Chapter 17
Kimberly spent months in recovery. Olivia, consumed with guilt for her unwitting role in pushing Kimberly toward Jayden at the Breaking Dawn camp, appointed herself as Kimberly’s unofficial caretaker. She prepared meals, managed medications, and maintained a protective barrier between Kimberly and the outside world. She rarely mentioned Jayden, but when she did, it was with creative and colorful insults. The entire experience had left her with what she called “hot guy PTSD”—she’d launch into rants about how good-looking men couldn’t be trusted, their beautiful faces hiding rotten souls.
Under Olivia’s fierce loyalty and dark humor, Kimberly gradually emerged from the shadows of her trauma. By early April, she had packed her bags to return to Boston with Olivia, ready to resume her studies at a new university. Ronald accompanied them to the airport, fussing over Kimberly with last-minute advice and reminders to call him every day.
As they prepared to pass through security, a commotion drew their attention. Jayden was staggering toward them in hospital pajamas, his face gaunt, his movements unsteady. He looked nothing like the powerful, intimidating figure who had once controlled her life. Olivia immediately stepped in front of Kimberly. “How are you not dead yet, asshole?” she snapped.
Jayden ignored her, his desperate gaze fixed solely on Kimberly. “Please don’t go,” he begged, his voice hoarse. “I’ll give you anything—everything I have—if you’ll just stay.”
Kimberly had never seen him like this—humble, diminished, hollowed out. The arrogance and confidence that had once defined him were completely gone. After a long moment of silence, she squeezed Olivia’s arm reassuringly and stepped forward to face him.
“Kim…” Jayden reached for her, but she stepped back, avoiding his touch. Meeting his desperate eyes, she spoke softly: “I loved you once, Jayden. Completely and without reservation.”
“Remember when those students were bullying me? You stepped in like some guardian angel, bringing light into my darkness. I thought you were my salvation—the one person I could trust with my entire life.”
“Every moment with you felt precious. Even after learning you had ulterior motives, I still deluded myself into believing there might have been some real feeling on your part.”
“But then you deliberately pushed me into hell. You watched me fall and smiled.”
“I gave you chances, Jayden. More than once.”
“Now there are no chances left. The love I had for you simply doesn’t exist anymore.”
With that, Kimberly turned and walked back to Olivia, leaving Jayden standing alone amidst the bustling airport crowd. He watched her retreating figure with desperate intensity. As she disappeared through security, something inside him seemed to collapse. A metallic taste filled his mouth, and before he could swallow, blood spilled from his lips onto the polished floor. Jayden swayed momentarily before crumpling to the ground.
Back in Boston, Kimberly quickly immersed herself in campus life at her new university. She joined several clubs, made new friends, and attracted her share of admirers. Most notable among them was Reid Paine, the Hockey Team leader at university… Unlike the aggressive confidence she’d grown wary of, Reid was refreshingly shy. His ears turned bright red whenever he spoke to her, and he maintained a respectful distance that never made her feel threatened or pressured.
Olivia repeatedly tried to play matchmaker, but Kimberly firmly declined. Her last relationship had nearly destroyed her. She lacked both the courage and energy to risk her heart again.
Chapter 17
As winter approached, the university organized a weekend trip to view the Northern Lights. Reid finally gathered his courage and approached Kimberly, asking if she’d like to partner with him for the excursion. Under Olivia’s enthusiastic encouragement, Kimberly agreed. Reid’s face lit up with such genuine joy that his already clear eyes seemed to reflect starlight. He instinctively reached for her hand before catching himself, awkwardly scratching his head instead. “I–I’ll take good care of you,” he stammered.
Kimberly smiled. Even if romance wasn’t in their future, she thought, friendship with someone this endearingly awkward might be exactly what she needed.
Chapter 18