Entwined

Frayed Edges

Disclaimer:This chapter has been entirely rewritten to enhance the storyline and improve the reading experience. Hope you like it!

I also changed the book title and cover. Hope you like it.

I was disastrously late to my morning lecture. Silas didn't seem to care, but I detested the extra attention that came with arriving late — the inevitable walk past a visibly annoyed professor and the judgmental stares of my peers. I ran towards class while Silas casually strolled. Just as I slid through the closing door, I stumbled and fell. My mini fluffy skirt flipped over my back, revealing that I was wearing a pink thong — a fact now known to everyone. That's another one for my list of embarrassing incidents.

I glared at some guys who commented on my thong and walked to my seat, sending daggers with my eyes to everyone.

"Thank you, Cindy, for that outburst. Let's get started with our lecture, shall we?" the professor commented dryly, eliciting laughter from the class. I responded with a fake smile and mentally flipped them off.

Twenty minutes later, Silas entered the class, as unruffled as ever, and placed a cappuccino in front of me.

"I leave you for two minutes and you're already in trouble," Silas remarked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"This," he said, showing me a picture of my exposed backside with the pink thong.

"How? Who sent you that so quickly?" I asked, both nervous and angered.

He simply pointed towards one of the guys who had made a comment earlier.

"I swear, I will end him!" I declared.

At our university, the same bullies consistently harassed girls, taking compromising photos without consent and sharing them in the university chat group. No one intervened because it seemed to entertain most people.

"Don't worry. The admin took it down," Silas said.

"What? How? They never take anything down. The admin is their friend," I said, still anxious.

"Let's just say I convinced him," Silas replied with a smirk.

I searched the classroom for that familiar blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He wasn't there, though I was sure he had headed toward the cafeteria earlier.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Where he belongs," Silas answered cryptically.

A satisfied smile crossed my face, pleased with the swift revenge. However, the original perpetrator still had the photo. My nervosity kicking back in as Silas pulled out his phone, found the bully's ID in the chat group, and sent him a message with a threatening photo attached. The message was clear: Delete or I share this.

"Who's this?" I murmured, looking at the image of a girl.

"His sister," Silas murmured back.

The bully replied promptly and presumably deleted the photo.

Despite the resolution, I felt uneasy about how Silas had handled the situation. I looked at him, unsure if I should voice my concern.

"Just spit it already" Silas prompted.

"Wasn't it wrong to use her like that?" I asked timidly.

"She sends nudes to half the guys here. I didn't ask for them; she just sent them. I used them to protect you," he explained bluntly.

I processed his justification, choosing to focus on the relief of the moment. The lecture continued, and I sipped my cappuccino, while Silas seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts.