THEO'S POV (Continuing):
For a second, the world around us seemed to go completely still.
The words hit her like a slap.
Her lips parted, but nothing came out at first. Then her voice broke.
"Why her?"
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Why not me?" she whispered, the pain in her voice raw now. "Why do you always love her? Why do you always choose her? Why do you always stay by her side?"
She took a shaky breath, staring at me like I held the answer to every sleepless night she'd had.
"Why not me…?"
I looked at her without mercy.
Without guilt.
Without hesitation.
Because the truth was simple.
She was never Kayla.
And she never would be.
I stepped even closer, enough for her to hear every word clearly.
"Because you're not her."
Her face crumpled.
I kept going.
"And you can never be her."
Her breathing turned uneven.
"Do you get it now?" I said, my voice sharp as glass. "No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you cry, manipulate, or throw yourself at me…"
I leaned in just enough for the words to sink deeper.
"You will never replace her in my heart."
Her eyes widened, more tears falling now.
I didn't stop.
"Kayla will always be the one."
My expression stayed cold.
Unmoved.
"Not you."
Atasha stared at me like I had just shattered her from the inside out.
Her lips trembled.
Then she whispered the question I knew was coming.
"Then… what were we?"
For a moment, I said nothing.
I let the silence drag.
Let it suffocate her.
Then I answered with brutal calm.
"A plan."
Her brows furrowed, like her mind refused to process it.
I gave her a cold smile that held no warmth.
"I was just following a plan. Making sure Kayla got her revenge on all of you."
I paused, then added with cruel indifference,
"Nothing else."
Atasha took a step back like she'd been physically struck.
"No…" she whispered. "No, that's not true…"
Her voice cracked.
"Tell me that's a lie."
I stared at her, my face unreadable.
"It's not."
The words were simple.
Merciless.
"It's easy and simple. You just don't want to accept the truth."
She shook her head frantically, tears falling faster now.
"All those moments we spent together…" she choked out. "All the time we spent together… the sweet talks, the dinners, the dates…"
Her voice grew weaker with every word.
"The gifts… the way you looked at me… the lovely things you did for me…"
She swallowed hard.
"Was all of that… nothing to you?"
I didn't even blink.
"Nope."
One word.
One final knife.
Her breath hitched.
For a second, she just stood there, frozen, like her whole world had stopped turning.
Then she shook her head again and again, refusing to believe it, even while her face said she knew.
She stumbled backward, covering her mouth, and then turned.
And ran.
Her footsteps echoed through the empty hallway until they disappeared.
Silence returned.
I looked ahead, expression blank, then adjusted my bag on my shoulder and continued walking toward my class like nothing had happened.
Because to me…
It hadn't.
I didn't care about Atasha.
I didn't care about her tears.
I didn't care about her heartbreak.
I didn't care about anyone.
Not really.
Not unless they were mine.
And the only person who had ever mattered to me...
The only person who could ruin me, calm me, destroy me, or make me feel anything at all,
Was Kayla.
My Kayla.
Everyone else?
Disposable.
I shoved open the classroom door and walked inside with the same cold face I wore for the rest of the world.
But deep down, there was only one thought circling in my mind.
Kayla.
Always Kayla.