Kimi's POV
Kolton's hands dropped from my waist like I'd burned him. He stepped back quickly, his dark eyes wide with shock.
The party guests erupted in laughter around us.
"Oh my god, Kolton caught the nerd!"
"This is hilarious!"
"Did you see his face?"
The cruel laughter pierced through me like glass shards. Heat flooded my cheeks as dozens of eyes stared at us.
Kolton's expression shifted from shock to something colder. His jaw tightened as he looked down at me with obvious disgust.
"Seriously?" he muttered under his breath.
More laughter echoed through the room. Someone wolf-whistled mockingly.
Kolton's eyes flashed dangerously. He turned toward the crowd with a single, lethal glare.
The laughter died instantly.
The room fell into tense silence. Even the music seemed quieter now.
Kolton's presence commanded fear and respect. His future Alpha authority radiated from every inch of his muscular frame.
No one dared to make another sound.
"Bennett!"
I turned to see Bennett pushing through the crowd toward me. His face was tight with concern and anger.
"Lay off, Kolton. She's my friend," Bennett announced loudly, his voice carrying across the silent room.
He moved to stand beside me, his protective stance clear.
Kolton's gaze shifted to Bennett. Something dangerous flickered in his dark eyes.
"Your friend?" Kolton's voice dripped with disbelief.
"Yes," Bennett lifted his chin defiantly. "Is that a problem?"
The tension between them crackled like electricity. I could feel the power struggle building.
Kolton let out a harsh laugh. "You're befriending a nerd now, Bennett? How pathetic."
The word 'nerd' hit me like a physical blow. Coming from Kolton's lips, it sounded especially cruel.
Bennett's hands clenched into fists. "Don't talk about her like that."
"Why? It's what she is." Kolton's lips curved into a cold smirk. "Look at her. Baggy clothes, ugly glasses. She doesn't belong here."
Each word was a dagger to my heart. The room started to blur as tears threatened to spill.
Bennett stepped forward aggressively. "You don't know anything about her."
"I know enough." Kolton moved closer to Bennett, using his height advantage to intimidate.
The crowd watched with bated breath. A fight between the future Alpha and the basketball captain would be legendary.
"Enough."
A new voice cut through the tension. Brennan appeared beside Kolton, placing a firm hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Let's go get some air," Brennan said calmly to Kolton.
Kolton's muscles were coiled tight, ready to strike. But something in Brennan's expression made him pause.
"This isn't worth it," Brennan added quietly.
After a long moment, Kolton stepped back. But his eyes never left Bennett's face.
"You're right," Kolton said coldly. "She's not worth it."
The final insult landed like a crushing weight on my chest. I couldn't breathe.
Kolton turned and walked away without another glance at me. Brennan followed, shaking his head apologetically.
The crowd began to disperse, whispering excitedly about the confrontation they'd witnessed.
Bennett immediately turned to me, his expression soft with regret.
"Kimi, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," I whispered, though it wasn't okay at all.
"No, it's not. Kolton had no right to talk to you like that."
I wanted to run. To hide in my dorm room and pretend this night never happened.
But my legs felt like jelly. The humiliation was paralyzing.
"I need some air," I managed to say.
Bennett nodded understandingly. "I'll come with you."
"No." The word came out sharper than intended. "I need to be alone."
Hurt flashed across Bennett's kind features. But he respected my wishes.
"Okay. But if you need anything, call me."
I nodded and pushed through the remaining party guests. Their stares followed me like spotlights.
The patio doors led to a pool area behind the sorority house. String lights cast a romantic glow over the water.
Several people were still out here, drinking and laughing. But it was quieter than inside.
I found an empty lounge chair in a shadowy corner and sank into it. The night air cooled my burning cheeks.
Why did Kolton's words hurt so much? I barely knew him.
But that wasn't true. I'd been watching him from afar for months. Studying his movements, memorizing his smile.
I'd built up fantasies about him in my mind. Imagined conversations where he saw past my disguise to the real me.
How foolish.
"He's such an ass."
I looked up to see Olive approaching with a drink in her hand.
"I heard what happened in there," she continued, sitting on the edge of my chair.
"It doesn't matter," I lied.
"Of course it matters. Kolton Zachary is a bully."
I wanted to defend him, which made no sense at all. He'd just humiliated me in front of half the university.
"Maybe he's right though," I said quietly. "Maybe I don't belong here."
"Don't you dare let him make you feel that way." Olive's voice was fierce. "You have every right to be here."
I appreciated her loyalty. But it didn't ease the ache in my chest.
"I think I'll go back to my dorm," I said.
"Stay a little longer. Don't let him chase you away."
Before I could respond, movement near the pool caught my attention.
Kolton had returned. He stood at the edge of the patio, scanning the area with predatory focus.
My breath caught in my throat. Even in the dim lighting, he was devastatingly handsome.
A girl in a white bikini emerged from the pool, water cascading down her perfect curves. She had long blonde hair and the kind of body that belonged in magazines.
She noticed Kolton immediately and smiled seductively.
"Kolton Zachary," she purred, walking toward him with confident strides.
"Zofia." His voice was smooth as silk now. So different from the harsh tone he'd used with me.
She pressed close to him, her wet body soaking his shirt. He didn't seem to mind.
"Want to go for a swim?" she asked, trailing her fingers down his chest.
Kolton's lips curved into that devastating smirk I'd seen so many times from afar.
"I have a better idea," he murmured.
My heart clenched painfully. I couldn't look away, even though watching was torture.
Zofia laughed and pressed even closer. Her hands explored his muscled arms while she whispered something in his ear.
Kolton's response was to slide his hands around her waist possessively.
The sight sent a sharp, unexpected pain through my chest. It felt like someone was squeezing my heart with ice-cold fingers.
Why did this hurt so much? Why did I care who Kolton touched?
He was nothing to me. Less than nothing after what he'd done tonight.
But watching him with another woman felt like betrayal. Which made no sense at all.
Zofia pulled back and smiled triumphantly. She'd clearly gotten the response she wanted.
"I'll be right back," she told him, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw.
She climbed out of the pool completely now, water dripping from her bikini-clad body. Every male eye in the area followed her movement.
She walked past our seating area toward the house, her hips swaying deliberately.
But before disappearing inside, she turned back to Kolton and winked.
"Don't go anywhere," she called out playfully.
Kolton's smirk widened. The promise in his eyes was unmistakable.
My stomach twisted into knots. The pain in my chest intensified until I could barely breathe.
This was it. I was about to watch Kolton Zachary disappear inside with a beautiful girl for what everyone knew would happen next.
The realization filled me with an inexplicable heartache that I couldn't understand or explain.
Why did I feel this way about a man who'd just treated me with such cruelty and disdain?