25. Daphne

Chapter twenty-five

Daphne

H aving seen pictures of Alex at a party, despite his assurances of spending time with family, I can’t resist the urge to confront him. Impulsively, I jump into my car and head straight for the frat house, my heart pounding in my chest.

As I pull into the parking lot, the frat house looms over me like a menacing beast. The pulsating music is a constant reminder of the lively atmosphere inside. With trembling hands, I turn off the engine and step out of the car, my heart racing.

I weave through the throng of sweaty bodies and spilled drinks, my eyes darting across the room in search of him.

“Hey, Daphne! What brings you here?” Tyler’s voice interrupts my search. He leans against a doorway with a beer in hand.

“I’m looking for Alex,” I reply, brushing off his smirk. There’s no time for games.

“Damn, are you really obsessed with Whitmore? I thought that was just a joke Celeste spread.” He raises a brow .

A knot forms in my stomach, tightening with each word. I’m trying to hide the pain. “Where is he?”

“Hate to break it to you, darlin’, but he’s with his girlfriend.” His words sting like a slap, forcing a tear to escape. I blink it back, the salty sting burning my eyes.

I’m not surprised. I mean, I saw the pictures of them together on social media.

“Thanks,” I mutter, turning away. I won’t cry. Not here.

My heart pounds in my ears, a drumbeat of betrayal and heartbreak. I can feel the blood rushing to my face, hot and angry.

I glance back at Tyler, his smug expression a dagger in my chest. I want to scream, to lash out, but I know that would only make things worse.

As I turn to leave, I can feel his eyes boring into me, a silent judgment that cuts deeper than any words. I hurry away, my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

Through clusters of laughing faces, I move, my heart sinking. Then I see Eden, alone in the kitchen. Her green eyes are wide as she stares right at me. Obviously, no one expected to see me here tonight.

“Eden,” I call out, my voice barely above a whisper.

She gives a fake smile. “Daphne, do you know—” I read her unanswered question. Do I know what Alex is doing ?

“No, but that’s why I’m here,” I cut her off, needing answers.

Eden steps forward with her arms open. I remain standing, unmoving and lost. Her embrace is warm as she hugs me tightly. It’s nice, but it’s also confirmation that my world is crashing. “I’m here for you, okay?”

“Where is he, Eden?” I ask, pulling back, searching her face for some kind of hope. Any kind of hope.

Give me something.

She hesitates, then nods towards the glass door. “Backyard.”

“Thanks.” I brace myself, ready to face whatever comes next.

I step away from Eden, my feet moving on autopilot. The bass thumps in my chest, a dull reminder that I’m still here, in this place where I don’t belong. Through the living room, the music distorts as if underwater. Maybe it’s just the ringing in my ears.

The air grows cooler as I near the back door. My hand is steady as it pushes against the surprisingly cold glass. Outside, there’s laughter and flickering lights. A fire pit casts shadows on faces I don’t want to see.

My heart feels like lead in my chest. It’s all too loud, too bright. Yet inside, a void expands, swallowing every emotion until there’s nothing but numbness. I can’t even summon anger, just a hollow sort of dread .

The deck under my shoes is slightly damp. It makes a soft sound, almost gentle. Opposite to the chaos inside me. I keep walking, my eyes fixed on the shapes moving in the darkness ahead.

He’s out there somewhere. With her. The thought should hurt more, but it’s just a fact now—sharp and simple.

I take a deep breath, tasting the night air. It smells like smoke and spilled beer. My steps slow. Almost there. Almost time to face what I’ve been denying. I follow the wraparound deck.

A giggle comes from straight ahead inside the hot tub, drawing my attention straight to it. I recognize that feminine, high-pitched giggle. Lately, that giggle is always accompanied by my boyfriend.

Steam from the hot tub obscures the view I get to said boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend, but unfortunately, not enough for me not to see Celeste sitting in Alex’s lap. His arms are around her shoulders from behind while she giggles at something Victoria says to their right. A brilliant smile graces my boyfriend’s face. He seems to be having a good time. No longer is he that depressed man I witnessed sleeping in bed. Even more so when Celeste lays her head on his chest, completely secure in his arms.

My boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend.

Only, he isn’t my boyfriend. Not really. I can’t sit in a hot tub with him, and right now, I’m realizing I never will .

I can’t help the gasp that escapes my lips. It’s embarrassing, but my heart is breaking right in front of my eyes and it’s too late to stop it. I feel like I’ve stumbled upon an intimate moment between them. Celeste is barely dressed, and Alex isn’t wearing a shirt, and I can’t stop the image of Celeste sitting on his dick in that hot tub.

I feel my heart twist painfully in my chest, a sharp stab of jealousy and hurt that I can’t ignore. Tears threaten to spill over as I turn away, unable to bear the sight any more. The laughter, the once-familiar warmth between them, now feels like a mockery, a cruel joke at my expense.

I can’t help but ask myself why I’m doing this. Why I’m subjecting myself to this torment when there’s no guarantee it will ever become anything more than what it is now, which is a secret tinged with pain, anger, and unrequited love.

I close my eyes against the harsh reality. The echoes of their laughter, the whispers of fond memories I am not part of. They all linger in the thick steamy air, taunting me.

I force myself to swallow down the lump in my throat, to push past this overwhelming feeling of betrayal. I tell myself that this is what I signed up for—a secret relationship hidden behind closed doors.

But I didn’t sign up for this . For the pain of watching the man I love with someone else .

The yard feels stiflingly hot, the heat of the tub unbearable against my skin. I feel like I’m drowning, suffocating under the weight of everything unspoken between us.

Suddenly, Alex’s gaze drifts away from Celeste and lands squarely on me. His eyes widen slightly, and he seems momentarily shocked that I’m here. Realizing they’re all staring at me now, I quickly scramble to turn my gaze away. I feel like a voyeur, someone who is spying on a man she’s obsessed with. A stalker. A feign. Isn’t that the rumor?

Victoria’s sneer draws my attention, her words slicing through the air like a sharp knife. “You need to get over your little crush on my brother. It’s embarrassing and, to be frank, pathetic.” My cheeks flush with embarrassment as tears blur my vision, but rather than feel like she’s being cruel, I gain a new perspective. All this time, I thought she was relentlessly mean for no reason, but she’s giving me the blunt truth.

I choke out, “I understand, and you’re absolutely right. I need to move on . ”

Victoria looks taken aback by my lack of a retort, but for once, I’m grateful for her blunt honesty. Maybe this is what I’ve needed all along. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut—I can’t bear to look at Alex anymore. The pain in my heart is too great. How I’ve been in love with him for far too long, and now that love is crumbling into nothingness, dawns on me.

Without a backwards glance, I rush back into the house, ignoring the sounds of the party and the music. I think I hear someone calling my name, but I can’t stop. In this moment, all I can see in my mind’s eye is Celeste sitting on his lap, their bodies entwined. He is whispering sweet nothings into her ear while twirling her hair around his finger. They laugh as if they are the only two people in the world.

In my mind, he is also reassuring her and telling her how much she means to him. He is finally free from me because I have stumbled onto the path that breaks my heart, while that same path fixes his.

I am the villainous witch who keeps the prince from his princess. The realization hits hard: Alex never belonged to me. He never did and never will.

I stumble towards my car, barely managing to buckle my seatbelt before pulling out of the driveway and speeding away as fast as I can. When my vision becomes too blurred from tears to see straight, I pull over to the side of the road.

In this moment, I am the villain in Alex’s story, but I also know that I deserve more than this. My mother always warned me about my tendency towards darkness, and if I continue to play the role of the villain in the Whitmore family’s story, I will start to believe that is all I am capable of. I refuse to be anyone’s dirty little secret or settle for fake love out of obligation.

The nagging feeling I had last night was right. I should have listened to it.

Sobbing, I pull my phone from my pocket and send a text to Alex. The fact that he has not bothered to reach out to me confirms my suspicions. We should break up in person, but hasn’t our relationship already ended? When I saw him flirting and being intimate with another woman, it was over before it even began. So why should I feel guilty for ending things through a text? If anything, I am showing him mercy by not making him do it himself. Even though it feels like my heart is shattering into a million tiny pieces, at least I am taking control of my own happiness. Unlike Alex, who strung me along with false promises and led me on.

Yes, maybe I am the villain in his story, but in this moment, I am finding the strength to choose myself while letting go in the process.

Me:

You’re off the hook.

Then, I block his number and all of his social media accounts.

Goodbye, Alexandru Whitmore. It was a beautiful dream, but I still woke up alone.