[|]I was sitting in the middle of my bed while the phone that I knew belonged to Lucas Hamilton charged on the study table between our beds. I had not been able to wrap my head around the coincidence as everything seemed too good to be true.Never in a million years would I think of meeting Lucas again. Especially in the most unusual way ever. Now, all I hoped was that the phone didn't ring from someone calling or that Lucas called.As usual, the world hated me. The phone started to ring on the desk and I forced myself back into the wall. My eyes widened as I stared at the brightened screen of the phone. "Oh, what do I do now?" I whispered and bit the nail on my thumb. I didn't want to answer the call, because the last thing I wanted was to talk to Lucas but at the same time, I needed my phone so bad. It was what I used to study and do all my homework since I couldn't afford a laptop. I had to take the call and find out if he is with my phone or not.I took a deep breath and got ou
[|]It was almost time for my residential building to be locked up for the night and I was still out, finding jobs to get hired at. I had a few months left before the first year would end and I needed enough money to pay for a place to sleep before finding out a way to pay for my fees. "Sorry, we don't have any vacancies available," the cashier said and with a dejected sigh, I left the restaurant and started walking home.Out of habit, I took out my phone from my fanny pack only to remember that the phone I held wasn't mine. I stared at the device with a pout and turned it on. After a minute, the phone powered on, and I stared at the locked screen when notifications started rushing in. Texts, emails, and group chat messages filled the screen and I felt guilty when I realized that some important things could be on the phone. I swiped over the screen and it demanded a password, which I ignored and clicked the emergency section. I saw two very unfamiliar emergency numbers and felt temp
[|]I walked into my room quietly when I saw that my roommate was studying. I walked over to my small closet and placed down my hygiene items then started to wipe my body. After rubbing some lotion on my body and slipping into my night clothes, I climbed onto my bed and picked up my books to read."I saw you coming out of some expensive Mercedes G63 car a few minutes before the building was locked. Who was that?" Andrea, my roommate asked and faced me with a smile on her face.We barely spoke to one another since her course had her away from the room most of the time. She was studying medicine and was always not sleeping in the room. "Who?" I asked and Andrea crossed her long legs.Andrea was a beautiful woman with wavy brown hair that cascaded down her curvy waist and framed her perfect face. She had beautiful hazel eyes that stood out on her beautiful face under perfectly arched eyebrows. She was like those online models with huge followers and great brand deals. Most of all, she w
[|]Exams were starting next week and I could not focus on my studies. I had sleepless nights and depressive thoughts that left me feeling the need to not write the exams at all. I was penniless and it would take a miracle to save me right now. Over the months, I had gotten a job but not enough to save for next year."What am I going to do?" I whispered as the cold jets of water from the shower head splashed on my head, cooling my aching head. I covered my face and listened to the voices of the other girls in the bathroom with me, trying to force my thoughts away from what I was passing through.I sighed. "How am I going to start my second year without any hope of my tuition being paid? I have piles of debts, which is worse."Tears filled my eyes and I let them flow down my cheeks, mixing with the water. I wanted to cry out so hard, to take the pain in my heart away but I just couldn't. I hated how unfortunate I was. It was unbearable and suffocating.After five minutes, I finished sh
[|]I was nervous when the taxi we took stopped in front of a club with people lined up at the entrance. The name of the club had an LED outlined woman dancing and by the street were a few women in the shortest dresses I have ever seen. Some were smoking and some were talking to people in a car. Everything going on made me wonder what this place was like."Come on, Jackie."I flinched when I realized that Amelia had already left the car so I followed suit and waited for her to turn around the taxi. Once she did, she held my hand and dragged me to the entrance of the place where she said something to the bouncer who looked at me and nodded.He let us in and then Amelia dragged me with her into the bustling place. She let go of my hand to open the double doors of the place and the loud sound of music pumped in my ears. Flashing colored lights made me squint my eyes and when I walked into the place, my eyes spotted bare-chested girls dancing on some stages with people throwing money at t
[|]Here I was, sitting in front of a vanity table, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I could not believe that I had accepted what Amelia had said but I had no other choice. This was what things had turned out to be for me. I had to go with the choice I have made.I straightened my back when Amelia walked into the dressing room in red lace lingerie which was the same thing I wore underneath the silk robe I was wearing."Are you ready?" Amelia asked as she stood behind me. She placed her hands on my hair and ran her fingers through them like a makeshift comb."I'm not," I said truthfully and she sighed with a roll of her eyes."I'm losing patience with you, girl. Just forget about your precious morals and do this. Before you know it, you're done and ending the night with big stacks," Amelia said and I envisioned myself holding a lot of money to cover my debts."Are you sure?" I asked and she nodded. "You don't have anything to worry about," she said and massaged my shoulders.I
[|]Lucas' POVI had to blink hard to confirm if it was Jackie Garner, wearing a short silky red robe with her long hair framing her face. I had to look at her body up and down, taking in her long smooth legs to confirm if she was the one or just a look alike."Jackie... Jackie Garner?" I asked and she looked down, playing with her fingers.What was she doing in such a place? "Do you know her?" Amelia asked and stood closer to Jackie who refused to meet my eyes."Yeah, I do," I replied."That's nice but she's on a timer. So, she's going to be the one pleasing Jared here and—"Her words cut through my heart like a sharp knife as I glared at her. Everything started coming back to me, from Amelia revealing Jackie was a virgin and Jared sleeping with a virgin. Something in me snapped and I grabbed Jackie by her arm and tugged her close to me. I heard her gasp and wrapped my arm around her small waist."Can I talk to her for a minute?" I demanded and when Jared was about to protest, I gla
[|]Jackie's POVI went home after changing into my dress. Amelia had tried to speak to me but I didn't have the time nor strength to listen to her. All I wanted was to lay on my bed and cry. Which was what I did the moment I got to my room. I lay on my bed and started to cry in the darkroom. Thankfully, Andrea wasn't in the room so I was able to cry out the pain in my heart.I started to think of Lucas and how he offered to help me. Despite how desperate I was for a helper, I didn't want any type of help from him. I didn't want to give him a reason to step all over me in case his real side came out. "What do I do now?" I whispered and sniffed then turned on the lamp on the desk beside my bed. The first thing I saw was my timetable sitting on the desk, glaring straight at me, making me feel the reality of the exams coming up so fast.I sat up on my bed and wiped my tears. I knew I had Maddy and Axel to help but they had already helped me in my first year, I could not ask them again.
[|] The next day, we were back to the hotel we had been in before Maddy captured me. When I woke up, I felt an odd feeling at the thought of Maddy being dead. Even though she ended up betraying me, she had been part of my life and it made me a little sad that she had to end the way she did. I pushed away the feeling and sat up on the bed. I looked at the other side of the bed and smiled at a sleeping Lucas. He was facing the other way, bare-chested. I leaned forward and ran my hand over his smooth chest. He moved his body a little but didn't wake up. I rested my chin on my palm and stared at him. His jawline was covered with very light beards and I pictured him with a full beard. He would look handsome with it and more mature as I imagined him with a trimmed beard. It made me smile as I focused on his hair which was a bit longer. I began to imagine our life together with a child running around the house. I smiled wider at the imagination. "All I want is happiness from here on ou
[|]"Hey."I flinched at the sound of Lucas' voice. I turned away from the floor-length window in the hallway of the hospital and faced him. He was looking stressed out with bags under his eyes, scattered hair, and pale skin. I wouldn't be surprised if I was matching his look."How are you?" I asked, walking up to him. I opened my arms for a hug and he came into it and I wrapped my arms around him. He lowered his height and rested his head on my shoulder."I'm so tired and I'm sure you are too," he said and hugged me back."I'm better now that I know Axel is fine," I said and pulled away from him.Axel had gone into surgery the moment we arrived at the hospital and it's been hours since we arrived. Barry had not left the door of the operating room. I could see how much they loved Axel. "You need to sleep. You are stressed from everything," Lucas said and cupped my face."I'm kinda hungry though," I said with a smile. "I need a nap but I won't do all these until I'm sure that Axel is
[|] The loudness of the gun was ringing in my ears and I could barely hear my heartbeat. I was frozen on top of Maddy as I felt fear move through me. I gulped and wondered why I couldn't feel anything, I was numb. I rolled away from Maddy and looked down at my stomach. There was blood on my shirt but I couldn't feel any wound. It was when I looked at Maddy, that I realized the blood belonged to her and not me. She had a bullet hole in her chest while the gun was slack in her hands. Her eyes were wide as her chest moved up and down quickly. I rose to my feet, holding my stomach out of fear and protecting the baby in me. "Jackie?!" I looked up at the sound of a new voice. I saw Lucas staring at me with fear in his eyes. He ran up to me and cupped my cheeks"Jackie, you're shot," he said. I snapped out of my shocked state and shook my head. "No... Not me," I replied and looked down at Maddy who was laying on the ground, still breathing. Lucas furrowed his eyebrows and slowly fol
[|]Jackie's POVThe moment Lucas had shifted, I was confused because I had been expecting him to fall at the impact of the bullet but I saw someone else; Axel.When I had seen Lucas at first, I felt my heart stop beating, I had felt like I lost it all. I thought I had lost him, I thought I had lost the man I loved but when I saw Axel, I didn't feel any different. Axel was my best friend, a brother I never had. I never had a sibling but it felt like I was losing one when I saw Axel taking the bullet for us. I didn't know if I could have screamed or passed out at the sight of Axel. I had not expected Axel to take the bullet. When I saw Lucas broken at the sight of his brother, I prayed that Axel was alright.The moment I saw Maddy run off, I knew I had to go after her before she escaped. I didn't even think twice and ran after her, picking up the gun she had dropped in the process.When I saw that Maddy had run out through a door in a corner. I pushed the door and looked on each side
[|]Lucas' POVI could not let Jackie die. I would rather die than let the woman who has suffered enough go through death. I just couldn't watch her take that bullet.So, when I saw Maddy pull out her gun, I knew things would not end well. I had thought she would not pull the trigger but I was wrong when I saw her finger push the trigger. Knowing how fast a bullet was, I blocked Jackie to take the bullet with my eyes shut the moment she fired the gun.But when three seconds went by and I did not feel the burning and body-numbing feeling of the bullet, I opened my eyes and felt like my soul left my body when I saw the last person I was expecting in front of me."Axel?!" I screamed at the top of my voice, the same time Jackie said my name.I couldn't feel my body as I watched Axel slump to the floor. Everything around me became dark and I found myself falling to my knees and crawling toward him. He rolled onto his back and my eyes went straight to his bleeding chest. My hands began to s
[|]Jackie's POVIt hurt so bad.It broke my heart to see him sign the contract. It made me angry to see them kiss. It wasn't Lucas' fault, I was not mad at him. I was mad at Maddy. She was so cruel. The worst feeling I felt was helplessness. I couldn't do anything to stop everything as I watched them kiss. I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest and tossed into a larva. I felt like I could not breathe. It was at that moment I knew that people could die from heartbreak. I just couldn't withstand the sight and thought of losing Lucas to her."Finally," Maddy said and I raised my head.I sniffed and glared at her when she looked at me, smiling wide with the contract pressed against her chest. She giggled and walked up to me."Won't you congratulate me?" She asked, craning her head to the side.I formed some saliva in my mouth and spat on her face. She gasped and closed her eyes at the impact. I smiled at the sight of my spit on her face then chuckled."I already got what I want
[|]Lucas' POVI took out my gun from my duffle bag and checked for bullets. I saw it was fully loaded and fixed the gun between the waistline of my pants and my back. I covered it up with my shirt and grabbed my jacket then turned toward the door. I paused to take deep breaths. I was scared and worried and I was feeling like I was going to go crazy. I was so mad at myself for leaving Jackie alone when I knew Maddy was around. Now, she was with a crazy bitch who was probably going to hurt her. Whatever I had to do, I had to act smart and not put Jackie in danger.I exhaled and opened the door then walked out of the room where I met Barry leaning against the wall across me."Ready to go?" They asked and I nodded."Yes. Have you called the police?" I asked."Remember the Redside police department is on their payroll, I don't think it's going to be something they'll like to hear," Barry said, pushing themselves off the wall."You're right. They won't care about what we say," I said and
[|]"You know, at some point, I started to give up on Lucas since I saw you weren't interested in him. That's where Clark comes in," Maddy said and sat down on a chair the man had brought for her. "I saw him, he was rich, handsome, and a player like Lucas. They had the same issues, family problems and all. I felt like I had Lucas but in a different body."I was too weak to even try to tell her how crazy she was. I saw her type of person in the movies and books. It was so unbelievable I was experiencing such before my very eyes. "As I was saying before this, I found out Lucas was going to our college and I had to forfeit a prestigious university to be close to him. I watched him but with you around, it was so hard. I ended up regretting canceling your scholarship to the college in the UK. I wish I had but I'm only human. When I found out you choose this college as your second choice, I had to keep you close and make sure you got in. I'm sorry for everything you went through but you de
[|]My eyelids hurt so bad that I felt pain when I struggled to open my eyes. When I had them open, the first thing I saw was my lap through slightly blurred vision. I hissed and then moaned when I felt a dull ache on my head. I tried to raise my head but it was difficult, almost as if my neck was stiff with pain. I shut my eyes against another wave of a dull headache then opened them when I heard heavy footsteps."You're finally awake," a gruff masculine voice reached my ears and I groaned out in pain when my hair was yanked back.The pain in my neck and head doubled and I felt dizzy from the movement. I took deep breaths and looked to my side, I saw the same man who had been following me in the supermarket. My eyes widened as fear came over me then I became aware of my surroundings. I was facing a church altar and on my side were rows of wooden benches. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked back at the altar in confusion. I could tell from the stained glass window behind the cross that