Chapter 5
Kelsey’s finger froze over the call button. The surge of adrenaline that shot through her body was instant and overwhelming.
“Jason? What do you mean?“[]
“Yes!” Mia exclaimed urgently. “He saw those fake pictures of you online. He’s in computer science club, right? He traced the IP address to some guy’s dorm and went after him! You need to get over there–I heard he’s beating the guy to a pulp!“]
Kelsey abandoned her call and sprinted across campus toward the boys‘ dormitory. Her mind raced as fast as her feet. Why would Jason do this? Was it genuine protection or just another performance? The confusion tore at her as she ran, her ballet–trained lungs burning with each breath.
A crowd had already gathered outside the building. When they saw Kelsey approaching, the whispers intensified, but they parted to let her through. She felt their eyes burning into her–some sympathetic, others judgmental, all intrusive. Each step forward felt like wading through molasses, her dancer’s grace suddenly abandoning her.
That’s when she saw it-
Jason had pinned a heavyset guy with glasses to the ground. His eyes were wild with rage as he pummeled the boy’s face again and again with relentless fists. She’d never seen this side of him before–this uncontrolled fury that transformed his handsome features into something almost unrecognizable. For a brief, terrible moment, Kelsey felt a flicker of her old feelings–the belief that Jason truly cared about her.[]
The boy was sobbing, begging for mercy.
“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have photoshopped those pictures of your girlfriend! Please! Please stop!“]]
But Jason seemed deaf to his pleas, his fists only coming down harder and faster.
The boy’s face was covered in blood, and he had already lost consciousness, yet Jason’s assault didn’t slow. Horror replaced Kelsey’s momentary admiration. This wasn’t protection–this was something darker, more primal. A performance taken too far.[]
Kelsey snapped out of her shock and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Jason to restrain him. The contact with his body–once so familiar and comforting–now felt alien and dangerous.[]
“Stop it!” she cried, her voice shaking.
“Jason, that’s enough! He’s unconscious!“]
Only then did Jason’s fists halt mid–air. She felt the tension in his muscles, the heaving of his chest against her arms. For a moment, they were frozen in a macabre tableau–the unconscious boy, the vengeful boyfriend, the devastated girlfriend–all actors in a tragedy none of them had fully written.[]
The incident blew up quickly. The boy’s parents initially wanted to press charges, but when they discovered what their son had done, they reluctantly agreed to settle the matter privately. The school administration had been surprisingly lenient with Jason, citing his previously clean record and the provocative nature of the offense against Kelsey.
Jason suffered minor injuries as well. Kelsey accompanied him to the infirmary to get his hands bandaged. Seeing his bloody, swollen knuckles, her voice trembled. Each cut on his hands represented a piece of her heart that was breaking all over again.[]
“Jason, why would you do that?“]
After all, their relationship was just a charade to him. Why go to such extremes? The question hung between them, loaded with all the things she knew but couldn’t say.]]
Jason just shrugged casually.
“You’re my girlfriend. Someone messes with you, I protect you. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?“]
His tone was so sincere, his eyes so earnest, that for a fleeting second, she almost believed him again. Almost.[]
Kelsey’s expression grew even more conflicted. How could someone lie so convincingly? How could he make her doubt what she knew to be true? The cognitive dissonance was excruciating–knowing he was using her while witnessing actions that looked like genuine care.]]
She had an afternoon class and reluctantly left, the smell of antiseptic clinging to her clothes like a reminder of the violence she’d witnessed. As she sat through her literature lecture, her mind kept replaying the fight, seeing Jason’s face contorted with rage. Was any of it real? Was it possible he actually cared, even a little?]
After class ended, she hesitated briefly before stopping by the campus café to pick up some soup for Jason at the infirmary. The small act of kindness felt both foolish and necessary–a final offering to whatever had existed between them, real or imagined.[]
But as she approached the door, clutching the warm container in her suddenly cold hands, she overheard Tyler’s voice coming from inside.[]
“I gotta hand it to Stan–he’s next level! First the charming boyfriend act wasn’t enough, now he’s playing the wounded hero too!“]
