Secrets Beneath the Sheets

Episode4: Midnight whispers

The campus was silent at midnight — too silent.

Streetlamps flickered faintly, casting long shadows on the pavement as Lucy crept toward the music block. Her sneakers barely made a sound on the stone path, but her heartbeat was loud enough to drown out everything else.

She felt ridiculous.

This was reckless. Stupid. Crazy.

But the image of Nate’s smirk, the sound of his voice, the pull of something forbidden—it all dragged her out of bed and across campus.

She paused at the fountain. The water glittered under the moonlight. It looked like something from a dream… or a warning.

And then she heard footsteps.

She turned—too quickly.

Nate stepped out of the shadows, hands in his pockets, black hoodie pulled over his head, curls falling just over his brow.

“You came,” he said.

Lucy folded her arms. “Only because I didn’t finish the book.”

“You could’ve borrowed another copy.”

“I didn’t want to owe the librarian.”

He chuckled, stepping closer. “But you’ll owe me?”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

“Not yet.”

Their eyes locked. His gaze wasn’t playful anymore—it was darker. Curious. Searching. Like he wanted to peel her apart layer by layer.

Then—

“Aww, look who’s falling for Nate’s midnight games,” a voice said from the shadows.

Lucy turned sharply.

Two boys walked out behind Nate. One had a piercing on his brow and a cigarette between his lips. The other wore gold chains and a designer jacket. Both had the same swagger, the same deadly confidence.

“The Three Kings,” Cassie had warned.

And now all three were in front of her.

The guy with the piercing smirked. “You didn’t tell us your new obsession was this pretty.”

“I’m not his anything,” Lucy snapped.

Nate didn’t deny it.

He just said, “This is Jason and Malik.”

Jason, the pierced one, leaned closer. “We usually bet on how long a girl lasts with Nate. Wanna play?”

Malik snorted. “She won’t last two weeks.”

Lucy’s fists clenched. “You’re disgusting.”

Jason smirked. “You’re adorable.”

“Enough,” Nate said sharply, stepping between them. His voice wasn’t teasing anymore. It was cold. Commanding.

Jason raised his hands. “Relax, bro. Just playing.”

But Lucy had already started backing away.

“I shouldn’t have come,” she whispered, turning.

Nate grabbed her wrist—not hard, just enough to stop her. His voice dropped low.

“I didn’t ask them to be here.”

“But they’re here,” she said, voice trembling. “And now I know the truth. This was a game.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Then what was it?” she snapped.

A beat of silence.

Nate looked at her. Really looked at her. His voice was quieter this time, rougher.

“You look like someone who’s trying really hard not to fall apart.”

Lucy’s breath caught.

“I see it,” he said. “In your eyes. The way you keep your guard up. The way you flinch when someone touches you.”

She said nothing.

“I’m not trying to hurt you,” he said. “I just wanted to know why someone like you ended up in a place like this.”

“Because I deserve to be here,” she whispered. “Even if people like you think I don’t.”

“I never said that.”

She stared at him, shaking.

Then she pulled her hand away. “Next time you want to talk, come alone.”

And with that, she walked off into the night, heart pounding, throat burning, and too many emotions crashing at once.

---

Back in her dorm

Cassie was wide awake, painting her nails again.

Lucy stormed in, dropped her hoodie on the floor, and sat on her bed without a word.

Cassie looked up. “I warned you.”

Lucy said nothing.

Cassie sighed. “You’re not like the others, Lucy. They can play Nate’s games. But you? You’ll drown in him. And he won’t even notice.”

Lucy finally looked at her. “Maybe I’m tired of being the good girl.”

Cassie blinked.

Then smiled slowly. “Now that’s interesting.”

---

Outside, at the fountain

Jason lit another cigarette. “She’s feisty.”

Malik laughed. “You’re slipping, Nate. Normally they’re already begging to go for a ride in the Lambo by now.”

But Nate just stared in the direction Lucy had gone, jaw tight.

“She’s different,” he muttered.

Jason smirked. “Yeah. That’s what they all say.”

But Nate didn’t respond.

Because for the first time in a long time… he was thinking about someone other than himself.

And that terrified him.

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