Chapter 11: The Breaking Point
775 Words
Liam’s POV
I dragged her toward the rooftop garden; the only place in this architectural nightmare where the air didn't feel like it was being filtered through a bank vault.
I pushed the heavy glass doors open and practically forced her onto a stone bench.
"Stay here," I commanded, my hands still buzzing with the urge to hit something. "I’m getting the nurse. You might have inhaled those fumes."
"I'm fine, Liam!" Megan’s voice cracked.
I turned around, ready to argue, but the words died in my throat.
She wasn't just annoyed. Her shoulders were shaking, and her chocolate eyes were swimming in tears. A single drop escaped, tracking through the faint dust on her cheek.
"Hey," I said, my voice dropping all its edges. I stepped closer, hovering awkwardly. "Why are you crying? The notebook is fine. You’re fine. I caught you."
"That’s the problem!" she choked out, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, but more tears followed.
"Why are you doing this, Liam? Why are you being so overprotective? You’re acting like you actually care, and it’s making everything so much harder!"
"I'm supposed to be your boyfriend, Megan. That’s the deal."
"No!" she stood up, her voice rising. "The deal was public displays. Not vaulting over tables and threatening to expel people! You were the one who betrayed me three years ago. You were the one who let everyone believe I was a thief. And now you’re playing the hero? It’s confusing, and it’s cruel, and I can’t... I can't breathe when you're like this."
Megan’s POV
The dam had finally broken. All the stress of the fake dating, the fear of losing my scholarship again, and the heat of Liam’s body against mine in the lab came pouring out.
"I have spent three years learning how to be invisible so no one could hurt me again," I sobbed, looking up at him. "And in one week, you’ve put a target on my back and then tried to shield me from it. Just stop. Stop being kind. Stop looking at me like you’re sorry."
Liam looked like I’d slapped him. He reached out, his thumb catching a tear on my jawline. His touch was so gentle it hurt worse than his anger.
"I can't stop," he whispered, his amber eyes searching mine. "Because every time I see someone look at you the way Daniel does, I remember that I’m the reason you don't have anyone else to stand in front of you. I'm not playing hero, Megan. I’m trying to fix the one thing I never should have broken."
The honesty in his voice was terrifying. I wanted to run, but my feet felt rooted to the stone.
Chloe’s POV
I stood behind the frosted glass of the stairwell door, my phone raised. From this angle, they looked like a movie poster. The sunlight hit the garden, Liam’s hand was on her face, and Megan was looking up at him with those pathetic, tear-stained eyes.
Click.
I sent the photo to our group chat instantly.
"Found the lovebirds," I murmured into the phone as Sophie picked up on the second ring. "They’re on the rooftop. She’s crying, he’s playing the knight in shining armor. It’s disgusting. He actually looks like he means it, Soph."
"He doesn't," Sophie’s voice came through the speaker, cold and sharp as a razor. "He’s just guilty. Liam always had a soft spot for stray dogs."
"Well, the stray dog is getting too comfortable," I replied, watching Liam pull Megan into a hesitant, awkward hug. "If we don't end this at the Gala, she’s going to think she actually has a seat at the table."
"The Gala is too far away," Sophie said. I could practically hear her smirking. "Tomorrow is the athletic fundraiser. Every student has to participate in the 'Dunk Tank' or the 'Obstacle Course.' Tell Jax to make sure the equipment for the obstacle course hasn't been 'safety checked.' If she wants to be a star, let’s see how she handles a fall in front of the whole school."
"Copy that," I said, a slow grin spreading across my face. "I'll handle the logistics. You just make sure Liam is busy when it happens."
I tucked my phone away and took one last look at the scene in the garden.
They thought they were safe. They had no idea that at St. Vivienne, the higher you climb, the harder the ground feels when you hit it.
- Writer
