All Chapters of Second Chance At Love: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Cassie. I cried harder as the punches landed on my ribs, my back, my shoulders—every part of me that could be reached. Even though they were human, their blows hurt. Maybe it was the sheer number of them or the fact that I hadn’t seen it coming, but I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my face as I lay there. The floor beneath me felt cold, but the burning pain coursing through my ribs, arms, and face distracted me from everything else. My vision blurred with tears as I curled into myself, trying to shield my head from their attacks. Why me? What had I done to deserve this? Cy was quiet in the back of my mind, an unusual stillness from her, because usually when something like this happened, she’d try to comfort me with soft words, but there was nothing. I knew, deep down, that her reason for remaining quiet had to do with the fact that we were dealing with humans, but it still hurt nonetheless. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, a loud, heavy bang echoe

Cassie.Lectures ended earlier than I expected, though not by my choice or normal situation. I was halfway to my next class when I heard my name being called, loud enough to stop me in my tracks. I turned around to see Mr. Pierson jogging toward me, holding a small white rectangular card in his hand.“What’s this?” I asked, staring at the card as if it might bite me, not looking down at it.“It’s a sick pass,” he replied, somewhat out of breath. “You’ve been excused for the rest of the day.”I stared at him, unsure of how to feel about it. “I’m fine,” I said. “I can still make it through the rest of the day.”He tilted his head, his gaze dropping briefly to the faint bruise forming on my wrist. His voice softened, though the sternness remained. “You’ve been through enough today. Don’t push yourself.”Slowly, I reached out and took the card, even though I hated the thought of leaving early. This wasn’t the way I’d imagined my first day of college going. I wanted to stay and prove to

Cassie.By lunch, the rumors had spiraled into full-blown scandal material. More detailed information about the affair surfaced. It sounded absurd but that didn’t stop anyone from entertaining the idea. It was scandalous, and scandals were irresistible. Even though no one had mentioned any names yet, I couldn’t shake the gnawing unease settling in my chest. Every look in my direction felt like it lingered too long, every laugh like it was aimed at me.I sat alone at a corner table in the cafeteria, poking at the pasta on my tray, as snippets of conversation floated toward me.“Do you really think it’s true?” one girl whispered to her friend at the table next to mine.“It has to be,” the other replied, her voice brimming with excitement. “Why else would a lecturer pay that much attention to a freshman?”My stomach churned. I knew better than to listen, but their words clung to me, each one sinking deeper than the last. It was just talk, I told myself. Nothing more than mindless goss

Cassie.When I woke up the next morning, something felt… off. It wasn’t like the typical tiredness from a restless night, though that was part of it. It was as if I’d forgotten something important that should have been impossible to overlook.Was it someone’s birthday? An anniversary? I wracked my brain, but nothing came to mind. Still, the unease lingered.Closing my eyes, I saw a hazy vision of Axel sitting on my bed, his hands reaching out to touch me. My heart quickened at the image, but I shook my head. No. That was impossible, I’d barely slept, and when I finally did, I was all alone in my room. It must’ve been a figment of my imagination, surely. The product of exhaustion, or maybe a bizarre dream. I pushed the thought away, forcing myself to focus on the day ahead.I dressed in the pair of jeans that nearly cost me my legs, that day at the mall and a plain black top to match. I rolled my hair into a bun, grabbed a banana on my way out of the kitchen, and headed out the doo

Axel.The moment Cassie returned home that day, something felt off. I couldn’t quite place it at first, but I knew something was wrong. She walked through the door, limping slightly, and I froze in place. I noticed her clothes were different from the ones she had worn earlier in the day. She was wearing something more casual, and her hair was down, completely covering her face.What bothered me the most, though, was the way she was avoiding me. She wasn’t meeting my gaze—she was just rushing to her room as if she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. My heart sank. I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out that something had happened. She was hiding something from me, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to know what it was.I stood there for a moment, just staring at the door she had disappeared behind. Then the worry set in. What happened to her?That night, I found myself replaying the day in my head over and over again. How did she go from being so excited to go to school in the mo