Chapter 58
The Blackthorn Academy woke to a new scandal. Photos had surfaced on the student forum—images of the two surviving attackers from the greenhouse, their faces swollen and bruised, their clothes stained with blood and mud. They knelt in some unknown location, holding cardboard signs that read in shaky letters:
“God Save the Queen.”
The photos spread like wildfire. Whispers filled the halls as students speculated on who had orchestrated the brutal retaliation. The surviving attackers, once part of the elite social circle, became targets of merciless bullying. Their downfall was swift, with mocking notes left in their lockers and deliberate trips and spills in the cafeteria. Within two days, they were gone, expelled from the academy under the guise of “disciplinary action.”
Andrea sat in the library, staring blankly at her open notebook. The image of the photos haunted her, the violent message behind them sending chills down her spine. She couldn’t concentrate, her thoughts consumed by the escalating chaos surrounding her.
When the sun began to set, Andrea found herself walking toward the foresters—a quiet, wooded area on the edge of campus. It was there that she saw Aiden, leaning against a tree, a cigarette dangling loosely from his lips.
“Aiden,” she called, her voice firm despite the nervous flutter in her chest.
He turned, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly before softening as he saw her approach. “Andrea,” he said, exhaling a thin stream of smoke. “Didn’t expect you here.”
Andrea stopped a few steps away, crossing her arms. “We need to talk.”
Aiden raised an eyebrow, tossing the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his boot. “About?”
“Those photos,” Andrea said, her voice trembling. “The ones of Stephen’s friends. Was that you?”
Aiden shrugged, his expression unreadable. “Does it matter?”
“Yes, it matters!” Andrea snapped, her frustration boiling over. “I didn’t want this, Aiden. I didn’t want anyone to die or be humiliated or… suffer like that. This isn’t what I asked for.”
Aiden’s jaw tightened. “You didn’t have to ask. I did what needed to be done.”
Andrea stepped closer, her eyes pleading. “You saved me that night, and I’ll always be grateful for that. But this? This violence? It’s not the answer.”
Aiden let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “You don’t get it, do you? People like Stephen and his friends—they don’t stop. If I hadn’t done what I did, they’d have come after you again. I don’t regret any of it.”
“But what about you?” Andrea demanded, her voice breaking. “What happens when this all catches up to you? When the Olisters or the academy come after you? You’re putting yourself in danger, Aiden.”
Aiden took a step forward, his intense gaze locking onto hers. “Do you think I care about that? I’d do it all again, Andrea. Every last bit of it. If it meant keeping you safe, I wouldn’t hesitate.”
Andrea’s breath hitched, her chest tightening at the raw emotion in his voice.
A few days later, the academy had settled into an uneasy calm. The expulsion of Stephen’s accomplices and the scandal surrounding Claire had shifted the student body’s focus, though the tension lingered like a shadow.
That night, Andrea sat on her bed, trying to focus on a novel. The soft knock at her window startled her, and she turned to see Aiden’s familiar silhouette outside.
“Aiden?” she whispered, hurrying to open the window. “What are you doing here?”
He climbed in with practiced ease, his movements quiet and fluid. The moonlight cast shadows across his face, highlighting the exhaustion in his features.
“I needed to see you,” he said simply, his voice low.
Andrea frowned, crossing her arms. “Do you even realize how reckless this is? If anyone finds out you’re here—”
“I don’t care,” Aiden interrupted, his tone sharper than usual.
Andrea stepped back, her frustration bubbling over. “You never care, do you? You’re so reckless, Aiden. You don’t think about the consequences, about how your actions affect everyone else—”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” Aiden snapped, his voice rising. “You think I haven’t thought about how this could all come crashing down on me? On my brothers? On you?”
Andrea froze, caught off guard by the intensity in his voice.
“I know I’m reckless,” Aiden continued, his tone raw. “I know I’m flawed. But I’ve done everything I can to protect you, Andrea. Because I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”
Her breath caught as his words hung in the air. “Aiden…”
“I’ve loved you, Andrea,” he said, his voice trembling. “I’ve loved you from the beginning, even when I knew I didn’t deserve you. And maybe I went too far, maybe I’ve done things I can’t take back, but I don’t regret a single second of it.”
Andrea stared at him, her heart pounding. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I was scared,” Aiden admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “Scared you’d look at me the way you’re looking at me now. Like I’m some monster.”
Andrea stepped closer, her voice soft. “I don’t think you’re a monster, Aiden. I think you’re… human.”
The silence between them was heavy, charged with unspoken emotions. Finally, Andrea closed the distance, her lips brushing against his in a kiss that spoke the words she couldn’t say aloud.
When they pulled apart, Aiden cupped her face in his hands, his gaze searching hers.
“Stay with me tonight,” Andrea whispered.
Aiden hesitated, then shook his head. “Not here.”
“Then where?” Andrea asked, her voice trembling.
Aiden’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Somewhere special.”
