CHAPTER 89: HOW DO I SHARE MYSELF

Hailee’s POV

Arriving, I met Callum already seated in his usual seat beside mine. He smiled at me as he watched me approach, and when I sat down, he planted a kiss on the side of my cheek.

"Good morning, girlfriend," he said with a smirk.

I blushed but raised a brow. "Girlfriend?"

Callum nodded. "Yes, darling... the news is already spreading all over the school. Everyone thinks we’re dating... well, they’re not exactly wrong."

Callum’s smirk deepened as he leaned back casually in his seat. "Actually... I got something for you."

I blinked in surprise. "For me?"

He nodded and reached under his desk, pulling out a single red rose. Its petals were soft and perfectly bloomed, the deep color standing out vividly against his fingers.

My lips parted slightly as he handed it to me. "Callum..."

"It reminded me of you," he said simply, his gaze holding mine with that teasing warmth of his.

I felt my cheeks warm. "You’re ridiculous," I murmured, but my voice softened as I took it.

Before I could say anything else, the sound of footsteps approaching caught my attention.

Dane had just walked into the classroom.

He moved with that effortless confidence he always carried, but this time his eyes were locked directly on me. My breath hitched slightly.

Without a word, he reached my desk, leaned down... and pressed a firm, lingering kiss to my forehead—right there in front of everyone.

I froze.

Around us, the quiet hum of the classroom broke into murmurs. I could feel several pairs of eyes on us, our classmates whispering in surprise.

I wasn’t sure whether to move or speak. My heart was thudding, my face burning.

But Dane didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. He straightened, his expression unreadable, and then reached into his bag.

When his hand came out, he was holding a small, elegant box of chocolates.

"These are for you," he said simply, setting them down on my desk like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The whispers in the room grew louder.

I glanced between the rose in my hand and the chocolates in front of me, my pulse racing as I struggled to process what to do.

Dane’s gaze flicked briefly toward the class, his eyes sharp and commanding. "Face your front," he said, his tone calm but carrying an authority that made a few people instantly turn away.

The murmuring died down almost immediately.

Then he looked back at me, the intensity in his eyes softening into something warmer. A small smirk tugged at his lips.

"I’ll see you at break," he said quietly, like it was a promise.

Before I could answer, he turned and walked to his seat. I swallowed hard and looked at Callum, who had a nonchalant look on his face, like he didn’t care what Dane had just done. It seemed he was taking this whole sharing situation surprisingly well, or maybe he was just hiding it better than I thought.

The teacher came in and started arranging her notes, but my mind was barely in the room. I tried to focus, but instead, I found myself wondering... where was Nathan? He was never late for class, and that only made me more anxious.

Almost without thinking, I slid my phone out from under the desk and unlocked it.

A new message was waiting for me.

Nathan: Good morning, red hair. I won’t be in class today—I’ve got a lot to prepare for our date tonight.

My lips curved unconsciously. Even just reading it made my chest warm in a way I wasn’t ready to admit out loud.

A date. Tonight.

I bit my lip, quickly typing back under the desk.

Me: Good morning... can’t wait.

I set the phone face-down, my mind drifting through a tangled mess.

It was a miracle my brain could still function at all.

When class ended, I was shoving my books into my bag when Callum turned to me, his eyes was bright with that boyish excitement of his.

"Hey," he started, leaning closer, "how about we do a movie night at my place tonight? Just you and me... we could order pizza, watch something fun, maybe even grab dessert after. It’s been forever since we had our own time together."

The smile on his face was so pure and eager, it almost made me feel guilty instantly.

Because Nathan’s text flashed in my mind—our date tonight.

I hesitated, my hand pausing mid-zip on my bag.

If I told Callum I couldn’t... he’d think I was favoring Nathan. And that was the last thing I wanted right now.

I forced a smile. "Okay... but I might come a bit late. I have something I need to do first."

He grinned like I’d just made his whole week. "Perfect. I’ll wait for you."

Before I could process, a shadow fell over the desk.

It was Dane.

"Walk with me, Hailee," he said quietly, though it was more of a statement than a request.

I glanced at Callum, who gave me a shrug like go ahead. So I followed Dane out into the hall.

When we reached a quieter spot, he turned to me, his expression softening. "I’ve been thinking... we should go for an evening walk today. Just you and me. There’s something I want to talk about."

My heart sank.

Not because I didn’t want to spend time with him, but because I already had a date with Nathan and a promised movie night with Callum.

I opened my mouth to decline, but then... if I said no, Dane would definitely think I was giving my time to the others over him.

So I nodded weakly. "Okay."

"Good." His lips curved faintly, almost satisfied. "I’ll pick you up later."

As he walked away, I just stood there, my bag hanging loosely from my hand, my head spinning.

Nathan’s date.

Callum’s movie night.

Dane’s evening walk.

I was in big trouble.

How the hell was I supposed to share myself like this?