LEVI
The game begins
The hospital corridor was dimly lit, the faint scent of antiseptic clinging to the air as my boots echoed softly against the linoleum floor. I adjusted the black hoodie over my head and shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jeans as I made my way toward the exit, Liam's words still echoing in my head.
"He's losing it," I muttered under my breath, a smirk curling at the corner of my lips.
Liam had looked like a shadow of himself, lying there on that hospital bed, patched-up and bruised like some tragic hero in a stupid teenage drama. His words had been laced with regret and desperation. He wanted me to stay away from Zara. He wanted to fix what he broke. He thought he could just clean up the mess, win her back—or worse, protect her.
But he was too late. The second he broke her in that locker room, the second she walked away with tears in her eyes and mascara streaking her cheeks, the game changed.
And now? I was going to play my part.
Not because I wanted Zara—not at first. I didn't need another girl who thought the world spun around the sun that was Liam Hunter. But then I saw her. Really saw her. That pain in her eyes? It was real. Raw. The kind of pain you don't fake. And I realized something dangerous: Liam didn't deserve to leave a mark that deep on someone like her.
But me? I could turn that scar into a weapon.
I could make her fall again—only this time, for me.
My fists clenched in my pockets as I stepped into the night air. The chill cut through my hoodie, but I didn't mind. I welcomed it. It cleared my mind, sharpened my thoughts. I walked slowly through the hospital parking lot, the sodium lights casting long shadows that danced beside me.
This wasn't just about Zara anymore. This was about Liam. The golden boy. The charming one. The one everyone adored and worshiped. He always got the best of everything—grades, friends, attention… and now, even the girl who used to hate his guts.
Zara. With those sharp comebacks and guarded eyes. That messy bun she never quite cared to fix. The way she walked down the hall like she didn't need anyone. Until Liam got to her. And changed her.
Well, I could change her too.
Make her mine. Make her feel something deeper than what she ever felt for him. And then? Break her the way Liam never could. Watch Liam unravel as I do to her what he did first. Make him feel that helpless rage.
It's cruel, I know. But so is life. And so was Liam when he laughed that day, surrounded by all of us, mocking the very girl who gave him her heart. He didn't care then. So why should I?
The plan was simple: I'd start slow. Just a conversation here. A smile there. Let her think I was different. That I saw the truth in her. That I understood her pain.
And maybe I did—on some level. Maybe there was a part of me that wanted her to heal. But not for her sake.
For the look it would put on Liam's face when he realized he'd lost her for good.
I reached my car and leaned against the driver's side door, staring out into the night. The wind picked up, rustling the leaves on the ground. I lit a cigarette and took a slow drag, letting the smoke curl around my thoughts.
I could see it already—Zara laughing again, but not with Liam. With me. Her guard slowly falling. Her trust beginning to rebuild. The way her eyes would search for me in the halls. The way she'd light up when I walked into a room.
And when the time was right… I'd remind her.
Remind her of the way Liam used her. Lied to her. Humiliated her in front of the entire school. Then I'd be the one she clings to when it all floods back. And just when she thinks she's found safety…
That's when I'd strike.
Maybe it makes me the villain in this story. Maybe I'm worse than Liam. But someone's got to bring the king down.
And I plan to do it with a smile.
After all, this isn't just about revenge.
It's about winning.
And I never lose.
Not when the stakes are this personal.