Sigh. How did I not notice Evan was loaded?
Jasmine couldn't help but stew in regret. She used to think Nathan's situation was pretty good, honestly. But after Evan handed Emily that designer bag, Jasmine just couldn't see Nathan the same way. There's no comparison. Not even close.
She glanced at Emily chatting away on her video call, then over at Emily's locker. Later that evening, Jasmine watched as Emily tucked the bag into her closet. A bag Jasmine couldn't even picture herself owning—like, not in a million years.
Buzz.
Jasmine's phone started going off. She snapped out of her thoughts, checked the screen, and frowned. Nathan. He wanted to know what she was up to, said he missed her, wanted to video call.
"No, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep," she typed back, not even bothering to hide her mood.
She had zero interest in seeing Nathan's face right now. Honestly, she didn't even want to talk to him, let alone eat dinner with him tonight. She was just… upset. The kind of sour, lingering feeling she didn't want to admit to herself.
"Sleepy already? Okay, get some rest. Goodnight~" Nathan replied from his bed in the guys' dorm, not looking too happy about it.
He sighed, staring at his phone. Jasmine had been off all day—barely talking to him since the afternoon.
Jack, sprawled on the neighboring bed, heard the sigh and perked up. "What's up, Nathan? Why the long face? C'mon, make us laugh."
Ryan glanced over, waiting for the drama. Truth is, Nathan wasn't the most popular guy in the room. Jack and Ryan both had plenty to say about him, mostly because Nathan walked around with this annoying air of superiority. Sure, his family's well-off, but still.
So, when Nathan started sighing, Jack and Ryan got interested.
"Get lost. What's the point of telling you? My girlfriend's in a weird mood tonight. Like you'd even get it. You two don't even have girlfriends," Nathan shot back, lips pressed tight, sounding as smug as ever.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, so you think you're hot stuff just because you have a girlfriend?"
Nathan heard the edge in Jack's voice, but he didn't care. He doubled down. "Yeah, actually. Pretty impressive, right? Don't be jealous. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky in the next four years."
Jack sat up, annoyed. "What's your problem?"
Nathan just shrugged. "Not worth my time," he muttered, but the faint curve of his lips betrayed how pleased he was with himself.
Nathan honestly believed none of the other guys—Evan, Jack, or Ryan—stood a chance at finding girlfriends in college. And if they did, it wouldn't last. Everyone knew graduation season was breakup season. People split up all the time—just not him. His family owns a small business. He was going to marry Jasmine. He'd already pictured it: inviting Evan and the rest to see him and Jasmine tie the knot. Let them see what happiness looks like.
The more he thought about it, the more smug he became.
Jack, meanwhile, just stared at his phone, fuming. "I can't stand that look on his face. So what if he's got money?"
He fired off a text to Ryan. "I don't even like this guy, but being a businessman is kind of impressive," Ryan replied.
"Dude, whose side are you on? I needed you to help me roast Nathan, not agree with him," Jack shot back.
He kept going, thumbs flying. ""I swear, I hate that smug attitude. Ever since he got a girlfriend, he won't shut up. How did someone like him even get one?"
"Honestly, I'm just hoping one thing happens," Jack typed.
"What's that?" Ryan asked.
"That his girlfriend dumps him. Or, better yet, she cheats on him. Let's see how smug he is then."
Ryan just replied with a string of dots, then added, "Don't waste your energy on him. You know what he's like by now. Just ignore him."
Jack calmed down a bit. "Want to go out to the balcony for a smoke?" he texted.
Ryan put down his phone and said, "Let's go."
The two of them hopped down from their bunks and headed for the balcony.
Nathan lay in bed, watching Jack and Ryan slip out to the balcony for a smoke. For a second, he kind of wanted to join them—not because he craved a cigarette, but because, let's be honest, smoking just looks cool sometimes.
Still, he stayed put. His cigarettes were pricey. Jack and Ryan smoked the cheap stuff, less than a dollar a pack. If he showed up, they'd probably ask him for one of his, and he'd feel awkward saying no. But handing them out? That didn't feel right either.
So Nathan just stayed in bed, waiting for them to finish. He decided he'd head out for a smoke after they left the balcony.
With that settled, he glanced toward the balcony, pressed his lips together, and tried to shake off the urge. Instead, he grabbed his phone and opened up a chat with Jasmine.
"Baby, tomorrow's Sunday—no school. Want to go see a movie? We missed out today."
He hoped Jasmine would see his message first thing in the morning.
------
Meanwhile, in the girl's dorm, Jasmine was still awake when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, saw Nathan's name, and immediately flipped her phone over, not wanting to answer.
She looked up at Emily, who was still video chatting with Evan, grinning from ear to ear.
Jasmine pressed her lips together, watching Emily's happiness. Deep down, she felt a sharp pang of jealousy.
"Alright, I'm back at the dorm. Let's talk again after I've washed up."
When Evan reached the entrance to the guys' dorm, he told Emily he was heading in.
"Okay, go wash up first," Emily replied, nodding.
Just as Evan was about to end the video call, Emily's camera tilted down. Out of nowhere, a pair of long, fair legs slipped into the frame It only lasted a couple seconds before the camera swung back up to show Emily's face—her cheeks flushed, but she looked straight at him anyway.
"So? What do you think?" she asked, lounging on her bed, pretending to be casual but obviously fishing for his reaction.
She'd done it on purpose. Emily knew her strengths, and she didn't mind showing off for Evan. She'd already made up her mind about him anyway.
"I didn't see it clearly. Show me again," Evan said, blinking as he tried to play it cool. He'd definitely seen it the first time—but he wasn't about to admit that.
"Go shower. I'm hanging up now," Emily said, her face turning even redder. She didn't buy his excuse for a second. She'd seen his eyes go wide a moment ago. Without another word, she ended the call.
Emily set her phone down and touched her cheeks. She didn't need a mirror to know she was blushing. Her skin was burning up. This was the first time she'd ever done something like that willingly. It felt different from walking down the street and catching boys' stares. This time, she was the one who decided to let someone look.
So yeah, she felt a little shy—even though she always acted confident. Still, she was pretty pleased with herself. Remembering Evan's reaction, she couldn't help but give a tiny, triumphant hum.
Just then, Isabella walked out of the bathroom, towel in hand, and caught Emily humming to herself, looking proud. Isabella raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything—she just headed for her own bed.
"Bella, you look gorgeous after a shower," Rose blurted out, staring at Isabella with open envy.
She really meant it. Isabella always had this cool, untouchable vibe, and her figure was… well, impressive. Rose hadn't expected her to look so good.
Emily glanced over at Isabella too, trying to hide her own pride. She had to admit, Isabella was just as stunning as she was.
Isabella had her hair up in a loose bun, her face fresh and striking, her neck long and pale. Even in a simple nightgown, she looked elegant and distant.
"You're pretty too," Isabella said with a small smile, glancing at Rose.
"No way. I'm not pretty at all. You don't have to comfort me, Bella—I know what I look like," Rose sighed, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, her curiosity got the better of her.
"Hey, can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"Go ahead. If it's too personal, I'll just say no," Isabella replied.
"It's nothing private, promise. I just wonder—what kind of boyfriend are you looking for? We've been at college for a month and you've already got a bunch of admirers, but you don't seem interested in any of them. So, what's your type?"
Rose looked genuinely interested. Emily perked up, too—she was dying to know Isabella's answer. In her mind, Isabella was on her level when it came to looks, so she definitely wanted to hear.
Jasmine, who'd been quiet until now, peeked over from her bed.
"I don't really have a checklist or anything," Isabella said after thinking. "But I hope he's mature. Reliable."
That was the truth. She wanted someone steady, because deep down she never really felt secure. Problem was, all the guys chasing after her so far were either too rash or just pretending to be mature.
"Oh, you like mature and reliable guys? So you're into older men, right? They're all mature and reliable," Rose teased, as if she'd cracked the code.
Isabella just gave her a look and didn't bother correcting her. She wasn't into older guys—she just wanted someone her age who acted like an adult. But she let it go and smiled.
"It's late. Let's get some sleep," Isabella said, turning out the light.
---------
Silver brook apartment
"Alright, so the Apple ID thing worked."
A few minutes later, Lara stretched and let out a little sigh. When she reached her arms overhead, her slim waist showed for a second—she really did have that perfect pear shape.
"Mmm," Lena nodded.
"I'm gonna go watch my web series now, so I'll head back to my room," Lara said.
She'd gotten hooked on this show lately. It was dramatic as hell, but addictive. Honestly, if she wasn't curious about how Lena's evening went, she would've already disappeared to binge another episode.
But before she could go, Lena put down her phone and grabbed Lara's arm. "Wait, I need to talk to you."
"What's up?" Lara asked.
"Is your company hiring? I'm thinking about quitting the 4S store. If I could work with you, that'd be perfect. If not, I'll just find something else," Lena said.
"Quitting? Why?" Lara looked surprised for a second, but then it clicked.
Are you worried Evan's going to get the wrong idea?
Lena nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I just don't want him to feel weird about it. Plus, I barely make any money at the 4S store. You know I'm not exactly outgoing. I'm bad at dealing with customers. Some guys stare at me in such a creepy way, and others start messaging me gross stuff after they add me on Chat."
"Honestly, I just don't want to stay there anymore."
"You're right, you shouldn't," Lara agreed. "Guys get jealous over nothing—don't give Evan a reason to get upset over your job."
She figured Lena had thought it through.
"Our company is hiring, actually. Let me check for you right now."
Lara was always on top of things. She pulled out her phone and messaged the HR woman she was friendly with at work.
"Hey sis, are you around? Quick question—my best friend from college, my old roommate, wants to join the company…"
She sent the message and barely had to wait.
A reply popped up almost instantly: "Yeah, we're short-staffed. Can she start next Monday?"
"I can!" Lena said, almost tripping over her words in her excitement.
Lara smiled, typed out the reply, then glanced at Lena. "Guess I'll treat them to lunch for this favor."
She put her phone down and smirked. "So, how are you going to thank me?"
Lara switched to her mock-serious, cool act.
Lena pretended to think it over. "Should I buy you dinner or something?"
"Forget dinner. Honestly, just let me cling to you tonight." Lara joked, then laughed and tackled Lena onto the sofa.
"Hey! Stop! Don't touch me there!" Lena yelped, half laughing, half trying to escape.
Lara just cackled like a cartoon villain.
But Lena wasn't about to take it lying down. She fought back, and pretty soon the two of them were tangled up, laughing and wrestling on the couch.
--------
Boy's dorm
Evan stood at the entrance of the boys' dorm, staring at his phone as the video call ended. He felt a pang of regret. He really wanted one more look. Just one more.
He walked inside, climbed to the third floor, but Emily's face—flushed, a little shy near the end of their call—wouldn't leave his head.
Yeah, she's definitely a little shy. That made him smile.
His phone buzzed. A message from Lena.
"Back at school yet?"
"In the dorm already," he typed back.
He snapped a quick photo and sent it.
Lena's replies came in fast: "Oh? You're back so soon? I thought you'd just arrived. I was about to call you so you wouldn't be lonely walking back."
"Too late, I guess."
She sent another message. Then an emoji of a sad kitten.
Right then, Lena was sprawled out on her bed, pouting, a little annoyed. She really had wanted to call him, but now it felt pointless. It was just too late.
Evan's heart jumped. That was close. If Lena had called a few minutes earlier, things could've gotten messy.
A new message from Lena: "Want to video call when you're settled in your dorm?"
He thought for a second, then replied, "I need to wash up first, and by the time I'm done, it'll be late. My roommates will probably be asleep, so a call would disturb them. Let's just text."
"Alright," Lena answered. He could tell she was a little disappointed, but she let it go.
Evan let out a breath. Just as he started to relax, another message popped up—this time from Emily. She wanted to pick up their video chat after he finished washing up.
Evan stared at the screen. Well, here we go again.
He sent Emily the same message he'd just sent Lena.
Emily got it. She just replied, "Okay."
He didn't answer right away—he'd just reached the dorm entrance.
********