My Fake Boyfriend Is the School Bad Boy novel Chapter 159

Chapter 159 He Knows I Am Lying

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The accusation hung in the quiet library. My pulse spiked. I clamped my teeth together to prevent my chin from trembling. I needed to

maintain the facade. If the wall cracked, the truth spilled out.

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“Do not analyze me,” I said. My tone came out sharp and defensive. I built the professional distance higher. I possess a massive workload.

I cannot afford distractions.”

Ryder flinched. The word distraction’ struck a nerve. I used that exact word weeks ago to push him away. I used it to protect my vulnerable heart. Using it in this moment felt like a betrayal of the kiss we shared in the dark.

He sat back in his chair. The muscles in his jaw tightened. I am a distraction.”

The exams determine my future. I need quiet.”

I picked up my blue pen. I stared at the textbook. I shut him out. The action tore a massive hole in my chest. I wanted to reach across the table. I wanted to grab his hand and confess the entire nightmare. I wanted to tell him Chloe held my life hostage.

But the sacrifice demanded silence..

Ryder did not leave the table. He stayed in the chair. He watched me pretend to read. The air between us turned frigid. The raw, unfiltered connection we forged on the terrace evaporated under the harsh fluorescent lights of the library.

The afternoon classes offered no relief. The final bell rang.

I walked out of the brick building. The gray sky released a steady, cold drizzle. I shivered inside my gray sweater. I headed toward the edge of the campus to catch the city transit bus.

A horn honked.

The dark blue Ford truck idled near the curb. Ryder rolled the passenger window down. The rain slicked his dark hair against his forehead.

“Get in,” he said. ‘I will drive you home.”

I can take the bus, I countered. I needed distance. The proximity threatened my resolve.

“Get in the truck, Raisa. The gravel in his voice left zero room for argument.

I pulled the heavy passenger door open. I climbed into the cab. The heater blasted warm air, fighting the damp chill of the rain. I dropped

my heavy canvas bag onto the floorboards.

Ryder put the truck in gear. We pulled away from the school.

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13:51 Fri, Jul 10

Chapter 159 He Knows I Am Lying

The windshield wipers slapped against the glass with a rhythmic, grating sound. I stared out the side window. I watched the affluent houses blur into the gritty storefronts of the East Side. I did not speak. I did not reach across the center console to hold his hand. I kept

my hands folded in my lap.

Ryder gripped the steering wheel. His knuckles shone white. The tension radiating from his massive frame filled the small cab.

He pulled the truck up to my curb. He shifted the engine into park. He did not unlock the doors.

I turned to look at him.

He stared straight ahead at the rain-soaked street. The muscle in his jaw ticked in a frantic rhythm. He fought a massive internal battle.

He wrestled with the sudden, jarring shift in my behavior.

“Unlock the door, I requested.

He turned his head. The raw pain in his eyes shattered my remaining composure.

“What happened?” he asked. The question lacked anger. It held a profound, desperate confusion. “Saturday morning, you looked at me with zero fear. You held my hand in the diner. You told me the arrangement was dead. You told me we were real.

“We are real,” I whispered.

Then why do you look at me like a stranger?’ he demanded. He reached across the console. He grabbed my wrists. His grip felt firm and grounding. Why did you build the wall again? You retreated. You locked the gates.”

“The midterms-

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