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Chapter4
Mr. Carter paused, clearly surprised by my request.
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He froze.
I looked him right in the eye. “Chase, Maddie and I are twins. Have you ever stopped to think… maybe the one you liked all along was her?”
His expression shifted. “What? No. That’s not true. If I liked Maddie, why would I date you?”
“Sierra, I’m already yours, okay? You’re not trying to back out of this, are you?”
I held his gaze, heart pounding.
But before I could say anything more, a voice called from around the corner.
“Chase!” Maddie’s sweet, sing–song tone echoed down the hallway. “Didn’t you promise to help. me go over my scores?”
Chase immediately turned. “Yeah! I’m coming!”
He looked back at me, apologetic. “I told Maddie I’d help her figure out her college options. Don’t overthink it. I’ll help you after, okay?”
Then he jogged off.
I didn’t say a word.
All I could do was watch him walk away.
As he and Maddie headed off together, the underclassmen couldn’t stop whispering.
“Chase and Maddie look so cute together.”
“I thought graduation season was when couples break up, not get sweeter.‘
“I heard they’re both applying to Columbia.”
“Duh, they’re totally dating. My cousin was at their grad party last night–he saw them kissing.”
The words hit me like little darts.
So… after I left, they’d gone even further.
I guess I’d made the right call choosing the early admission program.
Once I left, Chase wouldn’t have to keep pretending.
Chapter4
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And I wouldn’t have to watch it anymore.
I headed back to the dorms to pack.
In the bottom of my desk drawer, I found my old journal. The one I hadn’t touched in months.
Page after page was filled with memories of me and Chase–dates, fights, moments that had once
felt unforgettable.
I tore each page out, one by one, and dropped them into the trash.
A photo slipped loose from between the pages–Chase, mid–air during a basketball game, looking
like something out of a teen sports movie.
I bent down to pick it up, but someone beat me to it.
“Whoa–aren’t Chase and Maddie a thing now?” one girl said, holding the picture up.
“Sierra, why are you hiding his photo like some stalker ex?”
Another snickered. “Guess twins really do share everything–same face, same taste in guys.”
“Seriously, get a grip,” a third girl sneered. “Fantasizing about your sister’s boyfriend? Pathetic.”
I snatched the photo back, eyes cold. “Throwing out baseless rumors isn’t just immature—it’s
defamation. I don’t like Chase. And I’m not the type to cling to other people’s leftovers.”
Right in front of all of them, I ripped the photo to pieces and tossed them out the window.
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Chapter5
“Sierra Hayes, what’s your problem?” Chase’s tone held clear frustration.
I didn’t respond. Just turned away, calm and collected, and headed back to my dorm to keep
packing.
He called me–multiple times. I didn’t pick up a single one.
Do Not Disturb mode: on.
When I finished gathering everything, I stepped out of the girls‘ dorm and found Chase waiting
right at the front entrance.
He held out his palm–filled with tiny shredded bits of a photo.
“Explain this.”
Under the sweltering sun, he’d stood there picking up every torn piece. Sweat rolled down his neck, that familiar scent of summer clinging to his skin.
I looked him dead in the eye and said coolly, “I was packing when one of my roommates saw it. You told me not to go public with our relationship, right? So I had no choice but to tear it up. Didn’t want
to cause a scene.”
Chase faltered, clearly caught off guard. Some of his anger drained away.
“I’m not trying to hide you,” he said eventually. “It’s just… not the right time yet.”
“It’s fine. I understand,” I said, keeping my voice steady.
Deep down, I knew.
He was never really mine to begin with.
It was always Maddie.
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Chase clearly didn’t want to argue. He shoved the photo scraps into his pocket and quickly pulled out a few SAT practice sheets. “Here, I got copies of this year’s test. Let’s go over it–I’ll help
estimate your score.”
“No need,” I replied. “Mr. Carter already helped me with that.”
I brushed off his sudden kindness, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and walked toward the
