Chapter14
Silence.
Everyone stared at him, stunned.
Maddie went pale.
Her mind flooded with memories-and Sierra’s words echoed back:
“Whether he likes me or not doesn’t matter. His first time’s gone too.”
Maddie stared at Chase, disbelief written all over her face.
“That night… when Sierra didn’t come home… you were with her?”
Chase looked her dead in the eye. “Yeah.”
Then he turned to the room, voice low and sharp.
“And if anyone here ever dares joke about Maddie again-we’re done.”
With that, he walked out without looking back, leaving behind a room full of frozen faces.
For the first time, the rumors that Chase liked Maddie were exposed for what they really were-just rumors.
It had all started because they were paired up in a party game during a class celebration. Chase had been polite, and the
gossip took off from there.
He hadn’t cared enough to correct it.
Besides, Maddie wasn’t the only one people had paired him with over the years.
Shoving those thoughts aside, Chase went home, packed his bags, and set off for the Northwest Institute of Science.
But because of the school’s high-security policy, he was stopped at the gate.
“No unauthorized visitors allowed,” the guard said firmly.
“I’m just here to see a student-Sierra Hayes. Can you let her know I’m outside?” Chase asked.
The guard shook his head. “This is a secured campus. We don’t release student information. Now move along.”
But Chase refused to give up.
Every day, he stood outside the gates, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
He waited a whole month-and never saw her once.
Eventually, the school issued a formal warning.
[Loitering near campus is prohibited. You must leave immediately.]
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Chase’s own college semester was starting soon, so he had no choice but to leave.
Over the next four years, he messaged Sierra constantly-through iMessage, social media, even email.
He told her about his life, his thoughts, how much he missed her.
And over time, he realized something he hadn’t understood before.
He didn’t just miss her.
He loved her.
He wanted a future with her-something real and lasting.
Every summer and winter break, he returned to the city near her campus, staying close in hopes of running into her.
But she never appeared.
Not even once.
So, during his senior year, Chase applied for grad school at the Northwest Institute of Science.
He studied sixteen hours a day, every day, locked in his room, pushing himself to the limit.
Whenever he got tired, he’d look at a photo of him and Sierra.
He’d imagine what it would be like to see her again.
Finally, in May-just before graduation-he got his acceptance letter.
By August, he stepped onto campus at last.
After four years of lingering outside those gates, he was finally in.
His eyes scanned every corner of the school, looking for her.
Two days passed.
Still no sign of Sierra.
Even in his first class, he couldn’t focus-just kept refreshing the school forum, searching for any mention of her.
That’s when the classroom door opened-and the room fell silent.
A young woman walked in.
Elegant, calm, magnetic.
The other students couldn’t take their eyes off her.
But Chase didn’t look up.
Not until she spoke.
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“Welcome, everyone. Congratulations on getting into the Northwest Institute of Science. I’ll be your assistant lecturer for
the next three years.”
The moment he heard her voice, Chase froze.
His head snapped up toward the podium.
There, standing in front of him, was the woman he had been searching for-
Sierra Hayes.
