When They Beg, I Rise!

Orion's gaze was unfathomable, "You trust me this much, not afraid I might fool you?"

"What's there for you to fool me out of?"

Lemira looked at him squarely, "You're pretty much my only friend right now."

Orion's gaze briefly faltered. A friend? His lips curled slightly, and then he put on a stern facade, "Don't just trust people willy-nilly in the future, especially men." "Got it, I'm off."

Lemira waved, slinging her backpack over her shoulder as she left the infirmary.

Orion remained seated long after she'd left, his eyes catching the sight of the cake on the desk. Memories of a car crash scene, with a ruined birthday cake, flashed through his mind.

His head began to throb uncontrollably. Since that car crash, he hadn't touched cake again.

After a while, he got a call, "Mr. Everhart, Ms. Langston has safely arrived home." Only then did Orion hang up, his silhouette stretching long in the setting sun.

---

the Langston residence, Lemira found Lucian sitting

greeted him without

to say. He had suspected her of cheating when her

were genuine. Except these years Lemira's

and it wasn't just a phase of acting out. He felt

seemed gone. She was genuinely putting in

indeed been neglectful of Lemira's feelings, especially with Alaric's stunt at school. Could this be why she changed so much? Lucian's

"Yeah."

"Isn't it better here than at those public places? It's not safe out there with all sorts of people. Stop going to those libraries to

lips; there it was again, decisions made for

classmates. When she was absent, you could take detailed notes for her." Lemira's gaze turned scornful. So, it was all for Evelina's sake; that

"I don't want

proved that you're capable. Eve is our family. Her dropping rank is because of the match, and since you won't join the team, you should make some sacrifice, assisting Eve with her grades.