Chapter 87

Confusion wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. The rapid shift in Clyde's demeanor left me spinning, unable to anchor myself in the storm of emotions that churned within. I felt a strange, unexpected pang of rejection gnawing at me, a hollow ache that settled in my chest and made it hard to breathe.

I had never thought of Clyde in any romantic way—if anything, I was supposed to despise him. Yet, there was no denying the sting of his sudden coldness, the way he had so quickly pulled away as if touching me had been a mistake. The realization was a bitter one, twisting in my gut and making me feel small and unwanted.

I didn’t even know I was crying until I felt the warmth of a single tear sliding down my cheek. I blinked, startled, as if that lone tear had betrayed something I wasn’t ready to acknowledge. Why was I hurting like this? Why did his rejection feel so personal, so deeply cutting?

“Did you not hear me?” His voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and cold. The warmth,