Against All Odds

CHAPTER - 34

CAMERON

As soon as I arrived at college, I started searching for her. I checked her usual hangout spots, the library, and even the cafeteria, but she was nowhere to be found. Anxiety gnawed at me. What if she was avoiding me? Or worse, what if something had happened to her? I felt frustrated. I decided to try talking to her friends again, even though they'd given me the same vague answer yesterday.

"Hey, have you seen Elle?" I asked Olivia, as she stood by her locker.

She looked at me with a mix of sympathy and annoyance. "Cameron, I told you yesterday. Elle's not feeling well. She's at home resting."

"But what exactly is wrong with her?" I pressed. "Is she okay?"

Olivia sighed, clearly tired of my questions. "I don't know the details. She's just sick. Give her some space, okay?"

I nodded, trying to hide my frustration. "Alright, thanks."

As I walked away, anger and worry twisted inside me. I needed to see her, to know she was okay, but it felt like everyone was keeping me in the dark. I kept walking, lost in thought, until I collided with someone. "Watch it!" I snapped, looking up to see a girl holding four cups of hot coffee.

The collision sent the cups flying, and hot coffee splashed all over me. "Dammit!" I yelled, feeling the burning liquid seep through my clothes.

"I'm so sorry!" The girl stammered, looking horrified. "I didn't see you—"

"Just... forget it." I growled, not in the mood for apologies. I stormed off, the coffee soaking through my shirt and pants, adding physical discomfort to my already foul mood.

I made my way to the gym, hoping that basketball practice would help me clear my head. When I entered the hall, I saw that I was early. Only three other players were there, one of them being Liam.

Great, just what I needed.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I had to focus on practice, not on my problems with Elle and Liam. But as soon as I started to relax, Liam's voice cut through the air.

"Cameron," he said, his tone hard. "What was the real reason you came to my place yesterday?"

I turned to face him, my heart pounding. "I told you, the coach sent me to check on you."

Liam's eyes narrowed. "That's a lie. I talked to Coach this morning. He never sent anyone to check on me."

My frustration boiled over. "Fine. I wanted to see Elle, okay? I needed to talk to her."

Liam's expression turned dangerous. "What does this have to do with Elle? Why are you so interested in my sister?"

I hesitated, knowing I was treading on dangerous ground. But my emotions got the better of me, and before I could stop myself, the truth spilled out.

"Because we've been seeing each other for three months now." I blurted, my voice filled with desperation.

Liam's face twisted with rage. "What did you just say?"

"We've been together for three months," I repeated, my voice shaking. "I care about her, Liam. I just wanted to make sure she's okay."

Liam took a step toward me, his fists clenched. "You son of a bitch. You were supposed to stay away from her!"

"I couldn't help it." I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "We fell for each other. It's not something I planned."

"You think I care about your plans?" Liam shouted, his voice echoing through the gym. "You're telling me you and my sister are together?"

"It's not like that," I tried to explain. "Elle and I, she didn't want to hurt you. That's why we kept it a secret."

Liam shook his head, his eyes filled with fury. "I don't care about your excuses. Stay away from Elle, or I'll make you regret it."

I took a step back, my heart racing. "Liam, please. We care about each other. Just let us—"

"Enough!" Liam roared, cutting me off. "You stay away from her, or you'll have to deal with me."

With that, he turned and stormed out of the gym, leaving me standing there. The other players had stopped their drills and were watching us, their faces a mix of shock and curiosity.

I wanted to follow Liam, to make him understand, but I knew it was useless. He was too angry, too protective of Elle. And now, because of my outburst, everything was out in the open. The secret Elle and I had tried so hard to keep was exposed, and there was no going back.

I sank onto the nearest bench, my head in my hands. How had everything gone so wrong? I had come here to clear my head, but instead, I had made things infinitely worse. The image of Elle's face, filled with worry and sadness, flashed in my mind. I had to find a way to fix this, to make things right between us.