Our different worlds

For us

Alex's PoV:

As I stared down at the flyer in my hands, my grip tightened, fingers pressing into the paper so hard I could feel it crumpling. King's Gossip had crossed every line. My jaw clenched as I read the words again, each sentence more poisonous than the last: Scholarship girl. Go back to where you belong. The words twisted Evelyn's achievements, mocked everything she was proud of, and turned her accomplishments into a reason to humiliate her.

People around me were whispering, casting furtive glances in my direction, some bold enough to openly stare. My vision blurred, fury coursing through me, and I took a sharp step toward a pair of guys nearby, their stares too smug, too eager for the drama.

"What?!" I barked, my voice harsh. They quickly looked away, the smirks vanishing, but it wasn't enough. Nothing would be enough until I found out who did this and made them pay for every word on this paper.

"Alex." A firm hand came down on my shoulder, pulling me back. Thomas looked at me with a level gaze, and I knew he could feel the rage practically radiating off me.

Then Max was in front of me, meeting my eyes. "Man, don't give them anything to latch onto. Every move you make now, they'll use it against her. Don't give them that."

His words cut through, and the truth of it settled heavily on me. Any mistake I made, any outburst, would only come back to haunt her. I swallowed hard, tension buzzing in every muscle, but I forced myself to breathe, to pull back.

But I needed to find her. I needed to see her, to make sure she was okay.

Our friends scattered across campus, calling her name and scouring every spot she might have gone to escape this. I paced, checking my phone for any message, any sign. With every passing second, I felt the knot in my chest tighten. She wasn't in her dorm, she wasn't answering her phone, and she wasn't in any of the usual places. Finally, a memory flashed in my mind-our place in the woods, where we'd found a quiet escape together before.

I ran, barely noticing the chill of the evening as I made my way toward the village, then down the winding trails that led to the cliff's edge. And there, against the setting sun, I finally saw her, sitting alone on the bench, small and quiet against the vast landscape.

I stopped a few paces away, watching her silently. She looked out over the cliff, her profile delicate against the fading light, and as I stepped closer, I saw the streaks of dried tears on her cheeks. My stomach twisted, and suddenly, I didn't know what to say, every word caught somewhere in my throat. She'd always been so strong, so sure of herself, and seeing her like this shattered something inside me.

I walked over, finally catching her attention, and she turned toward me, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Her pain hit me like a physical blow.

"I hate seeing you cry," I whispered, my voice raw. I wanted to comfort her, to wipe away everything that had been said, everything that hurt her. "I'll find out who did this. Whoever they are, I swear, I'll make them pay."

She looked down, her lips pressed into a thin line as she shook her head. "It's stupid, isn't it? I shouldn't even care. I know who I am. I'm proud of what I've done, of how hard I worked to be here. I know that." She paused, her voice breaking a little. "But here, in this world, it means nothing. They'll never see me as anything but someone who doesn't belong."

I reached out, gently brushing my fingers over her cheek, trying to comfort her in some way. "They're the ones who don't belong, Evelyn. You're worth more than any of them."

She looked back at me, her eyes full of hurt and frustration, her expression so conflicted it made my chest ache. "I know that," she whispered. "But they've twisted everything I'm proud of into something ugly, Alex. And for the first time, I don't know if I can change how they see me. I've worked harder than all of them, and it still doesn't matter. In their eyes, I'll always be the outsider."

The weight of her words settled heavily in the silence, and I knew that she was realizing just how deeply this world would fight to push her out. And it tore me up inside, knowing I'd dragged her into it.

"Maybe we shouldn't be together, Alex," she said softly, her voice barely audible. "I can't be the reason you feel like this, the reason people look at you differently."

Hearing her say it felt like a punch in the gut, but I shook my head immediately. "No. That's not happening. I'm not letting you go, Evelyn." I softened my voice, trying to keep the emotion from spilling over. "I'd rather ruin my image a thousand times than lose you."

She looked at me, sadness and something else flickering across her face. "But maybe... maybe you would have it easier without me." Her voice was choked, and she averted her eyes.

I reached out, cupping her face gently, forcing her to meet my gaze. "It's not you making me feel this way, Evelyn. This place, this shallow, narrow world-they're the ones that make me feel trapped. You make me feel free. And I'd give all of this up if it meant being with you."

Her breath hitched, her eyes softening as she looked back at me, and the words I'd held back for so long tumbled out before I could stop them. "I love you, Evelyn. I love you so much that if you wanted to walk away, I'd let you. But I'd never stop loving you."

Her fingers brushed over mine, her touch warm and gentle as she squeezed my hand, her voice barely a whisper. "I love you, too."

The pain and anger I'd been carrying melted away as I held her, the world fading into the background as we sat there together. In that moment, I knew that no matter how hard this fight became, I wasn't letting her go. She'd given me the strength to stand against everything I'd been taught to care about, and as long as she was by my side, I could face it all.

"I promise," I said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I'll fight for us. For you."

The drive back to the university was silent, the weight of the whole day lingering between us. Evelyn held my hand as we walked back toward the dorms, and I squeezed it, determined to let her know that I'd be there through every ugly turn this would take.

As we reached her building, my phone buzzed in my pocket. When I saw the name on the screen, a chill ran through me. Dad.

I answered, feeling her gaze on me as I lifted the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

There was no greeting, no acknowledgment, only his cold, level voice. "I need you to come home. Now."

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone, my stomach twisting. He didn't need to say anything more; I knew exactly what this was about. King's Gossip. The story about Evelyn. My father was aware, and he was not pleased.

Evelyn's fingers tightened around mine, pulling me out of my thoughts. Her eyes were already searching my face, picking up on the shift in my expression.

"Was that...?" she began softly.

I nodded. "It was him. He wants me to go home-he wants to talk. And I'm sure it's about us."

Her gaze dropped, the uncertainty flickering across her face. "Alex... you don't have to bring me into that. This is-"

"No," I cut her off, looking at her squarely, "you're part of this now. I want them to meet you. I want to show them why you're worth everything to me." I squeezed her hands, willing her to understand. "I'm done hiding who I care about."

She shook her head, looking almost afraid. "Alex, I don't think this is a good idea. I've heard enough about your dad to know he's not going to be happy. And if he doesn't like me... I don't want to make things worse for you."

I softened, reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from her face. "Evelyn, I know this won't be easy. But I want to face him. For the first time, I'm willing to go head-to-head with him. Because you're worth it."

She stared at me for a moment, her resolve wavering as she searched my face. "What if... what if it doesn't go the way you're hoping?"

I took a deep breath. "Whatever happens, I'm with you. They'll see who you really are, and if they can't accept it, then they can't accept me either."

Evelyn let out a small sigh, her expression torn but finally resigned. "Okay," she whispered, nodding slowly. "Okay. I'll go with you."