Chapter 13
Maddie froze, thinking she must’ve misread the message.
She read it again.
And again.
Until she had to accept the truth-Chase had broken up with her.
Panicking, she dialed his number, only to realize… she’d been blocked.
After leaving the Hayes house, Chase had been overwhelmed with regret.
He had never imagined Sierra’s home life was that suffocating, that cold.
All he wanted now was to see her, to hold her, to say, “Don’t be sad. I’m here.”
But no matter how many times he called, no matter how many messages he sent…
There was never a reply.
Chase wandered through the city without a destination, ending up at all the places they used to go together-the track where they strolled hand in hand, the library where they studied side by side, the hotpot place they always went to after
exams.
Every corner held a piece of her.
Every memory felt like a punch to the chest.
He hadn’t realized it until now-how deeply Sierra had become part of his life.
Two years together, and she was woven into everything.
Everywhere he went, she was there too-in the shadows of the past.
Back home, he found the journal Sierra had given him at graduation, still sitting by his bed.
[Chase, thank you. I really liked you too.]
[I saw you at the meet, dripping with sweat and pushing through. I guess being a jock isn’t as easy as people say. But
once we’re in college, it’ll all be worth it.]
[I can’t wait for the SAT to be over. Then we won’t have to hide anymore.]
Chase could practically hear her voice in the words. He read the whole journal without realizing it.
When he finally closed it, the silence hit him hard.
He’d never felt so lonely.
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His parents were always overseas, rarely around, barely involved in his life.
But Sierra… Sierra had filled that void.
Now that she was gone, everything felt empty again.
No-he had to get her back.
The day before he planned to leave for the Northwest Institute of Science, one of his friends texted him:
[Bro, we’re all heading off to college soon. Wanna hit up Twilight Bar tonight for one last hangout? It’s a rite of passage,
man-turning legal and all.]
They’d all be parting ways in a few weeks, maybe not seeing each other again until winter break.
Chase figured, why not. So he went.
As soon as he walked in, Maddie appeared-carrying a bouquet of flowers, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Chase,” she said, “I invited all your boys here tonight to witness this moment-us, officially together. I like you too.”
He frowned.
Not in the mood for this.
Without acknowledging her, he brushed past and sank into the couch.
He turned to his friend, annoyed. “Didn’t you say this was just a hangout? Why is she here? You set me up?”
His friend laughed, not realizing how serious Chase was.
“C’mon, we know you’ve liked Maddie forever. What’s the problem?”
Chase’s jaw tightened. “When did I ever say I liked her?”
The group went quiet for a beat.
Then someone blurted out, “Wait, so you don’t like Maddie? You actually liked Sierra-the nerd?”
Another guy cut in. “No way. Everyone knows how Chase treated Maddie-covering class duties, bringing her flowers.
That’s love, right?”
The room filled with chatter.
But Chase stayed quiet.
Since Sierra left, his thoughts had been a chaotic mess.
Every memory with her kept replaying in his head-soft, vivid, full of warmth.
Maddie watched him closely, eyes flickering with something unreadable.
She lifted her drink and leaned in. “Chase, I didn’t know you liked me that much. Thank you. I like you too. Here’s to us.”
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Meanwhile, the guys were bragging to Maddie’s girlfriends.
“You wouldn’t believe it-Chase had Sierra wrapped around his finger. She was like a dog, honestly.”
“She used to secretly follow him everywhere, thinking she was slick. But everyone knows about it.”
Maddie’s friends laughed.
“She was obsessed. And when Chase dumped her, she went and slept with that blond guy out of spite.”
“Smart girl or not, her private life’s a mess.”
“Total embarrassment.”
Chase’s face darkened with every word.
Then-crash.
He hurled his glass at the floor, the shattering sound cutting through the noise.
Everyone froze.
“I was the one with Sierra that night after the SAT,” he said coldly.
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