Blair’s footsteps faltered as she approached the familiar campus gate. The brisk air bit at her cheeks, but the chill was nothing compared to the sight before her. Ezra Taylor stood in his usual spot with a calm posture and distant eyes, seemingly waiting for someone.

Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, and for a second, she found herself frozen, locked in place, as if her body refused to move. They hadn’t spoken in months. Yet here he was, standing in the same spot where she had once foolishly ran toward him with a wild smile clinging to him.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that he wasn’t for her, that he never had been. The painful realization sank deeper, twisting like a knife in her chest. She was about to turn and run again, desperate to escape the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her, when she felt the weight of his gaze.

Ezra turned his head, and their eyes locked.

Her breath hitched in her throat. And in that moment, the world seemed to stop around her. Before she could make another move, she felt the gentle, firm grasp of his hand wrap around her wrist.

“Wait,” he said, his voice steady, but there was something underneath it. Something vulnerable, almost pleading. Blair swallowed hard, staring at the ground, unable to face him.

“Leave! Please…” she muttered, though her voice lacked conviction.

Ezra didn’t release her. His grip wasn’t forceful, but it was enough to keep her from slipping away. “Can we talk?”

Blair glanced around, her eyes catching sight of a group of students heading in their direction. Panic surged through her. The last thing she needed was an audience or for rumors to spread about her and Ezra. She couldn’t handle the whispers, the sidelong glances, or the inevitable questions.

Without a word, she yanked her wrist free from his grip, only to grab his hand in return, pulling him with her. Ezra followed without resistance, his steps falling into rhythm with hers as they quickly rounded the corner in an isolated building at the edge of campus.

She stared at him; the wind tousling her uneven bangs, her emotions a tangled mess inside. “What do you want, Ezra?” she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.

“Where did you go yesterday?” he asked, his voice cutting through the chilly air like a blade.

Blair blinked with curiosity. “What?” she stammered.

“Yesterday. I didn’t see you anywhere,” Ezra continued, stepping closer, the frustration clear in his deep-set blue eyes. “You weren’t in the campus.”

Blair felt the walls closing in around her. She hadn’t been prepared for this conversation, for him to notice her absence, let alone care enough to bring it up. But the last thing she wanted was to explain her situation to him. Not now. Not when things were so messy.

“That’s none of your business, Ezra,” she snapped, crossing her arms tighter over her chest. “You have every reason to ignore me now that I’m no longer connected to the Wilsons.”

Ezra’s calm façade finally cracked, his usual cold and reserve countenance dissolving into frustration. His jaw tightened as he took another step forward, eyes narrowing at Blair.

“You’re so stubborn, Blair,” he growled, his voice low but charged. “You always think you’re right, and you never stop to consider that maybe you’re the one in the wrong this time.”

Blair flinched, but he wasn’t done.

“You’d rather dig your heels in and do the hard, stupid thing than actually make amends with people who care about you!” His words cut deep, each one feeling like a hammer against her defenses. “You don’t even see it, do you? How does your pride makes you blind to everything around you? You’d rather ruin your own life than admit you might be wrong.”

Blair opened her mouth to protest, but Ezra cut her off, his frustration spilling over.

“Why won’t you just talk to them? Fix things with your family. You think shutting everyone out is going to fix anything? It’s not. You’re so set on running away that you don’t even realize the damage you’re doing. To yourself. To the people who care about you.”

Blair’s face twisted in pain, her chest heaving as she struggled to maintain her composure. She looked up at Ezra, eyes shading with tears.

“You’re wrong, Ezra,” she whispered, her voice trembling but laced with bitterness. She took a step back, as if trying to put distance between them. “You and everyone else… You all think I’m just a spoiled princess, don’t you? Someone who throws tantrums when she doesn’t get her way? You think everything I do is just to make people listen to me, to take my side?”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

She shook her head, her resentment mounting, as if she had been carrying this burden in silence for far too long. “But that’s not it. That was never it.”

Ezra’s brows furrowed, but he stayed quiet, letting her speak.

Blair’s voice wavered, but there was a fire in her eyes now, ignited by the deep pain she had been holding back. “You don’t know what it’s like, Ezra. To have everyone look at you like you’re nothing more than an entitled, pampered brat. Like you have no value beyond your name and your connections.”

She paused, swallowing hard, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “Choosing not to apologize wasn’t about pride. I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of thinking they were right about anything they thought about me. All the accusations were bullhead.” She took a shaky breath, her voice breaking now."

Ezra’s expression softened, the frustration in his eyes dimming as he watched her, realizing the depth of her hurt. But Blair continued, her voice raw and vulnerable.

“And let me set this straight for you, Ezra,” Blair said, her voice trembling but fierce. “It wasn’t me who walked away. It was them who abandoned me. All I ever wanted was for them to hear my side—to believe me when I said I never did such a horrendous thing!”

Ezra took a deep breath and said calmly, “Blair, if Diane doesn’t wake up to clarify that you didn’t push her, what will happen to your life? How will you adjust to a life so drastically different from what you’ve always known?”

Blair squared her shoulders, determination flickering in her eyes. “I guess I’ll just have to continue living like this,” she replied, her voice steady.

“You know your grandfather well,” his voice thick with desperation. “He’ll go to any lengths to get the result he wants.”

Blair’s expression shifted to one of suspicion as realization dawned on her. This was the first time they had talked this long since their engagement, and it felt so out of character for Ezra to initiate a conversation, let alone show this level of concern. A pang of pain struck her as she recalled seeing her grandfather speaking with Ezra yesterday during the competition. Why would he talk to him? Was this all part of some plan?

“It’s best that you never get involved in my life again, Ezra,” Blair said, her voice steady yet heavy with sincerity. “I’m begging you, please. No one will ever change my mind about this. And let me apologize to you sincerely.”

A profound regret hung in the air. She continued, her tone filled with atonement, “I know I’ve disregarded your feelings before, and I’m truly sorry for that. I was so caught up in my feelings that I failed to see how my actions affected you.”

As Blair stood there, the weight of her regrets pressing down on her, the surrounding scene faded from tears.

“I wish I could have been more sensitive to your feelings when you rejected my confession multiple times,” Blair said with remorse. “I’ve realized how selfish I was, and I truly regret it, Ezra.”

Ezra opened his mouth to respond, his eyes searching hers, but before he could speak, the sudden sound of hurried footsteps interrupted them.

“Blair Wilson!” Spencer called out, dashing toward them, a scissor clutched in his hand. His face lit up with excitement, oblivious to the tension that hung in the air.

“Come here and let’s trim those ugly bangs of yours!” he yelled, waving the scissor in the air like a trophy.

Blair raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say they’re ugly. Just a little unruly.”

“They’re practically a public safety hazard. An eye pollution!” Spencer teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

The tension between Blair and Ezra still hung in the air, thick and unresolved, but Spencer’s playful energy barged in, attempting to slice through it. Perhaps sensing Blair’s need to escape with Ezra, without a second thought, he grabbed Blair by the wrist.

“Come on, let’s save the world from those disastrous bangs of yours!” Spencer declared dramatically, giving her no time to protest as he tugged her away from Ezra.

Blair stumbled forward, half grateful for the distraction, but before they got far, Ezra’s voice cut through the chilly air like a sharp blade.

“Blair, wait!” Ezra shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

She froze for a split second, her heart pounding in her chest, but she didn’t look back.

As they finally got far enough from Ezra, her steps slowed. She glanced at Spencer, who still had her wrist in a loose grip.

“Why are you helping me?” she asked, her voice quiet but tinged with curiosity. “You hate me.”

He shrugged, as if her question wasn’t worth the weight she was giving it. “I can’t focus on hating you when those ridiculous bangs are making it hard to take you seriously.”

Blair blinked at him, caught between a frown and a laugh.

Spencer ruffled his black hair in mock frustration. “Honestly, it’s distracting. I’ve got to keep my head in the game if I’m going to top the class and finally beat you, Ms. Wilson.”

Blair rolled her eyes, but the flicker of amusement didn’t escape her. “You wish, Mr. Brooks. You’re never going to defeat me!”

Spencer snorted, clearly enjoying the challenge. “Oh, we’ll see about that.”

Blair glanced down at the absurdly large pair of scissors Spencer still clutched in his hand. The blades gleamed menacingly, and the size of it made her eyebrows shoot up. “And is that thing really meant to cut my bangs or my neck?”

Spencer waved the giant scissors around with exaggerated enthusiasm, a playful grin lighting up his handsome face. His tanned skin seemed to glow in the late afternoon sun, and his sharp jawline only added to his air of confidence. Those hazel-golden eyes of his, always gleaming with mischief, sparkled as he joked, “Well, if your bangs don’t cooperate, I might just use it for both. Think of it as an all-purpose tool.”

From a distance, Ezra watched the playful exchange between Blair and Spencer. His eyes narrowed slightly, but whether it was in confusion or something deeper, even he wasn’t sure. Blair’s laughter felt like a stark contrast to the tension that had thickened the air between them just moments ago.

Ezra’s gaze lingered on Blair’s beautiful smiling face, and for a fleeting second, a shadow of something… Regret or longing flickered in his eyes. Did he miss that playful, stubborn girl he’d known for decades? The one who used to insist on caring for him when he was sick, or who shamelessly declared she would marry him no matter what? Or was he relieved to finally be free of the weight of their family’s expectation?

His lips pressed into a thin line, his thoughts warring inside him. He had told himself, over and over, that rejecting Blair was the right choice—necessary, even. But watching her now, with someone else able to coax that serene smile from her, he felt... something.