Joycelyn’s POV
Room 401’s door was slightly ajar. The moment I pushed it open, Nathan enveloped me in a desperate embrace.
His arms tightened around me with crushing force, hot tears falling onto my neck as he buried his face against my shoulder.
“I don’t care that you played me,” he whispered, voice breaking. “I don’t care if your grades were
real or fake.”
“I just want to be with you.”
“Wherever you go, I’ll follow. You’re going to Harvard? I’ll apply to Boston College or Northeastern. We can still make this work, can’t we? Please?”
He tilted his face up to mine, those perfect eyelashes clumped with tears, the vulnerability in his expression exactly like when we’d been alone together all those nights.
He looked beautiful, just as he always had.
I reached out, running my fingers gently through his hair the way I used to after he’d fall asleep beside me. But my words came out ice–cold:
“Wouldn’t Raven be upset about that? You lost the bet, after all.”
The color drained from his face instantly.
“So you did hear us…”
He cupped my face between his hands, his voice unsteady.
“It wasn’t like that, Joycelyn. That was before–before I knew you. I only agreed to Raven’s stupid
challenge because I didn’t understand what I was giving up.”
“But I regret it. I’ve regretted it for months. I finally know what I want, and it’s you. I’m in love with you.”
12:27
Touchdown PLAY: Cheer Queen vs. Quarterback King
63.2%
Chapter 13
“Can’t we just… leave the past behind? Start over?”
His eyes held that puppy–dog hopefulness I’d seen whenever he’d try to convince me to skip another study session.
But I was Joycelyn Quinn. And Joycelyn Quinn doesn’t forgive.
So I smiled softly and said, “Did you catch all that, Raven?”
Nathan froze.
Then his gaze dropped to my phone, screen displaying an active call: “RAVEN GREEN.”
Her voice erupted from the speaker, venomous and unhinged:
“You calculating BITCH!”
“You think you’ve won? Don’t celebrate yet! So what if you got into Harvard? Daddy knows people on every board in this state. Your scholarship can disappear as quickly as it appeared!”
“And Nathan–you actually believe she wants you? She knew about our plan the whole time! She was just using you to get back at me! You were nothing but her revenge toy–a walking sex doll! Now that she’s done with you, she’ll toss you aside like the worthless-”
CRACK!
Nathan slammed my phone against the wall, silencing her instantly.
Rage and terror made his entire body tremble. He opened his mouth but couldn’t form words.
After an eternity of silence, he lunged forward, pressing his lips against mine with desperate
intensity.
His hands frantically worked at the buttons of my blouse.
I didn’t resist.
Didn’t push him away.
Simply let him continue.
64.9%
Chapter 13
This was his standard playbook. Whenever I’d catch him flirting with some girl and retreat to the library, he’d always drag me back with physical affection–as if sex could magically erase every
betrayal.
In Nathan’s mind, there was no problem that couldn’t be solved with a night in his bed.
But Nathan, how could you still be so naive?
His breathing grew heavier as my clothes fell away piece by piece.
And then, everything stopped abruptly.
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