“Wait—”
She stopped. Didn’t turn around.
“Is there anything else you’re not telling me?” she asked.
The question hung in the air.
Yes. I kissed him. In a closet. And then I let him go down on me. Let him suck me off. And it felt more right than anything I’ve felt with you in months.
But I couldn’t say it. Obviously.
“No,” I said.
She nodded slowly. Like she’d expected that answer but hoped for a different one.
“That’s what I thought.”
She walked away.
I stood in the hallway alone, my hand still tingling from where it had touched Alex’s chest, the taste of him still in my mouth, and I knew everything was falling apart.
Not because Emily had caught us doing something physical.
But because I’d lied to her about something that mattered. Because I’d put Alex above her. Above myself. Above everything I’d worked for.
Because I’d cheated on her and couldn’t even admit it.
And she knew something was wrong.
Even if I wouldn’t say it—she knew.
***
Back in the dorm, Noah was at his desk, headphones half-on, scrolling through something on his laptop. He looked up when I came in.
Saw my face.
“Shit,” he said, pulling his headphones off. “What happened?”
I sat on my bed. Stared at the wall for a second.
“Emily knows we broke into Kingswell.”
His chair creaked as he spun to face me. “Wait... she didn’t know what we were doing?”
“No, because I knew she’d freak.” I ran my hands through my hair. “She’s pissed. Says I lied to her. That she can’t trust me anymore.”
“I mean...” Noah made a face.
“I know.”
“So what now?”
“She needs time. To think about us.”
Noah was quiet for a moment. “You think she’s gonna break up with you?”
“Probably.” The word came out flat. Empty.
