My Childhood Crush Tricked Me Out of My College SpotChapter 2

Cassian pushed the door open and saw me standing in the living room.

“What are you doing here?”

“You dropped your key.”

His eyes flicked toward the glowing computer screen. “Did you touch it?”

“No. I think a message just popped up.”

Cassian stared at me for two seconds.

I raised my wrist. The bracelet was still there.

“You’re sure that if I give up the recommendation spot, we’ll officially be together?”

His shoulders visibly relaxed.

“Of course.”

Cassian walked over and put his hands on my shoulders. “I’ve known you my whole life. When have I ever lied to you?”

I looked at his face and, for the first time, found it unfamiliar.

So when someone truly wanted to deceive you, even their eyes could look sincere.

I stepped out of his grasp. “Is Elowen okay?”

“She was just too stressed.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “The recommendation affects her entire future. Of course she’s stressed.”

Cassian frowned.

“Don’t talk like that. You have good grades. You can still get into a great school through regular admissions. She’s in poor health. She wouldn’t be able to handle not getting accepted.”

He shoved the admissions brochures into my hands.

I took them, too tired to say another word.

Thinking he’d convinced me, he urged, “Go back to school and sign the form. Don’t keep Elowen waiting.”

At four thirty that afternoon, I returned the withdrawal form to Ms. Halloran.

Her brows immediately knitted together. “Verity, are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Elowen and Cassian were waiting outside the office.

The moment I finished speaking, Elowen rushed inside. “Ms. Halloran, where’s the alternate confirmation form?”

Ms. Halloran glanced at her. “The process isn’t even complete yet. What’s the hurry?”

Elowen flushed and hurriedly explained, “I’m afraid we’ll miss the deadline.”

A few minutes later, the alternate form arrived, and Elowen signed her name at once.

Only after finishing the final stroke did she look at me with reddened eyes.

“Verity, I never wanted to steal your opportunity. But since you’re giving it up anyway, it would be a shame to waste it.”

Several teachers in the office looked up.

I stared at Elowen’s hand, which was pressing hard against the form.

“Whether you stole the opportunity is another question. But could you stop clutching that form like someone’s about to snatch it away?”

The wounded expression on Elowen’s face froze, then turned awkward.

“The paperwork’s already done. It can’t be changed now anyway.”

Cassian stepped in front of her.

“Stop giving Elowen a hard time. You withdrew voluntarily. She’s simply next in line.”

I nodded. “I wasn’t giving her a hard time.”

Elowen blinked.

Cassian, however, smiled and tapped the bracelet around my wrist. “Wait for me tonight. We’ll celebrate making our relationship official.”

Elowen immediately grabbed his sleeve. “Cassian, I still don’t feel well.”

Cassian steadied her. “I’ll take Elowen home first. Wait for my call.”

They left side by side.

Ms. Halloran looked at me. “Did you really give up the spot because of Cassian?”

I took off the bracelet and stuffed it into my pocket.

“No. I gave it up because I have a better option.”

I went straight to the top floor of the administration building, where the liaison officer for a special program was already waiting.

A confirmation form for the National Young Researchers Program lay on the desk.

I turned to the final page and signed my name.

The official seal came down.

“You leave the day after tomorrow,” the liaison officer said. “Six years of specialized training, beginning with an intensive training period. Once you report, all personal devices will be held by the program.”

He asked me one last time, “Are you sure?”

I put away the confirmation form.

“I’m sure.”