Chapter 14

Chiara's POV

I turn toward the sound of the sound doing my best to cover my naked body with my hands. My heart plummets into my stomach when I see that it’s Alice standing in the doorway. I want to stop her, to demand that she explains what she is doing in my room as she takes a step forward but the words don’t come.

Alice shuts the door behind her with a click and I shrink back further into the room as the memory of my attack flashes in my mind. I should scream, but all I can do is freeze as Alice grins, baring her teeth like I am the helpless prey that has wandered right into her trap. I guess I am.

Alice’s cold eyes find mine. “Why do you keep approaching Vedant? Do you really think that you’re Vedant’s future Luna?”

I shake my head as I finally find my voice. “No. I have no interest in Vedant.”

Alice’s mask slips for a second as her cruel smile falters and is replaced with a spark of rage.

“Liar! I remember how you used to follow him around like a lost puppy. Everyone can see that you still want him. It’s pathetic.”

“I’m not… It’s not…” I trail off as I struggle to find the words that will convince Alice that Vedant means nothing to me.

Her eyes narrow, all pretense of amusement gone. “I knew it. You can’t even pretend.”

“It’s not like that,” I plead.

Alice moves forward until her face is mere inches from mine. “You better not even think of seducing Vedant. You may think that I hurt you today, but I assure you, you don’t even know what pain is. Leave him alone if you don’t want to find out.”

I nod, too tired to argue. I don’t want Vedant anyway. “Alice, I promise I’m not going to seduce Vedant. Please just go.”

At my words, Alice only smiles and grabs my arms my arms with one hand, wrenching them away from my body. With her other hand she pulls out her phone, lifting it to take a picture of my exposed body.

I see a flash and before I can think, I yank my arms free from Alice’s grasp, knocking her phone out of her hands in the process. The sound of glass shattering hits my ears, and I look and see that Alice’s phone screen is badly cracked.

I look back at Alice, hoping that she will only demand financial compensation. Alice looks at me shocked, and then back at the door. I hold my breath as I wait for her strike.

Instead, she walks calmly to the door and pulls it open. “Somebody come help! Chiara is bullying me. Look she smashed my phone!”

Several people rush into the room before I have the chance to reach my clothes. Tears sting my eyes at my compromised modesty.

I shake my head at the group, “I didn’t. I mean I did knock her phone away, but I never meant for it to break. She was trying to take a picture of me.”

A girl, one of Alice’s friends, speaks up “Yeah right. You probably smashed it so she couldn’t text Vedant. Everyone knows your jealous of what they have.”

“It was an accident, I swear.”

Alice shakes her head. “She’s lying. I came in to help her apply her medicine and she pushed me away and smashed my phone.

Another one of Alice’s friends steps forward. “You ungrateful little bitch.”

Before I can defend myself, she moves closer and spits on me. I flinch, trying not to gag at the sudden feeling of moisture on my chest. She smiles, pulling out her own phone.

Since you want to lie about Alice taking pictures, why don’t we make it a reality. There’s a murmur through the group as several other people take out their phones as well.

I wrap my arms more tightly around myself, trying to protect whatever shred of dignity I have left as I will my tears not to fall. I look down, trying to hide my face from flashes of light as more pictures are taken.

I start to lose hope when Vedant comes pushing through the crowd. “What is going on here?” He asks with a low growl. He looks between my naked body and the raised phones. I feel a wave of Alpha power ripple through the crowd as he issues a command.

“Put those away. Now.”

He turns to me, his voice softening slightly. “Chiara what happened.”

I’m stunned. Is it possible the Vedant might actually care for me?

I open my mouth to explain the situation, but Alice steps in before I have the chance to say anything. “I came in to help Chiara apply her medicine, but she started being nasty to me.”

Vedant’s eyes dart between us as Alice continues. “I was only trying to help, but she pushed me and then threw my phone on the ground, breaking it. See?” She holds up the ruined device.

Vedant takes a step forward, but Alice stops him by placing a hand on his chest. “Wait, please don’t punish her too harshly on my behalf. She’s had a hard day, and I’m sure the stress just got to her.”

Vedant looks between us again, frowning. It looks like he is going to push past Alice in order to punish me anyway. I lower my head, more disappointed in myself for believing that he was capable of showing me compassion than in him for believing Alice’s lies.

Before he can tell me what kind of punishment I am to receive the school bell sounds in the distance. A teacher rushes over, shooing the crowd out of the hospital wing and back to class.

Vedant starts to follow the crowd, but stops, throwing his coat over my head head. “Cover up.”

I can’t help but gawk at him, startled by the gesture. I can’t tell if he cares about me or not and it’s starting to mess with my head.

Vedant looks at me expectantly for a second, before sighing impatiently. “If you’re doing better now, you should go get ready to leave. You’ve caused too much of disruption already, half the school is going to be late to class because of you.”

Alice nods, agreeing with Vedant, before smirking and taking hold of his arm. The pair turn to leave, Alice shooting me one last look of warning over her shoulder as they go.

I shut the door behind them so I can quickly apply my medicine and dress. As I do I think about Vedant’s words. He could never let a kind gesture stand; he always had to ruin it somehow.

He didn’t punish me, but it’s clear that he believed Alice’s lies. Every time I think that somewhere deep down, the boy who had once been my friend is still in there, Vedant has to say something to prove me wrong.

I finish applying rubbing the salve onto my damaged skin and dress quickly, fearing another interruption. I need to do well in the training class. It might be my only way to escape.