Luke's BONUS CHAPTER
LUKE POV
Buzzes from the cafeteria filled the air—the hum of conversations, the laughter, the happy munching sounds of students catching up with friends between classes. But all of it was just noise to me. My gaze was still fixed on the exit where I’d just seen her leave…with him. Ryan’s hand was on her arm, casually guiding her out like he had every right to. And Violet… she looked up at him with that shy, uncertain gaze she always seemed to have when she was around him, like he was the only person in the world that mattered.
“You okay, Luke?” A quiet voice I hadn’t remembered was here brought me back.
I blinked, glancing over at Ashley, who was watching me with a brow furrowed in concern. I forced a smile, hoping it didn’t look as strained as it felt. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
She didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure? You’ve been… off for weeks now.” Her eyes softened, genuine worry filling them.
I shrugged, trying to play it off. “I’m good, really.”
But even as I said it, the words tasted bitter in my mouth. I couldn’t stand being here anymore, so I mumbled something about needing to get some air and quickly made my way out.Behind me, I could feel Ashley’s gaze lingering, filled with confusion, worry—but I didn’t look back.
The moment I stepped into the empty hallway, my facade shattered.
Fine? I was the farthest thing from it. My heart was in pieces, and I didn’t know how to put it back together. I pressed my back against the cold wall, sliding down to sit on the floor as I tried to catch my breath, but the pain felt suffocating, like it was swallowing me whole.
How did I end up here? Pining after a girl who didn’t even seem to see me. I let out a harsh breath, raking a hand through my hair as frustration simmered into anger. None of this made any sense; I’d never felt like this about anyone. I wasn’t even sure I believed in love. But with Violet, it was different. She was kind, real, and she didn’t put on an act like everyone else around here. She was just… Violet.
But apparently, that didn’t mean anything. Not when Ryan Jenkins was in the picture.
For weeks, I’d been watching her drift closer to him, and yeah, I’d tried to play it off, tell myself it was nothing, that she’d come around eventually. But watching her walk out with him today felt like someone had reached into my chest and torn something out.
Why him?
That question gnawed at me, souring every thought. He was the biggest player in the entire school, a notorious heartbreaker. And yet, she looked at him like he was her whole world.
Meanwhile, here I was, on the sidelines. The guy who made her laugh, who shared lunches with her, who was always there, supporting her, who was rejected as her prom date, who’d almost kissed her once only to stop because he was tossed away by her stepbrother . And what did that get me?
Nothing. I’d played it safe, been respectful, given her space, and it had all been for nothing.
I clenched my fists, leaning my head back against the wall, swallowing the ache rising in my throat. Violet deserved happiness. She deserved someone who would treat her right. And I knew—knew—that Ryan wasn’t it. He’d chew her up and spit her out the second he got bored.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking the silence. I
With a sigh, I pulled it out. But as soon as I saw the name on the screen, my stomach turned.
Evelyn. Again.
She’d been blowing up my phone for weeks, ever since she’d picked up on the fact that I had feelings for Violet. She’d sent me messages almost daily, each one suggesting some twisted plan to help me “win” Violet. I’d brushed her off every time, refusing to even entertain her ideas. But she never gave up. Evelyn was relentless, almost obsessive.
I scrolled through the long list of her past messages:
“If you want her, you’re going to have to be smarter. He’s not going to just let her go.”
“You can’t keep being the nice guy, Luke. Ryan doesn’t play fair, and neither should you.”
“Meet me later. I have an idea.”
I stuffed the phone back into my pocket, ready to ignore her yet again.
But yet, Ryan’s face flashed in my mind, his arm around Violet, the way he looked at me when he was talking to her. Smug, like he knew exactly what he was doing. Like he knew he was winning.
With a sigh,I pulled back my phone out hoping for a distraction, anything to get my mind off of them.
Then the latest message from Evelyn caught my eye, and a chill ran down my spine.
“Thought you’d want to see this ;)”
Attached was a video. My hands shook as I tapped it open, my breath hitching as I watched the screen. There was Violet, standing in the corner at prom…with Ryan. His arms around her waist, their faces inches apart, and then, without hesitation, he leaned in, his lips brushing hers.
I didn’t even realize I’d dropped my phone until it hit the floor with a dull thud. A harsh breath escaped me as I pressed my hand against the wall, my knuckles whitening. My gut had been telling me something was up, but I hadn’t wanted to believe it. A part of me had still clung to the hope that she’d come around, that maybe, somehow, she’d see me the way I saw her.
But that hope had just shattered, slipping through my fingers in one single, gut-wrenching moment. I couldn’t let it end like this. I loved her—loved her more than anything, so much that the thought of her with anyone else, especially him, was unbearable.
I took a shaky breath, my resolve hardening. Maybe Evelyn was right. Maybe I’d been playing it too safe, standing on the sidelines while Ryan swooped in. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go down this path, but I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t lose her. Not to him.
I picked up my phone back, my hands trembling slightly as I typed out a response to Evelyn. My fingers hovered over the send button, doubt tugging at the edge of my mind. But the image of Violet kissing Ryan was burned into my memory, fueling my resolve.
With one final breath, I hit send.
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