Wild Hearts

Chapter Twelve

I settle into a worn leather chair in the corner of the college library, tucking myself away from the buzz of other students. The quiet here usually gives me space to breathe, but today I feel restless, my mind flickering back to the last time I saw Preston, the way he had looked at me as if he could see straight through every excuse, I had made to avoid him.

I pull out my phone, hoping a quick Instagram post will distract me. The second I connect to Wi-Fi, the screen erupts with notifications—comments, tags, and likes piling on so fast I can barely swipe them away. My fingers freeze as I catch the blue checkmark beside a new message request.

The lingerie brand. Fleur Noire!

I click on the message and read it slowly, each word landing heavily. A full campaign, a real shoot, a chance to represent them online. My fingers tremble as I swipe through the details, my heart racing faster with each sentence. The opportunity is huge. This is not just an offer; it is the kind of breakthrough I have been dreaming of, the one I used to think would change everything.

My palms are slick with sweat, and I press my hands into the cold desk to steady myself, but it does not help. My pulse pounding in my neck, a sharp, steady throb. My breath catches, the air feeling suddenly thinner as if the weight of this one message is enough to pull me back to who I used to be. I blink, trying to focus, but it is hard to see straight when all I can think about is how this could be the start of everything I have been working for.

A part of me wants to jump up and run, scream, to celebrate it with someone, anyone. But another part of me feels the heat rising to my cheeks as a sharp pang of doubt gnaws at me. What would Preston think? What would my dad say? Would they even understand how much this means?

I stare at the message again, the glow of the brand's logo almost hypnotic, my thumb still hovering. My dad's voice rings in my head, faint but unmistakable, telling me this whole influencer thing is not a real career. And Preston... I do not even want to imagine his expression. But before I can decide on my next move, the sound of footsteps approaches, and I freeze. I do not need to look up to know who it is.

Lexi slides into the chair across from me with a casual grace, her eyes scanning my phone screen before meeting mine.

"Wow, you're really blowing up lately. Gained all those followers pretty fast." She taps her pen thoughtfully.

"I didn't expect—" My voice catches, a rush of nerves making it hard to sound nonchalant. "I didn't expect it to take off like this."

She raises an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she glances at her phone again, almost absentmindedly. "People love a good story, don't they? Always want to know what's behind the picture... behind the persona."

I shift in my seat, unsure how to respond.

She shrugs, almost dismissively, as if she is already lost interest in the topic. "People get weirdly obsessed with stuff like that. Anyway, how's everything else going with... you know, all of this?" She gestures vaguely at my phone, as if it is just another passing thought.

I shift uncomfortably under Lexi's gaze, her words lingering like an itch I cannot quite scratch. "I—I don't know. I guess it just kind of happened. I wasn't expecting the attention. But you know... I just do my thing, and people notice."

She raises an eyebrow but says nothing more, letting the silence stretch between us. Her distracted glances toward her phone speak volumes, and I cannot help but wonder what she is really thinking.

I walk through the campus with a quick pace, my feet almost moving on their own. I have been taking the long way around lately avoiding the paths that lead straight to the farm. The one with the quiet stretch of road where Preston usually waits for me after class, the one I cannot seem to stop thinking about no matter how hard I try.