LIAM
I saw it happen from across the room.
The slap.
Sharp. Clean. Brutal.
Kaylee's hand across Beatrice's face echoed even over the cafeteria noise. Phones were already out, kids whispering, gasping, watching the queen of the school take a public blow—literally and socially. And who delivered it?
The quiet one. Zara's best friend.
I should've looked away. Should've gone back to the conversation Matteo and Levi were trying to drag me into about weekend plans or some basketball strategy I didn't care about.
But my eyes were glued to her.
Zara.
She was sitting at the table like she couldn't believe what just happened. Then she laughed. The sound hit me like a sucker punch to the chest. God, I hadn't heard her laugh like that since… since before I ruined everything.
Since before I laughed at her behind closed doors.
I looked down at my tray, the food now cold and untouched. Everything in me churned.
It had been two weeks. Fourteen miserable days of pretending. Of hanging around Beatrice and the others like their world hadn't already turned to ash in my hands. I kissed her in the hallway this morning, hoping it'd make me feel something—anything other than guilt—but when I looked up and saw Zara, it was like the air got sucked out of the building.
She saw.
She saw everything.
And the part that crushed me most?
She didn't cry.
Not then. Not in front of anyone. Not for me.
She just walked past like I didn't exist. Like she'd erased me.
And somehow… that hurt more.
I shifted in my seat now, the laughter from the far table still ringing in my ears. Kaylee had her arm around Zara's shoulders, and Nick was next to them with a look that screamed touch her again and I'll end you.
I hated that he got to protect her now. I hated that I was the one she needed protecting from.
"She's probably gonna make you pay for that," Matteo muttered beside me, finally snapping me out of my spiral.
"Who?" I asked, though I already knew.
"Beatrice. You just sat here and watched your 'girlfriend' get humiliated and didn't even say a word."
"She's not my girlfriend," I said, sharper than I meant to.
Matteo raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled the entire hallway this morning."
Levi chuckled under his breath. "Guess it's true what they say—karma's got a loud slap."
"Shut up," I muttered.
But the words stayed with me.
Karma.
No. This wasn't karma.
This was me unraveling.
The worst part was I couldn't even hate Kaylee for what she did. She was right. Beatrice had it coming. Hell, if I were honest with myself, I kind of admired her for finally standing up.
Because I couldn't even stand up for the one person who looked at me like I was more than what I pretended to be.
I thought of the bracelets. The pictures still on my phone. The way she'd whispered "that was my first kiss" like it meant something.
It had meant something. To her.
And now… it meant regret.
"Are you gonna say something?" Levi asked suddenly, flicking a fry at me. "You've been in zombie mode all week. If you're gonna keep sulking over your mess-up, at least do it where it's not depressing everyone else."
I clenched my jaw. "You're the one who told me to play the game."
"No," Levi said, leaning forward, his voice lowering. "I told you to stop playing once I saw it got real for you. You're the one who didn't listen."
I didn't reply.
What was there to say? That I'd messed up worse than I'd thought? That watching her today—laughing with her real friends—felt like someone was scraping glass across my ribs?
I pushed my chair back and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Matteo asked.
"Anywhere but here."
I didn't look back.
Couldn't.
Because I knew if I saw her again, I'd want to say something. Apologize. Beg.
And I no longer had the right.