Bonds at War: The Virgin is Mine Novel

Chapter 296 Hotter , Hunkier Man : Chapter 296 Hotter , Hunkier Man LUNA " You were just a dare ," Joshua said . you . " Sorry , Luna . It was your fault . You should've known I wouldn't like someone like However , our time together was fun ." He smirked . " We should do it sometime again ." +10 Free Coins There were snickers behind him . I lifted my chin and saw his friends standing in a loose half- circle behind the wall of our classroom's building . I narrowed my eyes . Were we in high school ? Because this certainly felt like it . We were supposed to be adults !

We were already in our last year of college , but here they were , playing games that belonged to bored teenagers . From the very beginning , I'd known something was off . Joshua Saint - pardon the name , because he wasn't a saint at all - had approached me out of nowhere after we got partnered up for a Physics project . The irony still made me want to laugh . He called it teamwork . I called it babysitting . I did all of the thinking from the equations to the graphs , up until the final report .

Meanwhile , he merely smiled , flirted with me , and claimed he had " helped ." I'd never been the kind of girl people noticed . I was usually more concerned with merely trying to exist than interacting with others . So , when Joshua started walking me to class , sitting beside me during lectures , and buying me coffee with a bright smile , I hesitated . Maybe , for once , I wasn't invisible . He'd pursued me relentlessly for the past month . Fuck , I even told him about my dream of getting into astrophysics research someday . He'd listened attentively back then . Or at least , pretended to .

Now , standing in the middle of the campus with the wind teasing the edges of my hair , I felt nothing but a slow , tired ache . " Okay ," I said finally , glancing down at my watch . My shift at the diner started soon . I was already going to be late because he held me back , and I couldn't afford to waste any more time . His eyes narrowed slightly , confusion seen in his eyes . " Okay ? " 1/5 18:01 Mon , Oct 6 Chapter 296 Hotter , Hunkier Man : " Yeah , " I said , raising my brows . " What do you want me to say ?

" +10 Free Coins He bit his lower lip , the same way he used to when pretending to be vulnerable . I was about to turn away when his hand shot out , wrapping around my wrist . " That's really all ? " he demanded . " After everything I've shown you ? " I froze , then tilted my head , letting my gaze flick past him to the idiots still smirking behind his back . Then , I redirected my gaze to him . It's funny how fast attraction can evaporate when you see someone for what they truly are . He looked ... tacky now . I straightened my shoulders , ignoring the way my heart hammered .

At times like this , I hated how short I was . It made me look smaller . But when our eyes met , his breath hitched just slightly . " What do you want me to do ? " I asked softly . " Cry ? " His jaw tightened . " You've already made up your mind , " I continued . " You got what you wanted - a story to tell your friends , a dare completed . Congratulations . " His fingers tightened on my wrist . " I hate that you wasted my time , " I said . " But I guess .... thanks for coming clean . I'm sure you and your friends have time to celebrate . " And with that , I pulled my wrist free .

Then I waved at him with a small smile before finally walking away . The laughter behind me blurred into the wind , fading into the background noise of traffic and the distant hum of my own heartbeat . I scoffed as I got far enough that the school wasn't in my vision anymore when I turned around . Gosh . Did he want me to cry about his revelation ? I know I wouldn't . Things like that were already a daily part of my life . I'd gotten used to them , like background noise you eventually stop hearing .

I smiled faintly as I walked toward the diner , the cool afternoon air brushing against my cheeks . It had always been like this for me . When you've been let down enough times , you 2/5 18:01 Mon , Oct 6 Chapter 296 Hotter , Hunkier Man B +10 Free Coins start to build a shield . You get used to it , like therapy sessions that stop working , or braces that dig into your gums until pain just becomes another routine . Only , in my case , it wasn't the kind of getting used to that makes you better . It was the kind that just made you ... immune .

The chime above the door rang as I stepped into the diner . The familiar hum of chatter and the smell of grease and coffee bombarded my senses . " Ugh , finally you're here ." The voice hit me before I even had time to breathe . She stood behind the counter , arms crossed . " Mop the floors , will you ? " I bit my lip and forced a smile . " Sure , Princess . " The irony wasn't lost on me . That was really her name - Princess Lincoln . My stepsister . And true to it , she carried herself like the world should bow down every time she walked into a room .

Her mother - my stepmother - was no different . Queenie Lincoln . Of course , that was her name . She stood near the cash register , laughing a little too loudly as she entertained a group of regulars . Her laughter stopped briefly when she saw me , and for a second , her smile faltered . Then she glared . It was just a flash , but it was just enough to let me know she'd seen me come in late . I pressed my lips together and looked away , walking toward the back room . I didn't need to give her another reason to talk about how " ungrateful " I was .

The mop was in its usual place , leaning against the supply shelf . I grabbed it and set it down , exhaling softly . " Thank goodness you're here ," a voice said behind me . I turned . Marceline or Marcel for short . I had called her Celine once , and it didn't end on a good note . However , it was also the reason why we became friends today . It was one of the best mistakes I've made in my life because I considered her as my one and only person in this place . She had her hair tucked neatly under a net , her apron slightly crooked , and her cheeks flushed from the rush .

Her presence was the only thing that made this job tolerable . 3/5 18:01 Mon , Oct 6 Chapter 296 Hotter , Hunkier Man " Your sister and mom are here today , " she muttered , rolling her eyes . " I noticed , " I said quietly . Marcel leaned against the lockers and sighed . " What happened ? You're late ." I hesitated for a moment . " I got held back by Joshua Saint ." +10 Free Coins Her brows shot up . I had told her about Josha Saint's attempt to flirt with me , and she was ecstatic about the idea and demanded updates every now and then . " What ?

Don't tell me - did he finally ask you to be his girlfriend ? " I shook my head . " Nope ," I said as I grabbed my apron from my locker . " It's actually better ! He told me I was a dare . " Her hands froze mid - motion . The hairnet she was fixing slipped out of her fingers and fell to the floor . " He what ? " I shrugged . " He said I should've known someone like him wouldn't like someone like me . " है Her jaw dropped . " That jerk ." Then she started muttering curses under her breath , each one louder than the last . " I knew that guy was up to no good . He has that smug face .

The kind you just want to punch . Ugh ! " I smiled faintly , trying to make light of it . " Yeah . Good thing I didn't invest too much in that . " Marcel straightened up , hands on her hips . " Hell yeah! You didn't lose anything . It's not like he was even that handsome . " I raised an eyebrow . " Okay , " she admitted , lowering her voice . " He's handsome . Like , objectively . But that doesn't matter ! Handsome men are statistically proven to cause brain damage in women . We should stay away from them . " I laughed softly . The sound felt strange coming out of me .

" Statistically proven , huh ? " " Absolutely , " she said , nodding . " Somewhere out there , a hunkier , hotter man is waiting for you . A real one . One who won't treat you like a dare ." I shook my head , smiling at her ridiculousness . " You're too optimistic . " " I'm realistic , " she said . " You just have terrible luck ." 4/5 18:01 Mon , Oct 6 Chapter 296 Hotter , Hunkier Man : " Yeah . " I murmured . " That part I can't argue with ." 零 +10 Free Coins The moment felt normal again . At least , until Princess ' voice interrupted our conversation . " Oh , please ." We both turned .

She was standing at the doorway , arms folded , and a fake smile plastered on her lips . " We both know Luna isn't going to have something like that ." Sara Lili Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland's breathtaking cold.