† 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 † Angels Love

Chapter 16

Star's POV

The morning after the Winter Ball, I found myself sitting at a corner table in the dining hall, staring down at my untouched plate of food. The smell of warm pancakes and syrup filled the air, mingling with the chatter of students still buzzing from the night before. Conversations about the ball were everywhere—who danced with whom, what dresses were worn, the enchanting snowfall that had filled the Great Hall. It was like the entire school was reliving the magic all over again.

Except for me.

My mind was elsewhere, replaying the events of the night before in my room with Christopher. The kisses we'd shared, the way he'd held me like he didn't want to let go, the soft sound of the clock striking midnight, reminding us that our time was up. After midnight, we had decided to pretend as if nothing had happened between us during the ball. We'd agreed to say that Christopher canceled last minute and that we never went. A part of me felt relief, as if a weight had been lifted. But another part of me felt empty, like I was missing something I couldn't quite put into words.

Lily sat down across from me, her tray clinking against the table. She was wearing a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with the leftover excitement from the ball. "Morning, Star," she said cheerfully, reaching for the syrup. "You missed quite the night. Everyone was looking for you. I thought for sure you'd be there with Christopher. What happened?"

I took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto my face. "Christopher canceled last minute," I said, my voice steady. "Something came up. So, I decided not to go."

Lily's smile faltered, her brows knitting together in confusion. "Canceled? What do you mean? He seemed so excited about going with you."

I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light. "I guess he changed his mind. It's no big deal, really. We just thought it'd be better if we stayed out of the spotlight for once. Besides, I wanted a quiet night, and that's exactly what I got."

She studied me for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you sure? You don't seem... I don't know, yourself. Is everything okay, Star?"

I hesitated, the urge to tell her everything rising up inside me. Lily had always been the person I could talk to about anything, the one who understood me better than anyone. But how could I explain what had happened? How could I tell her that Christopher and I had shared something real, well for me-, something that scared me more than anything, and then decided to pretend like it never happened?

"I'm fine," I said finally, forcing another smile. "Just... tired, I guess. It was a long night, even without the ball."

Lily nodded slowly, her eyes still full of concern. "Okay," she said softly. "But you know you can talk to me, right? About anything."

"I know," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. "Thanks, Lily."

We ate in silence for a few moments, the noise of the dining hall filling the space between us. I pushed my food around on my plate, my appetite gone. The truth was, I didn't know how to feel. Last night had been perfect, more perfect than I'd ever imagined. But now, in the light of day, it felt like a dream. A beautiful, fleeting dream that I was already waking up from.

Lily reached across the table, her hand covering mine. "You and Christopher... you're not just friends, are you?"

I looked up at her, surprise and uncertainty flooding me. "Lily, I... We are rivals-"

"You don't have to explain," she said gently. "I just want you to be happy, Star. If Christopher makes you happy, then that's all that matters. But you shouldn't have to hide it. Not from me, not from anyone."