DON’T STOP (Lila and Darrell) novel Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Bella

1 shook my head against her shoulder “It’s not okay” I choked out

She didn’t argue. She just held ine tighter, letting me cry until the cote dowed in shaky beat autounge 1 was ruined: smudged eyeliner and streaked foundation, but I didn’t care None of it mattered anyone

Lara cased back just enough to look at me, thumbs brushing the tears from my cheeks.

“What happened?” she asked softly.

I told her everything-Jones in Black’s office, the woman who looked like me, Black’s hands on my waist. Min body se against mine, hard and unmistakable. The way Jones had chased me down. The way he’d accted me of trying to Black for grades. The way he’d dropped the bomb about his sister and Black Being engaged

Lara listened without interrupting. When I finished, she let out a long breath.

“Jesus,” she muttered. “That’s… a lot.”

I laughed bitterly and was broken. “Yeah. A lot.”

She sat back on her heels, studying me. “So…. Jones is Black’s future brother-in-law. And you just walked into that dressed like that, ready to-”

“Seduce him,” I finished. The word tasted sour. “Yeah. Perfect timing, right?”

Lara didn’t laugh. She just reached out and squeezed my hand.

“You didn’t know,” she said. “And honestly? This changes nothing about the plan if you still want to go through with it. Black failed you. Black ruined your scholarship. Black put you in this position. Jones being connected to him doesn’t erase that.”

I stared at her. “But Jones…”

“Jones accused you of cheating for grades,” she said flatly. “He didn’t even ask for your side. He just assumed the worst. And he kept this huge secret from you-his sister marrying the man who’s making your life hell. That’s not love, Bella. That’s convenience.”

My eyes burned again. I wiped them roughly.

“I don’t know what to do,” I whispered.

୮

Lara squeezed my hand tighter. “You don’t have to decide right now. Cry it out. Sleep. Eat something. Then tomorrow.. we figure out the next step. Together.”

I nodded slowly, leaning my head back against the door.

The room was quiet except for my shaky breathing

But inside my head, everything was screaming.

The next morning, I didn’t even bother getting out of bed.

I stayed curled up under the blanket, knees pulled to my chest, staring at the same spot on the wall until my eyes burned. What was the point of going to school? Classes, lectures, notes-none of it mattered when my scholarship was already

1/3

red the

mag

源线

y

d ce called atre Posey see. Matter a really can to

loved batt. I loved the way be made tur laugh the way he held me een I was falling

only thing that mattered. But yesterday had cracked something

The phone beeped agai

1 aughed and reached for it. mostly out of hatent.

Nor Jones

ssage from the course rep.

“Hey Bella, where are you Prof. Back asked about you. He wants to

My teen suede

I can up so last the blanket fall away Tomorrow us course even teen Ko

I typed back quiniy, hogens tha

The reply came an intern

“Yes, he said he’ll be there the open if ally asked for you

Why?

Why the held EVER MET

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify