CHAPTER 12
1060 Words
I had no idea how I made it back to the tent. I woke up alone, dressed in a fresh set of clothes. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in Thomas's arms.
The thought of last night sent a rush of heat to my cheeks. A dull ache still lingered between my legs, a reminder of how long it took him to finally satisfy his hunger for me.
"You're finally awake, huh?" Gala barged into the tent.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice still groggy.
"I should be the one asking that! You and Thomas came back soaking wet last night. And when I tried asking him, he wouldn't say a damn thing... Wait a minute—don't tell me you two—" She paused, her eyes glinting with mischief before she burst into giggles.
I stayed silent, trying to play it cool, but the way I avoided her gaze must've given me away. Gala gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
"No freaking way! Oh my God—finally!" she squealed, looking way too pleased. I wanted to pinch her so bad for teasing me like this.
"No wonder Michelle ran back here crying last night. She didn't even sleep in our tent—begged the club president to let her stay in theirs instead. Serves her right!" Gala scoffed.
I hesitated before mumbling, "Hey... uh... do you have... emergency contraception?"
She smirked. "Of course. A hot girl like me never leaves home without it." With a wink, she dug into her bag and handed me a pill.
"We're heading back today, by the way. Better start packing," she added before stepping out.
After taking the pill, I slowly got up—
Ouch. Damn it, Thomas. That i***t.
I stumbled out of the tent, spotting everyone packing up. The moment Thomas saw me, he made a beeline in my direction.
Crap. How was I supposed to act? I was flustered just thinking about last night.
Before I could react, he cupped my face and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
"Morning, baby," he murmured.
I instantly smacked his arm. "Don't call me that!"
His lips curled into a teasing grin. "No 'baby'? Fine... how about 'my girl'?"
I nearly kicked him, but he dodged effortlessly, laughing as he pulled me into his arms and kissed my cheek—right in front of everyone.
"Thomas! If you keep acting like this, I swear I'll punch you!" I warned.
"I just want everyone to know you're mine," he said, voice smug.
"Ahem! Lovebirds, break it up. We need to get going," Emma interrupted.
Thomas sighed but let me go—only to steal another kiss on my cheek before running off to pack.
God.
I was burning up. It felt like a thousand butterflies were fluttering in my stomach.
So this is why people chase after love...
⸻
After that camping trip, Thomas became even more clingy. He was constantly hugging and kissing me—practically glued to my side. Everyone at school was either rolling their eyes or flat-out jealous.
Senior year was coming to an end, and our teachers handed out future-planning surveys. Emma was going into law, Gala wanted to be an influencer... but me? I had no idea.
We were having lunch together—fried chicken and a sad excuse for a salad. Ugh. School food sucked.
Today was the first day of my period, and I felt so relieved. What was I thinking, letting Thomas do that? I was so freaking lucky I didn't get pregnant.
"You good? You haven't touched your food," Emma asked.
I poked at my plate, sighing. "I'm just not in the mood to eat."
The table went silent. Thomas scooted closer, brows furrowed in concern.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
"I just don't feel like eating," I muttered.
A beat of silence. Then—
"When was your last period?"
I froze. My eyes widened as I turned to him in disbelief. Did he seriously just ask me that?
Emma choked on her drink. Gala's jaw hit the floor.
"I'm not pregnant, Thomas!" I hissed, shooting him a glare.
"How do you know?" he whispered in my ear. "That night, I came inside you... a lot."
THOMAS!!!
I smacked his arm, my face burning.
"I told you, I got my period. I'm fine."
Emma and Gala were still gaping at us. "Wait, wait, wait—you two have been doing it this whole time?!"
I refused to answer, but Thomas just pulled me into his arms again, as if afraid I'd run away. The whole cafeteria was buzzing with whispers.
"So, what are you gonna study in college?" Emma asked, glancing between us since neither of us had filled out our forms yet.
"Business," Thomas answered.
I hesitated before saying, "I think... I want to study baking. I signed up for a baking class this Saturday."
"I'm coming with you."
"No, you're not!"
Thomas frowned. "Why not?"
"Because you're way too clingy! I need some space, Thomas."
His face darkened as he pulled me back into his lap, arms tightening around my waist. I rolled my eyes. He was so freaking obsessed with me.
The only place he didn't follow me into was the girls' bathroom.
As I sat in the stall, I heard voices near the sinks.
"Thomas is really dating her?" A girl scoffed.
"Please. It won't last—three months, tops."
"You're being generous. I give it a month before he dumps her, just like he did with Sharon and Irene."
I stiffened. Who the hell are Sharon and Irene?
"When he was with Sharon, he was all over her—always sitting her on his lap, making out in front of everyone. And guess what? He still dumped her after two weeks. And Sharon's a total bombshell. Imagine how fast he'll get tired of Miss Bland over there."
"She's just a novelty, I bet. A fun little experiment."
Laughter echoed through the bathroom as I clenched my fists.
I wasn't the type to judge someone's past. But just the thought of Thomas holding another girl the way he held me... kissing someone else the way he kissed me...
It hurt.
More than I wanted to admit.
Was I really special to him? Or was I just another name on his list?
Another game for him to win?
- Writer
