CHAPTER 183: HE HAS TO PROVE IT

Andria’s POV

We jogged in silence until we reached the path where we would part, the left leading toward the female apartments and the right toward the males.

Zade slowed, pulling his hoodie slightly off his head. "Guess this is where we part," he said, his voice low and calm, almost casual, sending waves of nostalgia down my spine.

I nodded, avoiding his eyes. "Yeah."

He gave that half smile again, the one that used to twist my heart in ways I didn’t want to remember. "See you around, Aria."

And just like that, he jogged away, long strides, shoulders relaxed, his front to me and his back to the direction of the male’s dormitory, the morning sun glinting off his damp hair. I stood there for a moment, watching his figure fade into the distance until he was gone.

My heart felt strange, and I didn’t like this. I felt a mix of guilt and unease. The kind of ache that came from realizing that someone might have truly loved you once, but may have been misunderstood all this time. But I wasn’t so sure yet; he needed to prove that he wasn’t that scumbag, that scumbag who took sides with Lena.

Zade might have loved Andria Falcon, and her sister’s influence may have contributed to it, but Aria can’t understand that; she has had her heart trampled upon so many times that she just believes it. But something in me tells me he has dug up something about me, and that wouldn’t help with my disguise. I hope he hasn’t.

He has been talking a lot about Andria these days, which is unusual. Whether he finds out or not, I just have to find a counter-defence in case of any trouble. Get an elderly wolf to be Mrs Wolfsburn. "Arrgh, my head hurts," I murmured to myself.

It will be hard for Zade to prove to be a changed man if he doesn’t find out who she was. And if he does find out, there’s a probability that he might not have changed. His kind gestures might fade, and the silly Alpha he was will resurface.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, forcing my feet to move again. The jog back to my apartment felt longer than before, but I still pushed myself forward, panting heavily towards my apartment.

When I reached my building, I could already hear laughter echoing faintly from inside. I pushed the door open to find Becca and Mel sprawled on the couch, playing card games, their laughter bouncing off the walls.

"Hey," I greeted, stepping inside, my chest rising and falling simultaneously.

Becca grinned without looking up. "Well, she finally came back. I thought she would spend the whole morning jogging."

Do they have to tease me, exaggeratingly? I shook my head, dragging my feet towards my room.

Mel smirked. "Our early jogger queen returns."

I chuckled, shaking my head as I pulled off my hoodie. "You both should reserve some energy for the sports practice this evening."

"Reserve energy?" Becca scoffed, glancing up with mock offence. "We are the ones sitting down, playing cards, and you are the one out there draining your energy before the sun is even fully up."

Mel nodded, giggling. "Exactly! And you still have to attend the school council meeting today. You are the one who should be resting."

Their words reminded me instantly of Sir Kaelric’s message. I pulled my phone from the side pocket of my joggers, opening the text he had sent earlier.

"Inform Becca she has been listed as one of the witnesses in Liara and Jackson’s case. Council meets before noon."

"Oh, right," I said, looking at Becca. "Sir Kaelric sent a message. You have been called as one of the witnesses."

Becca’s jaw dropped, her cards falling from her hand. "You are joking."

"I wish I were."

Mel burst into laughter at her expression. "Becca, you should have seen your face just now!"

Becca groaned, dragging a pillow over her face. "Why me?! Can’t they just use the reports? Why do I have to go there and speak?"

"Because you were one of the victims," I said, trying not to laugh. "You and Allison."

"And here I was thinking that after this card game, I get to rest before the sports practice," Becca groaned.

Mel giggled again. "You will survive."

I chuckled slightly and continued my walk to my room. Once inside, I reached for my phone. I needed to tell Allison before it’s too late. I grabbed my phone from my backpack and dialed Allison’s number.

She picked up almost immediately. "Aria? What’s up?"

"Morning," I greeted. "I just wanted to let you know that you’re also on the list of witnesses for the council meeting today, for Liara and Jackson’s case."

There was a short pause, then a surprised gasp. "Wait, what? Council meeting? For Liara and Jackson? Why, what happened?"

I winced slightly. I had forgotten that she didn’t know the full story. "Yeah. They are being arraigned today."

"Aria, what happened to them?" she demanded. "No one has told me anything! I don’t know what to say."

I hesitated, searching for words. "Well, you are telling the story of what transpired during the kissing booth event, every other thing.....You’ll find out soon enough. Just... come to the council meeting, okay?"

There was a beat of silence on the other end before she sighed. "Fine. But if you keep me in the dark again, I swear I’ll..."

"Bye, Allison," I cut in, chuckling, and ended the call before she could finish.

I dropped the phone on the bed, hurried into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. The cold water hit my skin, washing away the tension, or at least trying to. By the time I stepped out, my thoughts had already begun rearranging themselves around the meeting.

I dressed quickly, pulling on a black top and tailored slacks, and dashed out of the apartment. I didn’t want to wait for Becca because I knew that she wasn’t even halfway dressed yet.