Chapter4
Lydia shut her eyes. She didn’t want to look at him anymore. She didn’t even want to speak.
Chase sensed something was wrong and started to explain, but before he could, his phone buzzed
It was Sienna Quinn.
He answered, and her shaky, tear–soaked voice spilled through the speaker.
“Chase… what do I do? I’m stuck near your neighborhood. I can’t get a ride home. It’s so dark out here, and I’m really scared.……..
Chase immediately stood, his tone softening instinctively.
“Don’t be scared. Just stay where you are, don’t move. I’ll come get you right now.”
He hung up, turned to Lydia, and said quickly,
“Sienna can’t find a car. I’ll drop her home and come right back, okay? Rest. I’ll be here as soon as I can.”
Lydia kept her eyes closed, offering no reply.
He hesitated for a second, then rushed out.
That night, Chase never came back.
Instead, Lydia’s phone lit up. A new Instagram Story, visible only to Close Friends.
A photo of two hands, fingers laced together, dim car light spilling over them.
Caption. “That craving for touch flared up again. Felt like I was dying. Thank you to the star athlete for saving me tonight.”
Her chest felt as though it had been flayed open, pain so deep it left her numb. She shut the phone off, buried herself in the dark, and let
silence devour her.
The next morning, Chase showed up again.
“Lydia, I’m sorry. I meant to come right back, but the car broke down on the way home. Took forever to fix. Please don’t be mad
His flimsy lie fell apart with every word, and Lydia felt nothing but a cold, hollow ache.
She didn’t call him out. She just quietly ate her breakfast.
Eager to make amends, Chase leaned in with a forced brightness.
“Hey, remember how you said after exams you wanted to check out Eclipse Lounge? I never took you. Let’s go today. Just us. My treat
Before she could answer, he was already tugging her out the door.
Eclipse Lounge glowed with sleek luxury. Inside the VIP suite, the music was low and smooth, the air carrying a faint tang of polish and wealth.
“I know you hate noise,” Chase said, pulling her down beside him. “So I didn’t invite anyone else. Just the two of us.”
He ordered light fruit cocktails and sodas.
A knock came at the door. The server wheeled in a tray of drinks.
Chase’s brows furrowed the instant he saw who it was.
“Sienna? What the hell are you doing here?”
Wearing the lounge’s uniform, Sienna placed the drinks down with a mix of embarrassment and stubborn pride
“Not everyone’s a trust fund kid. I’ve got to work this summer–save up for college tuition.”
Chapter4
Chase cut in without hesitation.
“My family has connections at Northbridge University. I could make a call, get your tuition waived tomorrow.”
“No!” Sienna snapped, shaking her head furiously. “I’ll pay my own way. If I don’t, when the three of us are at the same college, you’ll both just look down on me.”
She set the drinks down firmly and started to leave–when her phone rang.
She answered. Within seconds, her face crumpled. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
Chase shot to his feet.
“What happened?”
“My dad… he was in a car accident,” she sobbed, voice breaking. “The hospital says there’s no room for him…”
“Don’t panic! I’ll take you there right now. I’ll get him a bed–leave that to me.” Chase already had his phone out, ready to make calls.
But Sienna grabbed his arm, crying harder.
“No! I’ve already missed too many shifts this month. If I leave again, my manager will fire me and cut all my pay!”
“I’ll cover it,” Chase said quickly. “Double your wages. Don’t worry about that.”
But Sienna shook her head, trembling.
“No, I told you–I have to stand on my own two feet. I won’t let anyone support me.”
Then, all at once, her tear–bright eyes shifted. Slowly, deliberately, she turned her gaze toward Lydia Rivers.
And in that instant, Lydia knew Sienna had thought of something.
Chapter4
