2026-09-18 19:25:21
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Chapter 9
Jake barely slept. The dorm room stayed quiet, but his mind did not. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Lily on the bench, then Lily at the pool, then Lily in the hallway asking for five minutes. The three pictures kept mixing until he gave up and sat on the edge of the bed while it was still dark.Sam snored lightly on the other side of the room. Jake pulled on jeans and the same jacket from the day before. He left a short note on the desk so Sam would not worry and slipped out.Campus at early morning felt different. The paths were almost empty. Mist hung low near the grass. Jake walked without a real plan. His feet took him toward the old library again. The bench under the oak tree was empty. He did not sit. He just stood there for a minute, then kept moving.By the time the first classes started, the air had changed. People looked at him longer. Phones came out more often. Someone in the hallway actually said his name and the word “Montgomery” in the same sentence. Jake pretende
Chapter 8
Jake walked away from the bench without looking back. The path under the old oak trees felt longer than usual. Students passed him in groups. Some stared. Some whispered. He kept his eyes forward.His phone stayed quiet for almost an hour. That almost felt worse than the constant messages.He went to the library and tried to study. The words on the page did not stick. Every few minutes his mind went back to Lily on the bench—her red eyes, the way her voice cracked, the way she said “what we had was real.” Part of him wanted to believe her. The bigger part still heard her telling the whole party she never knew him.Sam found him at a corner table two hours later.“You talked to her,” Sam said. It was not a question.Jake nodded once.“And?”“She said she panicked. Said she was scared of what people would think. Said it was real for her.”Sam dropped into the chair across from him. “Do you buy it?”“I don’t know.” Jake closed the book he had not been reading. “I told her I don’t trust h
Chapter 7
Jake woke up on his old dorm bed. The mattress was thin. The room smelled like laundry and cold coffee. For a few seconds he forgot everything. Then the night before came back all at once—Lily standing in the hallway, asking for five minutes, and him saying no.Sam was already awake, sitting on his bed with his phone. He looked over when Jake sat up.“You slept?” Sam asked.“A little.”“She texted me too, you know. Lily. Asked if you were really here. I didn’t answer.”Jake rubbed his face. “Thanks.”Sam set the phone down. “People are talking already. Someone posted a blurry video of you walking into Brightwood yesterday. Comments are going crazy. Half of them say it’s fake. The other half are trying to figure out who the rich guy is that picked you up from the police station.”Jake stood and pulled on the same jacket from yesterday. It still felt too new. “Let them talk.”“You going to class?”“Yeah. Normal day. As normal as it can be.”Sam watched him for a second. “You sure you’re
Chapter 6
Jake rode back to the estate in silence. The car was quiet. The driver never spoke. Outside the windows the city turned into trees and long private roads. Jake kept his old phone in his hand, screen still dark. Lily’s last messages sat there like open wounds.I need time.He had sent those three words and meant them. But the words kept looping in his head anyway.When the car stopped under the covered entrance, Harrison was already waiting. He opened the door without a word. Jake stepped out. The clean clothes from that morning still felt like they belonged to someone else.“Your grandfather is in the study,” Harrison said. “He asked to see you when you returned.”Jake nodded and walked inside. The big hall still made him feel small. He climbed the stairs slowly. His side hurt less today, but the memory of the pool and the bottle still sat under his skin.Richard looked up from his desk when Jake entered. The old man set his papers aside.“You went to Brightwood,” Richard said. It was
Chapter 5
Jake kept walking through Brightwood Shopping Center. The floors were shiny. The air smelled clean and expensive. People in nice clothes moved past him without looking twice. No one knew who he was yet. That felt strange.His new jacket still felt stiff. The black card sat in the inside pocket. He had not used it. He did not even take it out. Part of him still expected someone to stop him and ask what a kid like him was doing there.Near the main entrance a security guard stepped in front of him. The man looked Jake up and down—old sneakers, plain pants, no fancy watch.“Whoa. Where do you think you’re going?” the guard asked. His voice was already bored and mean.“Inside,” Jake said. “I’m here for lunch.”The guard laughed. “Lunch? Here? Look, this isn’t the place for people like you.” He pulled a crumpled ten-dollar bill from his pocket and held it out. “Take this. Go find a burger place down the road. That should cover a meal.”Jake’s face got hot. He did not take the money. “I don
Chapter 4
Jake barely slept that night. The bed was huge and soft, but every time he closed his eyes he saw the pool lights again. He saw Lily’s face when she said she didn’t know him. He saw Ryan’s smirk. The black card Richard had given him sat on the nightstand like it might disappear if he looked away too long.His old phone buzzed under the pillow. He pulled it out.Sam: Dude where are you?? Police said some guy in a suit took you. Call me.Sam: Jake I’m serious. People are saying you got arrested or worse.Sam: Please just tell me you’re alive.Jake sat up slowly. His side still hurt. He typed back with one hand.I’m okay. Long story. Don’t tell anyone you heard from me yet.Sam answered almost right away.What the hell does that mean? Are you safe?Safe. Just different. I’ll explain when I can.Jake turned the phone off before more messages came.Across the room the new phone from the estate glowed softly. He walked over and picked it up. One message waited.Young Master, your grandfathe
