My Fake Boyfriend Is the School Bad Boy novel Chapter 149

Chapter 149 Planning To Tell Him Today

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“Let them try,” my mother said. A fierce, protective fire ignited in her tired eyes. “They possess massive bank accounts. You possess a brilliant mind and a heart of solid iron. Do not shrink yourself to fit their narrow expectations. You earned your place. If the boy wants to

stand in the fire with you, let him stand.”

“He carries so much heavy baggage, I murmured.

“So do you,” she pointed out. “Nobody enters this world with empty hands. We all carry weight. The trick is finding someone who offers to carry the load with you. He bought the dress to shield your pride. He drove you home safe. He looks at you like you hold the sun in your

hands. Do not let fear ruin a good thing, Raisa.”

I squeezed her fingers. “Thank you.”

I finished my bitter coffee. I stood up, rinsed the mug in the stainless steel sink, and walked back to my bedroom.

Just as I crossed the threshold, my cell phone vibrated against the wooden desk, shattering the quiet. The screen lit up with his name.

I picked it up and swiped the green icon. “Hello?”

“Tell me you’re awake, Ryder’s rough gravel filled my ear. He skipped the polite greeting completely.

“It is nine in the morning on a Saturday,” I replied, leaning my hip against the edge of the desk. “I am barely functioning.”

“Good. Meet me at the diner at noon.”

“You are issuing demands early today.”

“I am not waiting another day to see you, Petrova,” he stated. The blunt honesty in his voice sent a fresh wave of heat rushing through my veins. “Get dressed. Eat something. Noon.”

“Noon, I agreed.

“Don’t be late.”

The line clicked dead.

Yesterday, a commanding phone call like that sparked panic in my chest. Yesterday, I analyzed his brief words to find the hidden trap. I braced for an argument. Today, the rough demand felt like a steady, unbreakable anchor.

He did not run.

We shattered the strict boundaries last night. He exposed his deepest insecurities on the freezing balcony. He confessed his four-year

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13:50 Fri, Jul 10

Chapter 149 Planning To Tell Him Today

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obsession in the dark. A boy like Ryder Steinmann usually retreated after a massive display of emotional vulnerability. The Crestview

delinquent usually put up a new wall of ice to protect his bruised ego.

Instead, he called me. He wanted to sit in my mother’s diner in the middle of the gritty East Side. He wanted to step into my reality in the harsh, unforgiving light of day. He wanted to face the morning sun together.

I opened my small closet. I bypassed the pleated navy uniform skirts and the crisp white cotton blouses. I grabbed a pair of faded blue denim jeans and a soft gray knit sweater. I dressed with deliberate, calm focus. I brushed my long dark hair and left it loose down my back. I skipped the subtle makeup my mother applied last night. I did not need artificial armor today. I needed bare honesty.

I looked in the narrow mirror mounted on the closet door.

The girl staring back looked tired from the lack of sleep, but the profound fear was gone. A quiet, undeniable strength settled deep into her bones. Her dark eyes looked clear and focused.

I spent months fighting the intense magnetic pull. I used my pristine academic record as a massive shield. I called him a monster to keep him away. I called his presence a distraction. I forced him to sign a piece of college-ruled paper to keep my own chaotic, overwhelming feelings in check. I punished him for the massive wealth gap he did not choose.

He absorbed the punishment. He took every single hit without complaint. He guarded my gates. He stood in the crowded cafeteria and declared his devotion to the entire student body, risking his own social standing. He bought midnight silk to protect my vulnerable pride. He picked a heavy brass lock to give me five minutes of quiet air on a secluded terrace.

He proved his unwavering loyalty in blood and bone.

The time for hiding was over. The time for flimsy excuses died on the concrete terrace. He laid his defensive weapons down in the dark. I needed to drop my heavy shield in the light.

He confessed his bleeding truth on the balcony. He kissed the pulse point on my neck and claimed my heart. I needed to confess my truth

right back.

I grabbed my canvas backpack from the floorboards. I shoved my thick biology textbook and a handful of blank index cards into the main pocket. I slung the heavy strap over my right shoulder.

I walked out of the house. The spring air felt crisp and warm. The gray clouds from yesterday vanished, leaving a clear, brilliant blue sky. The morning sun beat down on the cracked concrete sidewalks of the East Side.

I walked toward the commercial district. I passed the failing laundromat. I passed the boarded-up convenience store. The familiar grit of my neighborhood did not depress me today. It grounded me. It reminded me of my roots. I survived this harsh environment through sheer willpower. I possessed the strength to survive the Crestview elite.

My heart hammered a steady, powerful rhythm against my ribs with every step I took toward the diner. The lingering fear of his massive corporate legacy and the terror of the B-wing gossip faded into meaningless background noise.

I loved the boy who sat in the back row of freshman English. I loved the boy who carved permanent stars into library bookshelves. I loved

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