LOVE ME MORE

CHAPTER EIGHT:LINES CROSSED

The next morning, Kai returned to school.

He almost hadn’t.

The fever that had kept him bedridden the day before had faded, but his body still felt heavy, the weakness lingering in his limbs like a warning that he wasn’t fully recovered. Even so, staying in his dorm any longer would only make him fall further behind.

And Kai refused to fall behind.

Especially not because of Adrian.

The thought alone tightened his jaw as he walked through the academy gates, his bag slung over one shoulder.

The campus buzzed with its usual energy. Students filled the pathways, groups gathered near the fountain, laughter echoing through the crisp morning air.

Everything looked normal.

Too normal.

As if nothing had shifted.

As if Adrian hadn’t stood outside his dorm room two nights ago, knocking at his door with some ridiculous excuse just to drag him outside and mock him.

As if they hadn’t spent that same night unexpectedly laughing together over spilled coffee and sarcastic insults.

As if that strange, fleeting truce had never happened.

Good.

Kai preferred it that way.

He entered the main building without sparing a glance toward the hockey banners hanging from the walls.

The giant posters celebrating the academy team were impossible to ignore, though.

And right there, front and center, was Adrian.

His sharp face stared confidently from the polished print, dressed in his full hockey uniform, stick slung over one shoulder.

The academy’s star player.

The captain everyone admired.

The golden boy with a future practically handed to him.

Kai scoffed and looked away.

He had no interest in thinking about Adrian.

Not today.

Especially not after hearing from Maya that Adrian needed the competition just as badly as Kai did.

Apparently, securing first place would strengthen Adrian’s application for the elite national development hockey program—a program scouts from across the country watched closely.

It was his ticket to moving forward.

To a future bigger than Ravenscroft.

Kai should have felt satisfaction knowing Adrian wasn’t as untouchable as he seemed.

Instead, all he felt was irritation.

Because now they had something equally at stake.

Which meant neither of them could afford to lose.

And yet somehow, they still couldn’t stand each other long enough to work together.

By lunch, Kai had made his decision.

He wasn’t going to the library.

Not today.

Not after everything.

If Adrian wanted to waste time playing games, he could do it alone.

Kai spent the final period barely listening to the lecture, his thoughts circling the same frustrating conclusion.

Their partnership was impossible.

The bell rang.

Students flooded into the hallway.

Kai packed his books quickly and headed toward the exit.

“Kai!”

He froze.

That voice.

He knew it instantly.

And judging by the collective hush that rippled through nearby students, everyone else recognized it too.

Slowly, Kai turned.

Adrian stood several feet away, hockey bag slung over one shoulder, his expression dark and unreadable.

The hallway seemed to hold its breath.

Kai resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“What?”

Adrian crossed the distance between them.

“You weren’t at the library.”

Kai shrugged. “Very observant.”

A muscle ticked in Adrian’s jaw.

“We agreed to meet.”

“No,” Kai said flatly. “You decided we were meeting.”

“That’s called scheduling, genius.”

“That’s called assuming.”

Whispers began spreading around them.

Kai could practically feel the curiosity radiating from the surrounding students.

Perfect.

Exactly what he didn’t need.

Adrian lowered his voice.

“We have less than three weeks until the competition.”

“Then maybe you should spend less time harassing me in hallways.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

“You think I’m doing this for fun?”

Kai laughed coldly.

“Everything with you is some kind of performance.”

Something sharp flashed across Adrian’s face.

“For once, this isn’t about your ridiculous ego.”

Kai stepped closer.

“No, it’s about yours.”

The tension between them tightened instantly.

Students nearby subtly slowed their pace, pretending not to stare while very obviously staring.

Adrian’s expression hardened.

“You skipped because you’re being petty.”

“I skipped because I’m tired of wasting time.”

“With me?”

“With your nonsense.”

Adrian scoffed.

“Funny. I was about to say the same thing about you.”

Kai’s temper flared.

“You know what? Maybe this whole thing would go better if I just worked alone.”

“You can’t.”

“Watch me.”

“That’s not how partnerships work.”

Kai folded his arms.

“And forcing someone into your schedule is?”

“At least I’m trying.”

The words hit harder than they should have.

Kai frowned.

Trying?

Adrian actually sounded angry.

Not smug.

Not mocking.

Actually angry.

For some reason, that unsettled him more than if Adrian had been teasing.

Kai pushed the thought away.

“Trying?” he repeated. “You call interrupting my recovery and dragging me outside in the middle of the night trying?”

“That was one time.”

“It was stupid.”

Adrian’s eyes sharpened.

“You laughed.”

The accusation caught Kai off guard.

He blinked.

“What?”

“You laughed,” Adrian repeated, quieter now.

For half a second, neither of them moved.

Kai hated the way his mind immediately replayed that night.

The ridiculous argument.

The coffee.

The shared laughter neither of them had expected.

Heat crept into his face.

“It meant nothing.”

The words came out harsher than intended.

Adrian’s expression shifted.

Something unreadable flickered there.

Then it disappeared beneath cold amusement.

“Of course it didn’t.”

Kai clenched his fists.

“Stop acting like we’re suddenly friends.”

“I’m not.”

“Good.”

“Trust me,” Adrian said, voice turning sharp, “that was never a risk.”

The hallway seemed even quieter now.

Kai felt irritation spike hotter.

“Then stop acting like I owe you my time.”

Adrian stepped closer.

Close enough that Kai could see the storm gathering in his grey eyes.

“You do.”

Kai stared.

“What?”

“You’re my partner whether you like it or not.”

The possessive edge in Adrian’s tone made something snap.

Kai shoved him.

It wasn’t hard enough to send him stumbling.

Just enough to create distance.

The hallway erupted in gasps.

Adrian looked down at Kai’s hand against his chest.

Then back up.

Slowly.

Dangerously.

“You really want to do this here?”

Kai’s pulse pounded.

“Maybe I do.”

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Adrian caught Kai’s wrist.

Fast.

Firm.

The sudden contact sent a jolt through Kai.

“What are you—”

Before he could finish, Adrian yanked him forward.

Everything happened too quickly.

The startled murmurs around them.

Kai stumbling a step closer.

Adrian’s face suddenly inches away.

And then—

Warm pressure against his mouth.

Kai’s entire body froze.

His mind went blank.

For one impossible second, he couldn’t process what was happening.

Adrian had kissed him.

It wasn’t soft.

It wasn’t gentle.

It was abrupt, heated, reckless—a collision born entirely from anger and impulse.

The hallway disappeared.

The noise disappeared.

There was only shock.

Then reality slammed back.

Kai jerked away so hard he nearly lost his balance.

The c***k of his palm striking Adrian’s face echoed through the corridor.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Adrian’s head snapped to the side from the force.

A red mark instantly bloomed across his cheek.

Kai stood there breathing hard, his hand stinging violently.

His whole body trembled.

Not from fear.

From fury.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

His voice shook.

Adrian slowly turned back.

His expression was unreadable.

The usual arrogance was gone.

In its place was something far darker.

Something almost stunned.

Kai’s chest heaved.

Every student in the hallway stared openly now.

Whispers exploded instantly.

“Oh my God—”

“Did he just—?”

“Adrian kissed him—”

“Kai slapped him—”

Kai’s face burned.

Humiliation and anger twisted violently inside him.

Without another word, he shoved past Adrian and stormed down the hall.

No one dared stop him.

No one even moved.

The only sound was the frantic whispering trailing behind him.

He didn’t stop walking until he reached the empty stairwell near the west wing.

Then he slammed the door shut behind him and pressed both hands against it.

His breathing came fast.

Uneven.

His mind replayed the moment over and over.

The sudden pull.

The warmth of Adrian’s mouth.

The sharp c***k of the slap.

Kai squeezed his eyes shut.

What had Adrian been thinking?

What kind of sick game was that?

Was it another trap?

Another cruel joke?

The thought made his stomach churn.

No.

Whatever that had been, it hadn’t looked like teasing.

And that somehow made it worse.

A loud buzz suddenly came from his pocket.

Kai jolted.

He pulled out his phone.

A message.

From Maya.

Kai, where are you?? Everyone’s talking about what happened.

Another message arrived instantly.

And… you need to see this.

Attached was a photo.

Kai opened it.

His blood ran cold.

It was a close-up shot from the hallway.

Taken at the exact moment Adrian had kissed him.

And beneath it was the academy confession page caption:

Looks like Ravenscroft’s biggest rivals finally revealed what’s really going on.

The post already had hundreds of comments.

And it had only been up for three minutes.

---

Kai stared at the screen, his blood running cold.

The photo was already spreading faster than wildfire.

Dozens of new comments flooded in every second.

I KNEW IT.

Enemies-to-lovers is real at Ravenscroft apparently.

The tension was way too obvious.

About time.

Kai’s grip tightened around his phone.

His fingers moved quickly across the screen as he opened the comment section and typed furiously.

Nothing happened. Stop making things up.

He hit post.

For a brief second, his comment appeared near the top.

Then another flood of replies buried it instantly.

Hundreds.

Then thousands.

Notifications exploded across his screen so fast he could barely keep up.

Memes.

Edits.

Speculations.

Ridiculous theories dissecting every interaction he and Adrian had ever had in public.

His desperate denial vanished beneath the chaos as though it had never existed.

“Unbelievable,” Kai muttered.

His stomach churned.

This was exactly what he didn’t need.

Not with the competition approaching.

Not with his scholarship hanging by a thread.

And definitely not with the entire academy now convinced he and Adrian were secretly involved.

His phone buzzed again.

Maya.

He hesitated before answering.

The second he picked up, her excited voice blasted through the speaker.

“Kai! Tell me everything!”

“There is nothing to tell.”

“Oh please. The entire school just watched Adrian Vale kiss you in the middle of the hallway.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what was it like?”

Kai opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Because he had no answer.

Maya gasped dramatically.

“Oh my God. You don’t even know.”

“Stop making this bigger than it is.”

“I’m not making anything bigger,” she said, sounding far too delighted. “The whole academy already is.”

He groaned.

“Maya—”

“You have to admit,” she interrupted, her voice taking on that annoyingly dreamy tone, “you two would actually look ridiculously good together.”

Kai nearly dropped the phone.

“What?”

“I’m just saying! The academic menace and the hockey prince? The tension? The constant fighting? It’s basically the plot of every bestselling romance ever.”

“That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

“Because I can totally picture it.”

“Maya.”

“You’d be the grumpy one—”

“Maya.”

“And Adrian would be all emotionally constipated but secretly obsessed—”

“Maya!”

Her laughter echoed through the line.

Kai dragged a hand down his face.

“You’re impossible.”

“And you’re blushing.”

“I am not.”

“Wow. You’re defensive.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, wait,” she said quickly, still laughing. “Fine. I’ll stop.”

Kai exhaled sharply.

For three whole seconds, there was silence.

Then—

“You really would make a cute couple though.”

He ended the call.

Immediately.

The silence that followed was blissful.

Kai dropped his phone onto the stairwell floor and leaned back against the wall.

His mind was spinning.

Everything felt wrong.

The kiss.

The slap.

The gossip.

The way Maya’s teasing had somehow made his face burn hotter.

None of this made sense.

Adrian hated him.

Kai hated Adrian.

That was the one thing in this entire mess that had always been clear.

So why had Adrian done it?

Why had he looked so shocked afterward?

And why, no matter how hard Kai tried, could he still feel the ghost of that brief contact lingering like a brand?

The stairwell door suddenly creaked open.

Kai stiffened.

Slow footsteps echoed down the stairs.

Measured.

Deliberate.

His breath caught.

He knew those footsteps.

He looked up slowly.

And froze.

Adrian stood at the top of the stairs, one hand resting on the railing, his expression unreadable.

The faint red mark from Kai’s slap was still visible against his cheek.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Adrian took one step down.

And said quietly—

“We need to talk.”