Hailee’s POV
Arriving, I t Callum already seated in his usual seat beside mine. He smiled at as he watched approach, and when I sat down, he planted a kiss on the side of my cheek.
"Good morning, girlfriend," he said with a smirk.
I blushed but raised a brow. "Girlfriend?"
Callum nodded. "Yes, darling... the news is already spreading all over the school. Everyone thinks we’re dating... well, they’re not exactly wrong."
Callum’s smirk deepened as he leaned back casually in his seat. "Actually... I got sothing for you."
I blinked in surprise. "For ?"
He nodded and reached under his desk, pulling out a single red rose. Its petals were soft and perfectly blood, the deep color standing out vividly against his fingers.
My lips parted slightly as he handed it to . "Callum..."
"It reminded of you," he said simply, his gaze holding mine with that teasing warmth of his.
I felt my cheeks warm. "You’re ridiculous," I murmured, but my voice softened as I took it.
Before I could say anything else, the sound of footsteps approaching caught my attention.
Dane had just walked into the classroom.
He moved with that effortless confidence he always carried, but this ti his eyes were locked directly on . My breath hitched slightly.
Without a word, he reached my desk, leaned down... and pressed a firm, lingering kiss to my forehead—right there in front of everyone.
I froze.
Around us, the quiet hum of the classroom broke into murmurs. I could feel several pairs of eyes on us, our classmates whispering in surprise.
I wasn’t sure whether to move or speak. My heart was thudding, my face burning.
But Dane didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. He straightened, his expression unreadable, and then reached into his bag.
When his hand ca out, he was holding a small, elegant box of chocolates.
"These are for you," he said simply, setting them down on my desk like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The whispers in the room grew louder.
I glanced between the rose in my hand and the chocolates in front of , my pulse racing as I struggled to process what to do.
Dane’s gaze flicked briefly toward the class, his eyes sharp and commanding. "Face your front," he said, his tone calm but carrying an authority that made a few people instantly turn away.
The murmuring died down almost imdiately.
Then he looked back at , the intensity in his eyes softening into sothing warr. A small smirk tugged at his lips.
"I’ll see you at break," he said quietly, like it was a promise.
Before I could answer, he turned and walked to his seat. I swallowed hard and looked at Callum, who had a nonchalant look on his face, like he didn’t care what Dane had just done. It seed he was taking this whole sharing situation surprisingly well, or maybe he was just hiding it better than I thought.
The teacher ca in and started arranging her notes, but my mind was barely in the room. I tried to focus, but instead, I found myself wondering... where was Nathan? He was never late for class, and that only made more anxious.
Almost without thinking, I slid my phone out from under the desk and unlocked it.
A new ssage was waiting for .
Nathan: Good morning, red hair. I won’t be in class today—I’ve got a lot to prepare for our date tonight.
My lips curved unconsciously. Even just reading it made my chest warm in a way I wasn’t ready to admit out loud.
A date. Tonight.
I bit my lip, quickly typing back under the desk.
: Good morning... can’t wait.
I set the phone face-down, my mind drifting through a tangled ss.
It was a miracle my brain could still function at all.
When class ended, I was shoving my books into my bag when Callum turned to , his eyes was bright with that boyish excitent of his.
"Hey," he started, leaning closer, "how about we do a movie night at my place tonight? Just you and ... we could order pizza, watch sothing fun, maybe even grab dessert after. It’s been forever since we had our own ti together."
The smile on his face was so pure and eager, it almost made feel guilty instantly.
Because Nathan’s text flashed in my mind—our date tonight.
I hesitated, my hand pausing mid-zip on my bag.
If I told Callum I couldn’t... he’d think I was favoring Nathan. And that was the last thing I wanted right now.
I forced a smile. "Okay... but I might co a bit late. I have sothing I need to do first."
He grinned like I’d just made his whole week. "Perfect. I’ll wait for you."
Before I could process, a shadow fell over the desk.
It was Dane.
"Walk with , Hailee," he said quietly, though it was more of a statent than a request.
I glanced at Callum, who gave a shrug like go ahead. So I followed Dane out into the hall.
When we reached a quieter spot, he turned to , his expression softening. "I’ve been thinking... we should go for an evening walk today. Just you and . There’s sothing I want to talk about."
My heart sank.
Not because I didn’t want to spend ti with him, but because I already had a date with Nathan and a promised movie night with Callum.
I opened my mouth to decline, but then... if I said no, Dane would definitely think I was giving my ti to the others over him.
So I nodded weakly. "Okay."
"Good." His lips curved faintly, almost satisfied. "I’ll pick you up later."
As he walked away, I just stood there, my bag hanging loosely from my hand, my head spinning.
Nathan’s date.
Callum’s movie night.
Dane’s evening walk.
I was in big trouble.
How the hell was I supposed to share myself like this?
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