CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
OF DAMAGE CONTROL, UNINVITED HISTORY, AND A PRESIDENT WHO NEVER LEAVES
Riyee's POV
I couldn't hear anything.
Even as the crowd erupted again—whispers, gasps, footsteps scattered like an earthquake—I couldn't process a single word.
My whole body felt numb.
Xythe was gone. Dragged away by security and faculty, the school director's staff stepping in fast after everything exploded. Saichel was somewhere nearby, still furious but being pulled back by his own father.
The crowd was still watching me. Phones still filming.
But everything sounded muffled. Like I was underwater. Still shaking. Still cold.
Still stuck on the words I never wanted to hear again.
You left her, Xythe.
God.
My stomach twisted, but I couldn't even look away from the mess.
Until—
"Move."
His voice snapped through the haze.
KD.
I felt his hand press lightly against the small of my back—steady, firm, guiding.
I barely had time to react before he was leading me out of the plaza, cutting straight through the crowd without looking back.
And the craziest part?
They moved.
Everyone moved for him. Even the loudest ones. Even the ones still filming.
They all parted, like he wasn't just their Student Council President—but something heavier.
I stumbled after him, my legs too shaky to argue.
I heard Jodie yelling somewhere behind us, followed by Xylia's panicked voice—but they didn't catch up.
KD didn't stop until we were out of sight.
Far from the plaza.
Somewhere quiet.
The East Wing garden.
Almost no one ever came here after classes.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
I barely realized I was still trembling until he finally let go.
"Breathe." That was all he said.
I hated how calm he sounded. Like he hadn't just shut down an entire scandal in front of the whole school.
I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to throw something. But all I could do was gasp out the words clawing at my throat.
"Why didn't you stop him sooner?" My voice cracked before I could catch it.
He didn't even flinch.
"I did," KD said simply, shoving his hands back into his pockets like this was just another Tuesday.
I let out a shaky breath, clutching the edge of the bench beside me, trying to ground myself.
"This is a mess," I muttered, voice hollow.
KD didn't argue.
He just watched me—too closely, too quietly.
YOU ARE READING
STRINGS BETWEEN US
Teen Fiction"A slow-burn teen romance threaded with secrets, rivalries, and a dangerous past neither of them remembers-until it comes for them." ✧ STRINGS BETWEEN US ✧ She left her crown behind. He ruled with silence. But some strings pull-no matter how far you...
