Part 3The Eleventh Hour

The crazy part is, when Chloe transferred here, she was my friend first.

Back then, Liam was the one who warned me. "She seems fake, Mia. Be careful."

I actually tried to get them to like each other.

Then came the winter formal. Chloe took off her dorky glasses, let her hair down, and showed up in this stunning red dress.

After that night, Liam never told me to stay away from her again.

Their "friendship" got closer. He introduced her to all his friends, our friends. Before I knew it, my circle had become her circle.

He was... different with her.

We had a massive fight about it once. A three-month cold war.

I told him, "If you like her, just tell me. I'll back off."

He cried. He actually cried.

"You're the only one I care about, Mia," he said. "Chloe's just... she's got anxiety, her family life is a mess. I'm just trying to be a good guy."

And I believed him.

He played me for a fool.

The line between "helping" and "cheating" blurred until it disappeared.

And now, he’d changed his entire future for her.

Leaving me looking like the biggest idiot in the world.

I'd lost track of time. My mom came home, saw me staring at the wall, and smiled.

"Fighting with Liam again? He texted me. Said you blocked him and to tell you to add him back."

I mumbled something noncommittal and left.

Our academic advisor had called a last-minute meeting to confirm our applications.

When I got to the lecture hall, Liam was there. The seat next to him—my seat—was empty for a second.

Then Chloe slid into it.

Liam didn't say anything. He just took the bag she handed him and put it under the chair. But his eyes kept flicking toward me.

He was waiting for me to break. To make a scene.

He thought wrong.

I turned and sat down in the empty seat next to Ethan, the school’s resident quiet-and-handsome guy. Miles away from them.

"This is it, people!" the advisor said. "The portal locks at midnight tonight. This is your last chance to triple-check. No regrets!"

As she droned on, Ethan glanced at my confirmation sheet.

"Hey. The Paris program, right?" he said, his voice low. "Me too. Small world."

Before I could answer, someone tapped my shoulder. Hard.

"Mia. Don't you have something to say?"

I ignored him, turning back to Ethan.

Liam grabbed my arm and physically dragged me out into the hallway.

"Mia, are you done?" he snapped.

"Throwing a tantrum is one thing, but blocking me? Seriously?"

"I'm warning you, add me back right now, or you'll never get the chance again."

I just stared at him.

"Oh," I said. "I wasn't planning on it."

His face went pale, then dark red.

"Fine. Don't come crying to me later."

He turned to leave, but then spun back, his eyes suddenly intense.

"It's almost the deadline," he said, his voice lower. "Just... check your application one more time, okay? Don't... don't mess it up."

He wanted to say more, but Chloe walked up, interrupting.

"Liam? I don't get this part of the financial aid form. Can you help me?"

"Yeah, of course," he said, his attention instantly shifting.

I just smiled, a small, bitter smile, and walked away.

As I reached the door, I heard him call out one last time.

"Mia! Remember to check it! Really check it!"