Chapter 54: #FIFTY-FOUR

NICHOLAS’S POV

After the principal walked away, I remained rooted to the spot.

The hallway was slowly emptying around me. Students who had been whispering only moments ago drifted back toward their classrooms in little groups, though every now and then someone would glance over a shoulder, look at me, whisper something to a friend and laugh quietly before disappearing around the corner.

But somehow, all I could focus on was Elijah.

He was still standing a short distance away, staring in my direction. His expression had changed completely. The confidence he’d worn only minutes earlier had vanished, replaced by something I couldn’t quite read, but it felt like guilt.

I wanted him to say something, to address what happened, but nothing happened.

For one ridiculous second, I thought he was finally going to come over. Instead, he lowered his head, turned around and walked away fast.

What the hell?

"...Elijah." I croaked.

He didn’t stop. I called again, louder this time, but he disappeared into the crowd without looking back once.

I wasn’t letting it end there. Before I knew what I was doing, I was already heading toward the administration building.

The secretary outside the principal’s office looked up immediately when she saw me approaching. "You can’t go in."

"I need to speak to the principal." I was trying to steady myself.

"Mr. Nicholas, you’ve already been informed of the disciplinary decision."

"Then she can explain it to my face." I looked at the woman, determination clear across my features.

She stood up from her chair and stepped in front of the door. "I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you inside."

My hands were trembling. "Please."

"I understand you’re upset, but—"

"I said I need to speak to her." I cut her off.

"Mr. Nicholas."

"I only need five minutes." I pleaded.

"The principal has instructed that she isn’t to be disturbed." She shook her head.

I laughed bitterly. "She’s already disturbed my entire life."

Before the secretary could react, I stepped around her and pushed the office door open.

"Mr. Nicholas!" she called after me, hurrying from behind her desk. "You can’t just walk into the principal’s office like that. Please wait, I’ll let her know you’re here."

I didn’t stop. I’d already been humiliated in front of half the university. At that point, I honestly couldn’t think of anything worse that could happen to me.

The office door swung open, and both the principal and her secretary looked at me in surprise.

"Nicholas!" the secretary exclaimed, breathing heavily after catching up. "I tried to stop him."

The principal slowly set the file she’d been reading aside before giving the secretary a small nod. "It’s alright. You may leave us."

The secretary looked reluctant but eventually nodded and closed the door behind her, leaving the two of us alone.

The principal rested both hands on her desk as she looked at me. "I thought my decision was perfectly clear. You have been suspended, Nicholas. You should be making arrangements to leave the campus, not barging into my office and creating yet another disturbance."

"I didn’t come here to cause trouble," I replied, trying to steady my breathing even though my chest was rising and falling far too quickly. "I came because you never gave me a chance to explain myself. Everything happened so fast. You listened to the professor, looked at the crowd, made your decision and left. Nobody asked me what actually happened."

She didn’t interrupt me, and taking that as permission to continue, I stepped closer to her desk.

"I’m not asking you to pretend nothing happened between us. I know we broke school rules, and I’m not denying that. If you want to punish us for inappropriate conduct on campus, then fine. I’ll accept that because we were both wrong for letting things get that far. But what I can’t accept is being made into some sort of predator in front of the entire university. You spoke as though I was the only person responsible. You spoke as though I’d forced Elijah into something he didn’t want, and that’s not what happened."

The principal remained quiet for several seconds before finally leaning back in her chair. "You’ve finished?"

"...Yes." I muttered.

"Then answer one question for me." She folded her hands together, her expression calm. "If what you’re saying is true— if the situation was entirely mutual and there was no misunderstanding between the two of you— why didn’t Elijah say that?"

Oh? I couldn’t answer that.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out and she noticed.

"I addressed him directly, Nicholas. I didn’t ignore him nor rush past him. I asked him a simple question while you were both standing there. He had every opportunity to explain the situation if he believed I had misunderstood it."

"I..." My voice caught in my throat before I forced myself to continue. "I don’t know why he stayed quiet. Maybe he panicked. There were students everywhere and professors. Everyone was staring at us. Maybe he froze because of that."

"Perhaps." She didn’t sound convinced. "But you don’t know that."

"I know he wouldn’t deliberately leave me to take the blame."

"Do you?" Her question made me falter. She sighed quietly before standing up and walking around her desk. "I’ve worked in education for a very long time, Nicholas. I’ve dealt with frightened students, angry students, dishonest students and students who genuinely made mistakes. I don’t enjoy suspending anyone, and I certainly don’t enjoy humiliating them. However, when an incident happens in full view of staff and students alike, I have a responsibility to protect the order and reputation of this institution."

"I understand that." I muttered.

"I’m not finished." She stopped in front of me. "You seem to believe today’s decision was made because I singled you out. It wasn’t. You were disciplined because you were involved in conduct that violated university rules in a public place. Had the circumstances been different, this conversation might have gone differently."

"But you blamed me." I reminded her.

"I held you accountable for your conduct." Her tone remained level, but every word seemed to push me further into a corner.

"I also know the Blackthorne family very well. They have supported this university for years. Their children have built excellent academic and disciplinary records here. That doesn’t make them untouchable, but it does mean their conduct over the years carries weight when incidents arise."

I frowned. "So because they’re respected, nobody’s going to believe me?"

"I didn’t say that." She quickly said.

"You didn’t have to." I crossed my arms.

She looked at me for a long moment before speaking again. "You’re living under their roof, are you not?"

"...Yes." I admitted.

"And they opened their home to you." She continued.

"They did." I nodded slowly, wondering where where she was going with this.

She didn’t back down. "They’ve provided you with opportunities many students would dream of."

I clenched my fists. "I never asked for special treatment."

"I’m not suggesting you did. I’m telling you that from the outside, it appears a family extended kindness to someone in need, and now that same family has become the centre of unnecessary controversy. Whether that’s fair or unfair isn’t the point. Perception matters." Her words stung.

"So that’s all this is?" I hissed.

"What do you mean?" She shrugged like she didn’t understand what I was saying.

I didn’t say anything and the principal’s expression softened just slightly. "I believe you’re upset. I believe you’re embarrassed. I even believe you feel wronged. But none of those things change today’s outcome."

I swallowed hard. "So... that’s it? You’re not revoking it."

"The suspension stands." She nodded.

Tears threatened to fall from my eyes. "There isn’t anything I can say?"

She shook her head simple. "No."

I stared at her, waiting for her to change her mind, but she didn’t.

After what felt like forever, she walked back behind her desk and picked up the file she’d been reading before I’d barged in. "I think it’s best you go home, Nicholas. Take the suspension to reflect, gather yourself and return ready to focus on your studies. Continuing this discussion won’t change my decision."

Right.

I lowered my head, pressing my lips together so tightly they hurt, but it was useless. My vision blurred, and before I realized it, tears were sliding down my face.

I quickly wiped at them, embarrassed to be crying in front of her, but the more I tried to stop, the worse it became and she noticed.

For a brief moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something comforting. Instead, she simply nodded toward the door. "You may leave."

I didn’t trust myself to answer so I turned around before she could see just how badly I was shaking, opened the office door and walked straight past the secretary without looking at her.

By the time I stepped outside the administration building, the tears I’d tried so hard to hold back refused to stop.

I didn’t know whether I was more angry with the principal... or with Elijah.

Maybe both.

I laughed bitterly to myself as I walked through the university gates.

What an idiot. I’d trusted him, defended him, and actually believed that no matter what happened, he’d stand beside me.

I should’ve known better. By the time I reached the road leading away from campus, I was no longer paying attention to where I was going.

"Nicholas?" I stopped to see the person.

Jayden stood a few feet away, concern immediately replacing the smile he’d been wearing.

He walked over without hesitation, his eyes searching my face. "What happened? You look..." He stopped himself before finishing the sentence. "Did something happen after we spoke?"

I tried to answer, but my throat tightened.

Jayden didn’t press me for answers. Instead, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me.

I really needed that.

When he finally let go, he studied me carefully. "You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready," he said quietly. "But you shouldn’t spend the rest of the day like this. Come on. Let’s get out of here for a while."

"...Where?" I croaked.

"Just somewhere we can sit, have a drink and clear your head. You need a break more than you need to keep thinking about whatever happened back there."

I hesitated. Home didn’t sound appealing and school was out of the question. "...Alright."

Jayden smiled faintly. "I know a place."

A small part of me questioned whether following him was the right decision.

But still, I followed him.