Campus King | 18+

Chapter Thirty-Five

With Amanda, I knew he'd never touch her, not when he could see her for what she was. But Skylar? I knew he genuinely liked her as a person. During our project, they had developed some sort of friendship. I also think there might have been some interest on his part when they first met. From both of them, actually. He was a natural flirt, and she'd been a willing partner.

My insecurities were not prepared to deal with her.

Deciding now was the perfect time to take a much-needed break, I slipped away quietly, pushing through the throngs of people until I found a quiet and somewhat secluded spot between two food stands.

Taking a moment to gather myself, I focused on calming my racing thoughts. I tried to push away all the negative thoughts and emotions because dwelling on those always made me so angry. I sighed, dropping my chin and closing my eyes. When did my life get so complicated?

Seeking a distraction, I pulled out my phone, remembering I hadn't messaged my mom yet. No doubt, she'd left a barrage of messages, each increasingly frantic and riddled with spelling mistakes as she worked herself into a panic. True to my predictions, I found twenty-six messages demanding to know if I was safe, if she needed to come get me, if I was hurt, if she needed to phone the cops, etc.

It took everything in me not to snap at her - but we'd been there before and that had accomplished nothing. So I sent her a long and detailed message reassuring and answering all of her concerns. Knowing my luck, I'd still need to phone her before she actually calmed down.

As I checked my phone, an Instagram notification revealed a new message. A sense of déjà vu washed over me as I opened it. Like the other one, this account was clearly a throwaway - no pictures, no bio, no followers, and no profile picture. I hesitated before answering, wary of my current mental state.

?: Is it just me or does it seem like he's already bored with you? How long till he leaves you for a prettier, nicer girl? Karma's coming for you.

I stared at the message in shock, trying to process what I was seeing.

Considering the familiarity behind the tone of the message, I had to assume this was the same person as before. Unease prickled at me, and I glanced around, searching for anyone who might trigger my suspicions, but no one seemed particularly interested in me; they were mostly heading towards the game or the bathrooms.

Fine - I thought, teeth clenched hard as I looked back down at my screen - I'd take the bait and play dumb, but only until I had more information. It seemed pointless asking who they were and expecting a truthful answer, so I tried something else.

H: Who are you talking about? And why are you messaging me?

To my surprise, they started typing back almost immediately. Had they been waiting for me to hopefully answer?

?: Don't play dumb, Hannah. We both know who I'm talking about.

?: I bet you feel so proud of yourself for landing someone like him. Maybe you're thinking that you can keep him, but you can't. You're the wrong girl for him.

Tristan. There was no one else they could be referring to. I briefly wondered whether I should be worried about whoever this was. Or was this just a crazy fangirl, jealous of the fact that I was the one in his bed? That was the most probable answer. Girls could get ruthless when they wanted something. Or someone.

H: He's not something you can own. He's the one who chooses who he dates or doesn't date.

H: Why are you doing this? Do you seriously have nothing better to do than obsess over us? Just a little head's up - this is really weird and desperate.