All Chapters of CRUEL OBSESSION: Chapter 41 - Chapter 49

The fluorescent lights of Blackwood Academy buzzed with a frantic intensity, a jittery hum that matched the absolute chaos inside me.I kept my distance from Noah. It was deliberate, painful, and a complete failure because my eyes kept betraying me. Noah was a gravitational force, and I was some weak celestial object being yanked into his orbit, no matter how hard I fought it.Across the crowded cafeteria, beyond the endless chatter of teenagers and the questionable-looking pizza, I caught glimpses of him. His dark, unruly hair, the way he leaned back in his chair, laughing at something Liam said. His smile—ugh, his stupid, unfair, heart-wrecking smile. It wasn’t my fault I kept looking. My eyes had their own agenda.Kissing him yesterday after three painfully long weeks had been like taking a sip of forbidden nectar. No, scratch that—it was like rewarding myself with an entire chocolate cake after dieting for months. And then what had I done? Told him we couldn’t do it again. Idiot.

The Bentley rolled to a stop in front of my house, its glossy black finish practically shimmering in the late afternoon sun. I swear, Cameron could make even a car look like it was designed for royalty—if royalty was obsessed with appearances and deeply in love with his own reflection.I pasted on my best “I’m-so-happy-to-see-you” smile, the one I used when I had to pretend everything was fine. Walking toward the car, I made a big show of admiring the roses climbing up the stone pillars by our gate. I didn’t actually care about the roses, but they looked good for show. Like everything else in my life.Cameron was perched on the hood of the Bentley, looking like he was the king of the world. His dark eyes narrowed against the sun, and for a moment, I almost forgot how much I couldn’t stand how predictable he was. Perfect suit. Perfectly styled hair. The guy could probably make a paper bag look like high fashion. And me? Well, I was just stuck here with him, the guy I was supposed to m

The tension in the room crackled like static, and I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears as I stepped even closer to Noah. His presence was overwhelming, but in the best way possible, like a magnet pulling me toward him. The air between us felt thick, heavy with anticipation, and for the first time in what felt like forever, the world outside that room ceased to exist.Noah’s hand reached out hesitantly, like he wasn’t sure if I would let him touch me. His fingers grazed my arm, sending a shiver down my spine.“Are you sure?” His voice was rough, barely above a whisper, but the sincerity in it made me freeze. He wasn’t just asking if I was sure about the kiss but about the entire mess we were tangled in. About Tiffany, about my feelings for him, and maybe even about his own feelings for me.I swallowed hard, every word that had been stuck in my throat for so long finally fighting to come out. I wanted to tell him that I was sure—that I wasn’t confused about how I felt anymore. But

Three days.It had been three damn days since the library—since the heat of her body pressed against mine, since her hands fisted in my shirt like I was the only thing keeping her tethered to this world.Three days since I said the words that wrecked everything.And now?Now, she acted like I was dead.No—worse. Like I was an inconvenience. A speed bump on her perfectly paved road of denial.“Elena,” I called, stepping into her path before she could pretend she didn’t see me.She barely paused, just flicked her gaze over me and kept walking. Walking. Like I wasn’t standing right there.“Oh, cool. So I’m a ghost now?” I scoffed, falling into step beside her. “Do I need to start rattling chains or—”“Noah.” She exhaled sharply, not looking at me. “Not here.”Not here. Not now. Not ever, apparently.I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head. “Right. Because we only talk when we’re pressed against bookshelves, right? Got it.”Her jaw clenched, but she kept moving, weaving through the h