Cassandra sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the flickering streetlight outside her dorm window. The faint glow was the only light in the room, and it cast long shadows that seemed to stretch into the corners, reminding her of all the things she was trying to outrun.
It had been days since the bubble incident, and Jackson had been different ever since. He wasn't the same guarded, brooding guy she'd met at the start. Now, there was a softness to his eyes when he looked at her, a warmth that felt both comforting and terrifying.
The more time she spent with him, the more it felt like her walls were crumbling. And with every smile, every laugh, every conversation they shared, the resolve she had built over the years began to falter. She had come to this university for one reason: revenge. But now, as she replayed the events of the past week in her mind, she wasn't so sure anymore. Was it still worth it?
"Come on, Cass, focus," she muttered to herself. But even her own voice seemed weak, uncertain.
Her phone buzzed on the table beside her, the vibration slicing through the silence. She glanced at the screen, and her heart skipped a beat. It was a message from Jackson.
"Hey, you free later? I was thinking maybe we could grab dinner. Just the two of us."
Cassandra stared at the text for a moment, her fingers hovering over the keys. It was simple, almost too casual, but to her, it felt like something more. He wanted to spend time with her. And that feeling… that feeling stirred something deep inside her—a longing she had buried a long time ago. But buried feelings were dangerous, weren't they? They had a way of resurfacing when you least expected it, and she wasn't ready to confront them. Not yet.
Her thumb hovered over the reply button, but she hesitated. What was she supposed to say? A part of her wanted to say yes, to let herself enjoy a night free of the burden of vengeance. Another part, the part that had been in control for so long, told her to refuse. She couldn't afford to forget her purpose. Not when she was so close.
"Dinner sounds nice, but I'm not sure…" she started typing but stopped, deleting the words immediately.
The truth was, she was scared. Scared of what she might feel if she allowed herself to get too close to him. Scared of the fact that Jackson might just be the kind of person who could make her forget all about her past. She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let herself be weak.
But was that what this was? Was it weakness to want something for herself, to experience something real? Something good?
With a sigh, she shoved her phone into the drawer and stood up. She couldn't make a decision right now. Not when everything was so tangled. Not when everything felt like it was slipping through her fingers.
Later that evening, she found herself wandering the campus aimlessly, trying to clear her head. She didn't even notice how she ended up by the old fountain near the center of the campus. The one place that had once been a symbol of her freedom. The place where she had first arrived and promised herself she would never let anyone in.
But tonight, it felt different. The fountain, once comforting, now seemed like a prison—a symbol of everything she had worked so hard to build. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching.
"Cass?"
She froze at the sound of his voice, a quiet echo in the still night air. Jackson.
She turned slowly to face him, heart pounding in her chest. There he was, standing a few feet away, looking at her with those soft eyes. His dark hair was messy, as though he'd run his fingers through it a few too many times. He wore his usual casual clothes—nothing special—but somehow, he looked different tonight. There was something in the way he stood, something in the way he was looking at her that made her stomach twist.
"Jackson," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He took a few steps closer, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. They just stood there, watching each other. The silence between them was thick, charged with an energy neither of them had the courage to acknowledge.
"I was wondering if you were okay," Jackson said finally, his voice low and tentative.
Cassandra swallowed hard, trying to steady her emotions. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed some air."
He nodded, but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "You've been distant lately. I get that… you're not really the type to open up to people. But I just want you to know, you don't have to do this alone."
Her heart clenched. She couldn't breathe. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean… whatever it is that's bothering you," he said, taking another step forward. "You don't have to keep it all in, Cass. You don't have to carry everything by yourself."
His words cut through her like a knife. It was everything she had been afraid of. Jackson, who had no idea of the weight she carried, was offering to share it with her. To help her carry her burden.
But how could she explain to him what was really happening? How could she tell him that the only reason she was here, the only reason she was even talking to him, was because of a plan—a plan to get revenge on the people who had ruined her life? A plan that was slowly starting to unravel as she found herself drawn to him.
She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she took a step back, shaking her head. "You don't understand."
"Then make me understand," he said, his voice gentle but insistent.
Cassandra's breath hitched in her chest. She couldn't do this. She couldn't let him in. She couldn't afford to care. But as she looked at him, standing there with that hopeful expression, a voice inside her screamed in protest. The truth clawed at her, desperate to get out.
She took another step back, raising her hand to stop him. "Please, Jackson. Just… just leave me alone."
She turned quickly, her heart pounding in her chest, and rushed away, leaving him standing there, confused and hurt.
Cassandra didn't stop running until she reached the quiet, hidden corner of the campus where she always went when she needed space. It was a small garden, tucked away from the main walkways, a place she could be alone with her thoughts.
But tonight, even this solitude felt suffocating.
She slumped against a stone bench, burying her face in her hands. She was caught between two worlds—one where love had the power to heal, and the other where revenge was the only thing that kept her alive.
The weight of her emotions threatened to crush her. Jackson had seen something in her that she wasn't ready to face, and yet, there he was, still offering his help, still willing to stay by her side. He had no idea who she really was, what she had been through. He didn't know the truth about her parents, about the Walters, about everything that had brought her to this point.
But she also knew that if she stayed on this path—if she kept pushing Jackson away—she might lose him forever.
The thought of it made her stomach twist with fear.
"What do I do?" she whispered into the night, the question hanging in the air, unanswered.
For the first time since she arrived at the university, Cassandra realized just how much she had to lose. Her revenge had given her purpose, but it was also slowly killing her from the inside. And Jackson—Jackson was the one thing she wasn't sure she could let go of.
As the night grew darker, she made a choice.
She would have to make a decision soon.
Either she would embrace the love that was so unexpectedly blossoming in her chest, or she would stay the course, and allow revenge to claim her once and for all.
But which path would she choose?