Crossing hearts

Chapter 5

Lily tossed and turned in her bed, the events of the day replaying in her mind like a relentless loop. The encounter with Zane weighed heavily on her thoughts, and she was furious at how freely he roamed the campus, seemingly unaffected by his actions. *How dare he hit someone like that and just walk around like nothing happened?* she thought, anger coursing through her veins.

The next day, as she walked to class with Molly and Harper, she noticed Zane again, lounging against a wall, a confident smirk on his face. Her stomach twisted at the sight.

"What the hell is that?" Lily blurted, pointing him out to her friends.

"Lily, you really need to stay away from him," Molly warned, her tone serious. "That guy is trouble. Even the professors are scared of him. His grandfather is a big donor to the school, and he has this reputation that's terrifying."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, her curiosity piqued despite her better judgment.

"Rumor has it that he killed his own father," Harper chimed in, her eyes wide. "He was in custody for a month, but his grandfather got him out. Now he's back, and nobody dares cross him."

Lily's heart raced at the revelation. "Wait, he killed his father? Are you serious?"

"I don't know all the details, but that's what I've heard," Molly replied, glancing around as if Zane might be listening. "He just got really angry one day, and things escalated. It's not safe to get involved with him, Lily. Trust me."

Stunned, Lily stood frozen for a moment, processing the information. *How could someone like him do something so extreme?* She had known he was a bully, but this was on another level. She tried to shake off the thought. *No, no, no. Don't go there, Lily. You never really know anyone for sure.*

The bell rang, breaking her out of her thoughts. As Molly and Harper headed to class, Lily lingered for a moment, her mind still racing with disbelief. She felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought of Zane's dark past.

The day passed in a blur, and Lily tried to focus on her classes, but Zane's image lingered in the back of her mind. After a relatively uneventful history class, as they walked back to the dorm, Harper turned to her with a spark of excitement.

"Hey, guess what? There's a party this weekend! You should totally come!"

Lily hesitated, unsure. "I don't know... I'm not really in the mood for a party."

"Come on! It'll be fun! You can bring Collins, your boyfriend. It'll be a great way to take your mind off everything," Molly encouraged, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe it would be good to get out and have some fun," Lily conceded, feeling the weight of her thoughts begin to lift.

Later that evening, she texted Collins, her fingers dancing across the screen. "Hi! How are you? It's been so long; I miss you so much! There's a party here this weekend. Do you want to come as my date? I'd love for you to meet my friends!"

Collins replied almost instantly. "Hey! I miss you too! I'd love to come. Can't wait to see you!"

With a smile, Lily put her phone down, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of having Collins around. As she sat with Molly and Harper later, she couldn't shake the nagging thoughts about Zane.

"I don't know why I keep thinking about him," she admitted, biting her lip. "It's like I can't get him out of my head."

Molly raised an eyebrow. "You miss home and Collins. It's only been a week since you got here. I think you're just feeling a bit out of place."

"Maybe you're right," Lily replied, although doubt lingered in her mind. "I want to focus on Collins. He's my boyfriend, and I promised him forever."

Harper chimed in, "You should let him stay the night after the party! It'll be nice to have some time together. Maybe you two can... you know, get a little closer."

Lily felt her cheeks heat at the thought. *Maybe they could.* She smiled at her friends, nodding. "Yeah, that sounds perfect. I need to remind myself why I'm with him. He's mine, and I'm his forever. We've made that promise to each other."

As she lay in bed that night, a mixture of anticipation and confusion swirled inside her. She closed her eyes, hoping that spending time with Collins would help her forget about Zane, but the lingering questions remained. *What is it about him?* she thought as sleep slowly took over, pulling her into a restless dream filled with shadows and unspoken words.