Chapter19
Sierra froze for a second, then quickly averted her eyes from Rowan’s gaze.
“Thanks for the pineapple cake, Rowan,” she said, wiping her hands with a napkin. “I should get going.”
She turned on her heel, trying to escape.
Rowan chuckled softly behind her. “What? I’m not going to do anything to you. I told you, you don’t need to feel pressured. I’m sorry if I did anything wrong.”
His easygoing tone made it even harder for Sierra to respond.
She had figured it out by the second half of her senior year–Rowan liked her. He always brought her snacks, stayed up late helping her with research, and even fine–tuned data for her.
But once a heart’s been shattered, it’s hard to offer it up again.
Especially for someone like her, who had never experienced normal affection–not from family, not from anyone.
So whenever Rowan got too close, her instincts screamed: run.
Rowan leaned in a little, lowering his head so their eyes met. “Hey, what’s wrong? You’re not mad, right?”
Then he made a silly face.
Sierra couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Rowan laughed along with her.
“Rowan, I just…” She hesitated.
He gently patted her shoulder. “It’s my fault. You don’t need to explain. I just–when I saw that guy earlier, I kinda lost it.”
He could tell something was off between them.
And deep down, a flicker of fear crept in.
He was afraid Sierra might rekindle something with her ex.
After all, guys had been chasing her all through college, and she turned down every single one of them.
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He’d thought that if he just stayed by her side long enough, one day she’d finally see him.
But now, with her ex suddenly showing up again, that hope felt shaky.
Sierra knew what Rowan was worried about.
She lowered her gaze. “There’s no way I’d ever get back with him.”
Whatever they had–her and Chase–it was like two lines that were never meant to cross again.
They’d long since gone in opposite directions.
As for what she and Rowan had? She still didn’t know.
“Anyway… if there’s nothing else, I’m heading back,” she said quietly.
Sierra didn’t want to waste more energy thinking about feelings.
She turned and left.
Rowan watched her hurried steps, but didn’t call her back.
He knew Sierra was like a nervous hedgehog–every inch of her armored with thorns.
The second someone stepped closer, she’d retreat, bristles up, ready to defend herself.
And maybe that was what scared him the most.
What kind of pain had she gone through to become like this?
He hadn’t wanted to dig into her past before.
But now that Chase Walker had reappeared… maybe it was time.
Later that night, Sierra grabbed a bowl of beef noodles from the dining hall, then went back to the
lab to organize her experiment data. She didn’t return to the dorm until the sky turned completely
dark.
But the moment she reached her building, she spotted a figure lurking outside in the shadows.
She already knew who it was before she even got close.
Chase.
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Again.
Her brows pinched in frustration. She shot him a look and started walking up the stairs, but he stepped in front of her, blocking the way.
“Sierra, can we please talk?” he pleaded.
He was convinced–she hadn’t fallen for someone else, and he hadn’t cheated. So clearly, something else had gone wrong between them.
And if it was just a misunderstanding, maybe they could fix it.
“Move,” Sierra said coldly. She clearly had no intention of entertaining him.
Chase’s heart sank at the emptiness in her eyes.
Desperate, he begged, “Please, Sierra… just talk to me. Back then, you loved me so much. I know you did.”
Sierra looked up and stared straight into his eyes.
“That night after the SATs… while you were in the shower, I saw what’s on your phone.”
Chase froze. His heart clenched hard in his chest.
But before he could speak, Sierra delivered the blow.
“I was just a stand–in. A test run. Someone to practice on until you could get the real thing–Maddie
Hayes.”
Chapter19
