Chapter 4 Marissa's smugness was practically radiating off her face. A few more rounds of the game passed, and once again, Marissa lost. This time, the dare was to sit on a guy's lap and complete a random challenge. Without even hesitating, her gaze drifted to Jace again. Sloane couldn't stay there a second longer. She stood up abruptly and whispered to her friend, "I'm gonna hit the restroom," then quickly left the suffocating private room. Inside the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face over and over. Still, the tears wouldn't stop, slipping down her cheeks and mixing with the water. It took a long time before she finally calmed herself enough to decide she was going home early. But just as she turned the corner in the hallway, she heard familiar voices coming from the terrace. It was Jace and his closest friends. "Bro... wasn't that a bit much back there? Sloane looked totally wrecked. Aren't you gonna go talk to her?" "Talk?" Jace scoffed. "So she can break up with me again next week? I'm done." "Well... I mean, you did spoil her too much before. Every time she pulled the breakup card, you just gave in. Maybe it's not a bad thing to let her learn a lesson this time." "Exactly. Once school starts at Northbridge University, she'll be in a new place, knows no one. She'll definitely crack and come find you. Then you can just give her a small out, let her beg for you back. After this experience, she'll never dare to use breaking up as a threat again. It's actually pretty good." Outside the terrace, Sloane stood frozen. It felt like the blood in her body had turned to ice, her limbs cold and numb. So that's what he really thought. That all those times she said she wanted to break up-because she was hurt, disappointed, overwhelmed-were nothing more than tantrums. Manipulation. And his idea of "teaching her a lesson" was humiliating her in front of everyone. Kissing another girl. She turned around quietly and walked away, unseen. The summer night wind blew against her, but it wasn't refreshing-it made her shiver. As she walked, memories started playing in her mind like an old black-and-white film. Chapter 4 18.18% She remembered how the smallest frown would have him rushing over, asking if she felt okay. How, whenever some girl tried to confess to him, he wouldn't even glance at the letter-just turn her down flat and run to her with that proud look, saying, "Sloane, I rejected another one today. Praise me." She'd gotten used to that kind of love. To being treated like she was the only one in his world. But things started changing. When Marissa showed up. That was when he began breaking his own rules for someone else, over and over again. Ignoring her feelings. It wasn't that she hadn't noticed how different he was with Marissa. She saw it. Felt it. She just kept holding onto that last bit of hope. Using breakups as a way to test him, to pull him back. But all it did was make him annoyed-make her look childish and dramatic. Turns out, when you're no longer someone's only one, even your tears are a nuisance. Somehow, she ended up near her apartment complex. As she looked ahead, she spotted a mailman standing outside her building. It looked like the college acceptance letters had arrived. She took a deep breath and was about to walk over-when she saw a familiar figure already there, standing in front of the mailman. Jace. In his hand was one of the envelopes, clearly marked with the logo of Southridge University. And he was just about to open it. Chapter 4 18.18%