Caden was clearly shocked by that news and his momentary distraction gave Alora the time to pull away from him.

As she made to open the door and get out of the car, he grabbed hold of her hand.

"Rara."He called.

"Alora."She corrected, firmly.

"I thought you liked me calling you that."

When he started chasing after her, he called her Rara.

Everyone called her Alora.

But overtime, she grown to loved hearing him call her that.

Like a person nickname that only the boy she loved calls her.

But now, after seeing that the feelings were one-sided.

She was the only one who loved him while he was manipulating and playing with her heart.

She hated that name.

She hated his presence.

She wanted to hate him too.

She didn't want to have anything to do with him.

"Don't call me that anymore."

He pulled her back to face him.

"Are you breaking up with me? Did anyone tell you anything?"

Alora looked up at him."Is anyone supposed to tell me anything?"

"Then why are you transferring schools?"

"Did I tell you that this document is for me? It's for my friend." Alora lied.

She still wanted her disappearance to take him by surprise since up until now, he still felt like playing with her.

He looked relieved to hear that.

"Then why don't you want to compete for the Tisch position. With your skills, you're sure to get in."

Alora felt like punching him on the face.

Didn't he say Brielle was more deserving of that spot?

Now he was saying this to her face?

"I just never had any interest in that competition."

He looked taken aback again.

"Caden, I have to go."

Alora wasn't in the mood for his usual confusion game.

"Rara, I want things to return to the way they used to be between us."

Alora stared at him in disbelief.

Hadn't he done enough?

Shouldn't he be happy that she no longer wanted that position?

Shouldn't he jump for joy and go tell Brielle the good news?

Why was he still pretending to like her?

"I should."

Before she could complete that, Caden held her tightly and pressed his lips against hers.

He kissed her, deeply. His tongue traced the seam of her lips until they parted.

Alora tried to fight him but he was intoxicating.

His tongue delved into her mouth, played with hers and she made a small sound in her throat.

He deepened the kiss and slid his free hand over her body.

She moaned into his mouth.

Her mind was almost clouded with a haze of lust and then she suddenly recalled, the words, the humiliation she's had to endure for the past few days.

He didn't love her.

He just wanted to use her body as a cum-dumping site.

He loved Brielle.

She didn't deserved this.

With all her might, Alora pushed him away from her body. She got down from the car and hurried away.

*********

As soon as Alora got to her dorm room, she started to arrange her belongings. She had just finished packing up when her phone rang.

She grabbed a hold of it and saw that it was Caden.

She ignored it. She had to block him. Or better still, she had to get rid of this particular phone number of hers so he'd have no way of contacting her ever again.

She made up her to get rid of it on her way to the airport tomorrow.

Her cellphone beeped, it was a text from him.

Caden: Rara, I know you said I shouldn't call you that but I want to. I feel like I owe you a lot, and at the same time, I do not want things to end between us.

Alora sat on the bed.

What was he up to this time?

He sent another text.

Caden: I really care about you, Alora.

Was he love-bombing her now?

Was having sex with her that good? He was willing to continue this charade even after she had made it clear to him that she wasn't interested in Tisch!

Caden: I've been keeping a lot of things away from you while trying to maintain this image of myself. I realize now that it might not be worth it.

"He just wants to humiliate you even more, Alora." She murmured to herself.

Caden: Please meet me at the lakeside tomorrow, I have something important to say to you. I don't know how you're going to see me after that but you deserve to know everything about me.

Was he going to tell her about the bet?

Alora shook her head.

She didn't want to think about it.

She didn't want to be dragged even deeper into this game of his.

She laid on her bed, trying to sleep and prepare for tomorrow's flight.

Almost an hour later of unsuccessfully getting any sleep, her phone beeped.

She reached for it and stared at the screen.

Surprisingly, it was Brielle.

Brielle and her had each other's number but they rarely communicated on phone.

Curiously, she tapped on the screen and saw that it was a video.

The video captured Brielle, Caden and their friends all having fun at a club.

And then Brielle and Caden started actively making out while the others cheered.

It was the same outfit Caden wore earlier that day when he kissed Alora in his car.

Under the video was a text.

Brielle:I'm back with my boyfriend now, stay away from him, slut.

At this point, Alora wasn't surprised, she had already been disappointed too much by that boy already.

But she couldn't say she wasn't hurt.

She felt hurt and disgusted.

Disgusted with herself for ever getting involved with Caden.

But never again.

They were never going to see each other again!

Throughout that night, Alora couldn't sleep.

She kept thinking about the memories with Caden.

When he would practice her script with her, when he would cover her fully with an umbrella and allow himself get drenched by the rain.

Their first kiss, the very first time they had sex. Her first time was with him.

She could still remember when she laid naked on his bed, nervous and scared while he hovered above her.

He had said these words to her;

"I'll make this special for you and I'll be gentle, I promise, do you trust me?"

He was indeed gentle.

He made her first time better than anything she'd ever imagined.

And after everything, he had given her a bath himself.

He had treated her so tenderly that she started to wish she had met him sooner.

But now, knowing that everything was planned by him hurt.

It absolutely crushed her.

Hell, she had even started to imagine her future with him.

She was so stupid.

**********

By morning, the pain had transformed into something harder that would protect her from ever letting her guard down again.

At dawn, Alora finished packing up her remaining stuff. She ordered a cab to take her to the airport.

Her mother would meet her at the terminal and they would leave tomorrow.

While waiting for the cab, she got a text from Caden.

Caden:I'll be waiting for you at the lake. I'm not leaving until you come.

Alora scoffed.

He really wasn't tired of seeing her as a fool.

She typed one last text to him.

Alora: Whatever we had is over. We're done. Get lost.

With that, she turned off her phone, removed the SIM card and threw it into the bin.

She'd get another number when she got to London. Caden would never be able to contact her again.

She recalled the stuff he bought for her. The necklace and a bracelet.

The bracelet even had their initials, she had thought she'd keep it forever.

Rolling her eyes, she brought them out and threw them into the bin as well.

Nothing should ever remind her of that scumbag!

The cab arrived, she got in and said.

"The airport please."

As the cab drove off, her heart grew lighter.

She already had a good feeling about London, about her new life.

Everything would fall in place for her from now on.

************

Meanwhile, at lake Gada, Caden was still waiting for Alora.

He stared at the lake and sighed.

He recalled when he brought her here before.

They had swam on the lake together, kissing and being all over each other.

Alora was the one person that made him momentarily forget about everyone else.

When he was with her, there was this peace that he couldn't explain.

Last night had given him some clarity as to what he was feeling.

They had played a truth or dare game and he was dared to kiss Brielle.

He had kissed her but for some reasons, he didn't feel anything.

He had always thought Brielle was the girl for him. He could do anything for her even if it meant destroying another girl's life but now that he seemed to have gotten Brielle to want him again, he didn't feel that enthusiasm to be with her as before.

The truth was him and the guys had far worse plans for Alora.

The plan was to record multiple nude videos of her and release them. That would ruin her image, not only in the school but to the full public who were on social media.

That would then make her unable to get accepted by Tisch or any other school.

But the moment he saw her naked body for the first time, he couldn't bring himself to record anything. He felt she was too beautiful for anyone to see, including himself.

He had lied to the guys, he had told them it was because he didn't want to be a part of a sex scandal. Actually, he could have had his face blurred and no one know it was him in the video but that was the easiest lie he could come up with and he was glad the guys had given up asking him about it.

He had a reputation in this school and for so long, he had lived up to it. He kinda enjoyed hearing the guys praise him and wish to be like him.

But now, he didn't know what he wanted anymore. Alora made him question everything.

Caden glanced at the time and stood up.

Why wasn't she here yet?

With each passing minute, he grew more and more uneasy.

When he looked up, he noticed some students had come by the lake.

The flowers in his hand got their attention.

Some started to take picture of him, while gossiping.

"That's Caden Steele, the football captain. Oh he's dress so good today. He's so gorgeous."

"He's holding flowers. They must be for his girlfriend!"

"I noticed he's been standing here for a while. Why isn't she here yet?"

"Let's wait for a little bit. She must be on her way. I need to watch and record such a romantic display."

Caden felt nervous.

The confidence that he had for years was beginning to crack.

He had been at the lake since dawn waiting for her.

Now it was almost noon.

Why wasn't she here yet?

He knew she was mad about something but he wasn't ready to let her go yet!

He had thought he just had to love-bomb her and she'd come running to him, immediately.

It was what everyone did when Caden Steele called.

No one kept him waiting.

No one said no to him.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustratedly.

The crowd, the lake, everything that had seemed like the perfect backdrop for reconciliation with Alora now felt like a stage set for his humiliation.

She had to come.

She had to.

He continued to wait.

Maybe, she'd start feeling bad about keeping him waiting and then she'd come to him.

She always did.

He knew she was very much in love with him.

"Caden."

He turned abruptly but was met with disappointment.

He had been too deep in thought to even differentiate a male's voice from a female's.

He just heard his name and immediately thought that Alora had come over.

But she didn't.

It wasn't her.

It was his friends, Mason, Logan and Chase.

"Are the rumors true? Someone posted online that you've been waiting for Alora since dawn."

Caden's teeth clenched.

Sometimes, it was annoying to be so popular.

"Yeah, I have."He gritted out.

The boys exchanged confused looks and there was something in their expression which made Caden's stomach tightened.

"We thought you were done with her."

"I mean, you kissed Brielle at the club yesterday. Even if it was a dare, we thought kissing her meant you two had gotten back together. We even posted it online."

Hearing that, Caden's eyes twitched.

He grabbed Chase's collar.

"Who posted it?"He barked.

Seeing the anger on his eyes, Chase trembled and couldn't exactly say who.

"Why are you getting mad? You.you said she was no longer interested in Tisch. Why are you still wasting your time on her?"

Caden panted.

He had no idea that video of him kissing Brielle was posted.

No wonder Alora didn't up since morning.

She must be mad at him.

She must be thinking he had cheated on her.

Caden's face darkened and he didn't even know what to say but his friends were putting the pieces together and exchanging knowing glanced.

"Caden.are you.are you genuinely in love with Alora?"Mason asked.

That question hit Caden like a punch on the chest.

Something hot and uncomfortable twisted in his chest and he stared at his friends, speechlessly.

He knew he had to face this someday but he wasn't ready to.

At the very least, not in front of his friends.

"Of course not."He denied even while he looked alarmed.

His voice was sharper than he intended.

The defensive edge surprised everyone including himself.

Seeing the guys not looking convinced, he added.

"This is all part of the bet. For Brielle. It's nothing more, nothing less."

He couldn't let them get the satisfaction of knowing that he had failed.

He hadn't even come to terms with that yet.

Just as he said that, Alora's face flashed through his head and he desperately wanted to see her, even from afar.

"But you said she doesn't want the Tisch position, shouldn't the bet end now?"

"I can't trust her. I think she's suspecting that I'm onto something. She might change her mind and fight for that spot later."

His hands began to sweat as he lied, miserably.

"This is why I still need to be in a relationship with her and I don't need you guys ruining it by posting videos like that!"

Those words weren't only for the boys.

It was more like he was trying to convince himself that this was all he wanted.

This had to be it. It couldn't be because he missed the scent of her hair or her body, or the way her eyes lit up each time she talked about acting.

Or the way she bit the side of her lower lip when she was deep in thought. Or the way she smiled so brightly when she was happy. Or her creativity, her charm, her positive energy, her thoughtfulness, her natural beauty, or the way she makes him want to become a better person, how adorable she was, how it felt to simply cuddle her.

Realizing his train of thoughts, Caden quickly shook his head.

This was all for Brielle.

All for Brielle!