Chapter 3

It was the peak of summer. As soon as I walked out of the dorm lobby, I spotted Logan waiting beneath the shade of an oak tree.

He held a coffee cup, casually leaning against the trunk as he scrolled through his phone. He looked like he’d been there for a while, though he hadn't sent a single text to rush me.

I walked over. He was tall, and when I tapped his shoulder, I caught a glimpse of what was on his screen.

"You're down," Logan said immediately, locking his screen and turning around to offer the drink. "Got you a coffee."

I took it with a smile. "How'd you know I like iced Americanos? Thanks. I’ll buy you something next time."

"It's just a coffee, don't worry about it." Logan studied my face carefully. Seeing that I looked totally unfazed, he hesitated before speaking. "That post on the campus feed... you haven't seen it yet, have you?"

I cradled the cold cup in both hands and looked up at him. "I saw it. Why?"

I wasn't surprised he recognized it. The profile picture on my throwaway account was a photo Logan had taken of me when we went to catch the sunrise.

"I know it's not you, but people are already digging up your real pictures. You probably shouldn't look at the comments for a while."

Worry creased Logan's brow, but I just smiled. "It was me."

"What?"

"I said, I posted it." I gave the coffee cup a little shake toward him. "Thanks for the drink, by the way. Love it."

With that, I turned on my heel and walked away. I didn't stick around to see his reaction, nor did I pay attention to the figure slipping behind the nearby bushes.

Carrying my coffee, I headed back upstairs. The second I pushed the dorm door open, I saw Ashley holding her phone high in the air, recording.

When she saw me walk in, she took several exaggerated steps backward in disgust.

"Chloe, I honestly never thought you were this kind of person! Lusting after your own roommate's boyfriend?!"

Ashley's voice was piercingly loud. My hand paused on the doorknob.

Harper had already pulled off her headphones, staring at me from the corner. Up on the loft bed, Sienna poked her head out from behind the curtain.

Ashley pointed between the two of them. "You guys saw it too! That post was Chloe! How am I stuck living with such a disgusting snake?!"

Clearly, my photo had already circulated everywhere. Across the hall, I heard doors clicking open as neighbors peeked out.

I shrugged indifferently and walked over to my desk.

Harper called my name softly, looking worried. I waved a dismissive hand, turned toward Ashley—who was still rolling her live FaceTime—and spoke clearly:

"Yeah, I posted it. So what? What are you gonna do about it?"

I deliberately left the dorm door cracked open. My voice carried cleanly into the crowded hallway.

I kept going: "Besides, it looks to me like your boyfriend loves checking me out. Why don't you let him know that if he likes what he sees, he can hit me up directly? No need to sneak peeks through your screen every day."

Whispers erupted instantly outside in the hall. Sienna scrambled down from her bed and slammed the door shut.

"Chloe, what are you talking about? There's no way you actually posted that!" Sienna and Harper looked completely bewildered.

I shot them a reassuring smile, took a seat at my desk, and stayed quiet.

Ashley noticed the new coffee cup on my desk and let out a cold scoff. "Oh look, did your little simp buy you that? Does he know you're busy throwing yourself at other girls' boyfriends?"

I glanced at Ashley calmly, slid the straw into the lid, took a slow sip, and let out a contented sigh.

Ashley glared daggers at me, her face twisting in fury before she turned away.

I knew I was attractive. If Ashley genuinely believed I was after her man, she’d be spiraling in panic, wouldn't she?