking okay?" he snarled, voice a deep, guttural roar.

Bryce sobered up instantly, face pale as he stared down at the mess.

Brielle stood abruptly, her voice unsteady. "I'm not feeling well. I should go."

Without another word, she turned and hurried toward the door.

Caden kicked a piece of broken glass across the room, his jaw clenched tight. "I need a smoke," he growled, storming out after her, broad shoulders tense and fists curled at his sides.

As soon as he left, the tension broke.

"Holy shit. That escalated fast." Derek let out a breath.

"Dude was just joking about his own hookups. Why the hell did he lose it like that?" Logan asked, wide-eyed.

Tyler shook his head, lowering his voice. "You guys really that dense? It's one thing when he jokes about himself. Brielle's a different story. Off limits. You get it?"

The explanation hung in the air. The group went quiet-until they noticed Alora, still seated, her face completely drained of color.

Her stomach clenched, another sharp cramp twisting through her gut.

She pushed to her feet without a word and walked out, legs barely steady beneath her.

At the front of the house, the night air hit her skin like ice.

She rounded the corner just in time to see Caden and Brielle by Brielle's car.

Brielle tossed a small paper bag onto the ground between them. "No thanks. I don't accept gifts from guys who already have girlfriends."

"Come on-" Caden's voice was tight with frustration, but pleading. "Your roommate said you've been sick. I know auditions are coming up, but you can't just ignore it. What if it gets worse?"

Brielle pressed her lips together, gaze unwavering.

Caden bent, picked up the bag, and practically forced it into her hands.

"Just.please. Take care of yourself, okay?" His voice dropped low, almost tender.

Standing in the shadows, Alora's stomach twisted-not from the cramps this time, but from the cold clarity of what she was witnessing.

So this was what different looked like.

Brielle gets a minor cold, and Caden rushes to bring her medicine.

When Alora had been curled over in pain from the emergency pill's side effects, he didn't care, didn't even ask her why she was looking sick.

All he'd wanted was to feel how "hot" her body would be with a fever-or now, how she looked in the same skirt from that night.

One crude comment about Brielle? He'd flipped a table.

But when it came to Alora, disgusting locker room jokes were fair game.

Love versus being used. The difference hit like a fist to the chest.

Her vision blurred with tears as her phone buzzed in her pocket. Mechanically, she answered.

Her mother's voice came through, bright and excited.

"Sweetheart! I booked our flights. We'll leave together next week."

Alora swallowed hard.

"Oh-and didn't you say you were dating someone? You mentioned wanting to introduce him to me. What about your boyfriend now that you're going abroad?"

Across the lot, she saw Brielle pull out, her taillights glowing as the car disappeared down the road.

Caden stood frozen, watching the car until it vanished from sight.

Alora turned away, her voice a faint whisper. 'It doesn't matter. We're done. Caden. I won't love you anymore. Not even a little.'

*******

The next day.

Alora made an appointment at the campus clinic.

She needed to get a physical examination done-international health paperwork, clearance to study abroad.

After everything, she wasn't about to take chances with her health.

By the time she walked out with her test results in hand, exhaustion weighed heavy on her shoulders.

Turning a corner in the waiting room, she nearly collided with two familiar figures.

"Alora?" Caden's voice, sharp with surprise.

She looked up.

There he was-broad shoulders tense, icy blue eyes narrowing-standing beside Brielle.

Before she could respond, Brielle cut in, voice cool and even.

"Caden, I told you. You didn't need to come. I can check in myself."

Without another glance, she strode toward the reception desk, heels clicking across the floor.

For a moment, it was just Alora and Caden left standing there.

His gaze flicked down-sharp eyes catching the stack of papers in her hand.

His brow furrowed.

"Why are you here? You're not." His expression darkened instantly. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

Alora blinked, her pulse jumping.

She glanced toward the clinic signs. Of course. The OB-GYN department was right next to the general check-in area.

He'd jumped to conclusions.

She opened her mouth to deny it-then paused.

A thought slid into place.

She met his gaze squarely, her voice flat.

"What if I am?"

Caden's pupils constricted.
"Are you...?"

For a split second-he didn't hide it fast enough-there was a flicker of something sharp in those icy blue eyes. Not fear. Not concern. Something closer to...excitement.

He wanted this.

He wanted to hear her say it.

Alora saw it instantly. The rush of eager energy beneath the surface.

And then-just as fast-he masked it, forcing his expression into a mock-concerned frown.

"I mean, if something's wrong, Rara... you know you can tell me. I'll help. Whatever you need."

His voice was carefully measured, soft. But too careful. Too polished.

She felt the bile rise in her throat.

The memory of his locker room voice echoed-"If she gets pregnant, we'll handle it."

Handle it for who, Caden? For her? Or for Brielle?

Her skin crawled.

"Don't," she said, her voice cold as ice.

Caden blinked. "What?"

Before he could fake another word, she stepped forward and shoved him hard, flat-palmed against his chest.

"Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. Just stay away."

Her stomach twisted-not from the lingering cramps this time, but from pure disgust.

Without giving him a chance to react, she turned and walked away, her pulse hammering.

She didn't look back.

Caden stood frozen, hands half-raised, staring after her as she disappeared through the clinic doors.

The clinic doors hissed shut behind her.

Alora stopped just outside, the spring air sharp and cold against her flushed skin.

Another sharp cramp twisted through her stomach, but this time, the physical pain barely registered.

What stuck was that moment-watching Caden go still and silent.

The same guy who'd laughed in front of his teammates about "handling it" if she got pregnant-terrified now when she threw it back at him.

Coward.

And not once-not one goddamn time-had he asked if she was okay.

When he looked at Brielle, his whole expression changed-concern, softness. With Alora? Just calculation. Just cold, nervous self-preservation.

'I'll never believe a word out of his mouth again.'

She gripped the test results so hard the edges bit into her palms.

That boy she'd once thought might be her Romeo?

Dead and buried.

'I won't let him touch me. Not ever again.'

She walked faster as she headed back toward campus, each step purposeful despite the dull ache in her gut.

But no matter how fast she moved, the whispers followed.

She could feel them-eyes on her, conversations cutting off when she passed.

Her stage-trained composure held firm, every step controlled and deliberate, the only thing keeping her from crumbling under their stares.

White magnolia petals drifted from the trees lining the path, scattering across the brick walkway.

How many times had she walked here with Caden?

Just last week, he'd plucked a blossom and tucked it behind her ear, leaned down with that cocky smile and whispered:

"Nothing out here comes close to how beautiful you are."

The memory made her stomach churn.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and tightened her grip on the folder in her hands.

The results were clear-no pregnancy, no infections. Elevated stress markers, lingering effects from the emergency pill. The doctor had offered a pointed look, part concern, part judgment.

"Be more careful next time."

There wouldn't be a next time.

Not with Caden.

Not with anyone.

Not for a long, long time.

Back on campus, the brick buildings loomed taller than ever, no longer familiar or safe.

Four more days.

Just four more days. Then I'm out.

Her dorm came into view. She swiped in with shaking fingers.

Before the door even closed behind her, Eve came flying at her, phone in hand, panic all over her face.

"Alora! You need to see this!"

Without waiting, she shoved her phone into her hands.

"Your photos...they're everywhere on the campus app. You know-those kinds of photos!"

For a beat, Alora's mind went blank.

Then she looked.

Image after image-explicit, graphic, flooding the feed.

Her hands gripped the phone tighter. Her gut twisted-not with humiliation, but with a cold, burning rage.

For one sickening second, she wondered-had Caden recorded her?

The nausea hit instantly at the thought.

But as she forced herself to look closer, it became obvious. The photos were photoshopped badly.

"They're fake," she said, her voice steadier than expected.

"None of them are real."

Eve let out a shaky breath. "I know. You've got that birthmark on your thigh. These don't even show it. It's a terrible edit."

But the comments-vicious, disgusting-were everywhere.

"People won't care." Eve's voice broke. "They're already running with it. Alora, wait-what are you doing?"

Alora had already grabbed her phone, her fingers flying across the screen, her heart hammering but her grip steady.

"Calling campus security. Then the police. Whoever did this? I'm going to make damn sure they regret it."

A few locker room jokes? That, she'd stomached.

This was criminal.

And she wasn't staying quiet anymore.

Not now. Not ever again.

She had a damn good idea who was behind it.

Just as she was dialing, their other roommate Fiona burst in, breathless.

"Alora! Your boyfriend's in a fight outside the dining hall!"