Chapter\u00a0505\u00a0<\/p>\n
+15\u00a0Bonus<\/p>\n
Judy\u2019s\u00a0POV<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u00a0look\u00a0as\u00a0if\u00a0you\u00a0haven\u2019t slept\u00a0in\u00a0days,\u201d\u00a0Nan\u00a0points\u00a0out\u00a0as\u00a0I\u00a0join her\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0coffee\u00a0shop\u00a0near\u00a0the\u00a0school\u00a0campus.\u00a0I\u00a0felt\u00a0gross;\u00a0I<\/p>\n
didn\u2019t\u00a0bother\u00a0showering\u00a0and\u00a0knew\u00a0I\u00a0had\u00a0dark\u00a0circles\u00a0under\u00a0my\u00a0eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0haven\u2019t,\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0admitted.\u00a0\u201cNot\u00a0since\u00a0my\u00a0date\u00a0with\u00a0Gavin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u00a0still\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0heard\u00a0from\u00a0him?\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u00a0shook\u00a0my\u00a0head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0texted\u00a0him\u00a0last\u00a0night after Matt\u00a0left,\u00a0but\u00a0he\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0even\u00a0opened\u00a0it.\u00a0His\u00a0phone\u2019s\u00a0been\u00a0off\u2026\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0told\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0odd,\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0said.\u00a0\u201cMaybe\u00a0you\u00a0are\u00a0right\u2026\u00a0Maybe\u00a0something\u00a0happened.\u00a0Did\u00a0you\u00a0talk\u00a0to\u00a0Beta\u00a0Taylor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0tell\u00a0me\u00a0anything.\u00a0He\u00a0gets\u00a0weird\u00a0when\u00a0I\u00a0bring\u00a0up\u00a0Gavin,\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0told\u00a0her,\u00a0my\u00a0heart\u00a0pounding\u00a0in\u00a0my\u00a0chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas\u00a0Matthew\u00a0said\u00a0anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u00a0thought\u00a0back\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0conversation\u00a0with\u00a0Matt\u00a0last\u00a0night.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u00a0asked\u00a0me\u00a0if\u00a0I\u00a0still\u00a0liked\u00a0his\u00a0father,\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0told\u00a0her.\u00a0\u201cLike\u00a0if\u00a0we\u00a0were\u00a0still\u00a0friends\u2026\u00a0then\u00a0he mentioned\u00a0something\u00a0about\u00a0his\u00a0perception\u00a0being\u00a0wrong.\u00a0He\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0get to\u00a0finish\u00a0his\u00a0thought,\u00a0though,\u00a0because\u00a0Taylor\u00a0came\u00a0to\u00a0pick\u00a0him\u00a0up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0wonder\u00a0what\u00a0he\u00a0meant\u00a0by\u00a0that,\u201d\u00a0Nan\u00a0said\u00a0thoughtfully.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0took\u00a0a sip\u00a0of\u00a0my\u00a0coffee,\u00a0my\u00a0hands\u00a0trembling\u00a0as\u00a0I\u00a0brought\u00a0the\u00a0cup\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0lips.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know,\u00a0Nan\u2026\u00a0I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know\u00a0what to\u00a0think.\u00a0Is\u00a0he\u00a0ghosting\u00a0me?\u00a0Did he\u00a0decide\u00a0he\u00a0wanted\u00a0nothing\u00a0to\u00a0do\u00a0with\u00a0me\u00a0during\u00a0the<\/p>\n
date?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJudy,\u00a0I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0the\u00a0case,\u201d\u00a0Nan\u00a0said\u00a0gently.\u00a0\u201cYou didn\u2019t\u00a0see\u00a0the\u00a0way he\u00a0was\u00a0looking\u00a0at\u00a0you.\u00a0That\u00a0man\u00a0was\u00a0falling\u00a0in\u00a0love<\/p>\n
with\u00a0you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u00a0blinked\u00a0as\u00a0I\u00a0looked\u00a0at\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
\u201cFalling\u00a0in\u00a0love\u00a0with\u00a0me?\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0asked.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe<\/p>\n
way\u00a0<\/p>\n
he\u00a0was\u00a0looking\u00a0at\u00a0you,\u00a0Judy.\u00a0It\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0look\u00a0I\u00a0had never\u00a0seen\u00a0before,\u00a0not even\u00a0with\u00a0Chester.\u00a0Ethan\u00a0had never\u00a0looked\u00a0at\u00a0you<\/p>\n
like\u00a0that\u00a0before.\u00a0This\u00a0was\u00a0different\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know\u00a0what\u00a0to\u00a0think\u00a0anymore,\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0admit,\u00a0nibbling\u00a0on\u00a0my\u00a0lower\u00a0lip.\u00a0The\u00a0anxiety\u00a0was\u00a0bubbling\u00a0inside\u00a0of\u00a0me,\u00a0and\u00a0I\u00a0hated\u00a0the\u00a0feeling.\u00a0I\u00a0took\u00a0another\u00a0sip\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0coffee\u00a0and\u00a0sighed\u00a0as\u00a0I\u00a0leaned\u00a0back\u00a0on\u00a0my\u00a0booth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u00a0how\u00a0about\u00a0we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think\u00a0about\u00a0it?\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0told\u00a0me.\u00a0\u201cWe\u00a0are\u00a0graduating\u00a0soon,\u00a0Judy.\u00a0This\u00a0is\u00a0huge.\u00a0We\u00a0have\u00a0to\u00a0focus\u00a0on\u00a0our<\/p>\n
1\/4<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a0505<\/p>\n
+15\u00a0Bonus<\/p>\n
finals\u2026\u00a0not men\u00a0with\u00a0poor\u00a0communication\u00a0skills.\u201d\u00a01<\/p>\n
I\u00a0nodded,\u00a0knowing\u00a0she was\u00a0right.\u00a0This\u00a0could\u00a0make\u00a0or\u00a0break\u00a0my\u00a0future.\u00a0I\u00a0knew\u00a0that\u00a0I\u00a0had\u00a0already\u00a0secured\u00a0a\u00a0spot\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Elite\u00a0Force<\/p>\n
because\u00a0I\u00a0had\u00a0won\u00a0the\u00a0Gamma\u00a0Competition,\u00a0but\u00a0having\u00a0a\u00a0degree\u00a0would\u00a0mean\u00a0the\u00a0world\u00a0to me,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u00a0would\u00a0open\u00a0the\u00a0doors\u00a0to<\/p>\n
other\u00a0opportunities.<\/p>\n
After\u00a0we\u00a0left\u00a0the\u00a0coffee\u00a0shop,\u00a0we\u00a0walked\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0campus.\u00a0We\u00a0spent\u00a0some\u00a0time\u00a0studying\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0student lounge\u00a0before\u00a0we\u00a0had\u00a0to\u00a0go\u00a0to<\/p>\n
our\u00a0classes.<\/p>\n
Lukas\u00a0was\u00a0already\u00a0in\u00a0class when\u00a0I\u00a0got\u00a0there.\u00a0I\u00a0took\u00a0my\u00a0seat beside\u00a0him and\u00a0got\u00a0my\u00a0notes\u00a0ready.\u00a0He\u00a0was\u00a0trying hard\u00a0to\u00a0pretend\u00a0I<\/p>\n
wasn\u2019t\u00a0seated\u00a0right\u00a0next\u00a0to\u00a0him,\u00a0which aggravated\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEventually,\u00a0you\u2019ll have\u00a0to\u00a0stop\u00a0acting\u00a0like\u00a0I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0exist,\u201d\u00a0I told\u00a0him.\u00a0\u201cWe\u00a0are\u00a0classmates,\u00a0Lukas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u00a0are\u00a0classmates,\u00a0not\u00a0friends,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0replied\u00a0simply,\u00a0his\u00a0eyes\u00a0fixed\u00a0on\u00a0his\u00a0own\u00a0notes\u00a0as\u00a0he\u00a0prepared\u00a0them\u00a0for\u00a0class.<\/p>\n
It\u00a0annoyed\u00a0me that he\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0even\u00a0give\u00a0me\u00a0the\u00a0time of\u00a0day.\u00a0He\u00a0was so\u00a0worried\u00a0about\u00a0getting\u00a0on\u00a0Gavin\u2019s\u00a0bad\u00a0side,\u00a0and\u00a0Gavin<\/p>\n
probably\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0even\u00a0notice\u00a0if\u00a0he\u00a0did\u00a0talk\u00a0to\u00a0me\u00a0or\u00a0not. It\u2019s\u00a0not\u00a0like\u00a0Gavin\u00a0was\u00a0talking\u00a0to\u00a0me\u00a0anyway.<\/p>\n
My\u00a0stomach\u00a0knotted\u00a0at\u00a0the thought.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0class\u00a0started,\u00a0my\u00a0mind went into\u00a0focus\u00a0mode.\u00a0I\u00a0pushed\u00a0all\u00a0thoughts of\u00a0Gavin\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0back\u00a0burner\u00a0and tried\u00a0to\u00a0make\u00a0the\u00a0most\u00a0out<\/p>\n
of\u00a0my\u00a0class\u00a0time.\u00a0By\u00a0the\u00a0time\u00a0class\u00a0was\u00a0over,\u00a0my\u00a0brain\u00a0was\u00a0feeling\u00a0utterly\u00a0fried.<\/p>\n
\u201cJudy,\u00a0Dean Griffin\u00a0wanted\u00a0to speak\u00a0with you in\u00a0her office,\u201d\u00a0Professor\u00a0Rivers told me.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0frowned,\u00a0my\u00a0heart\u00a0pounding\u00a0against my\u00a0chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cDean\u00a0Griffin?\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0asked.\u00a0\u201cIs\u00a0everything\u00a0okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u00a0shrugged\u00a0her\u00a0shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m\u00a0not\u00a0entirely\u00a0sure.\u00a0But it\u2019s\u00a0best\u00a0if\u00a0you\u00a0head\u00a0there\u00a0right\u00a0now.\u00a0I\u00a0just\u00a0got\u00a0a\u00a0phone\u00a0call\u00a0from\u00a0her,\u00a0and it sounded\u00a0kind\u00a0of\u00a0urgent.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0swallowed\u00a0the\u00a0lump\u00a0in\u00a0my\u00a0throat\u00a0and\u00a0nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u00a0thank\u00a0you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u00a0made\u00a0my\u00a0way\u00a0across\u00a0the\u00a0campus\u00a0and\u00a0towards\u00a0the\u00a0Dean\u2019s\u00a0office.\u00a0Dean\u00a0Griffin\u00a0was\u00a0new\u00a0as\u00a0of\u00a0this\u00a0year;\u00a0the\u00a0former\u00a0Dean,\u00a0the\u00a0one\u00a0who\u00a0nominated\u00a0me\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0Gamma\u00a0Competition,\u00a0retired\u00a0over\u00a0the\u00a0summer\u00a0and\u00a0was\u00a0replaced\u00a0by\u00a0a new,\u00a0younger\u00a0dean.\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0only\u00a0seen\u00a0glimpses\u00a0of\u00a0her\u00a0before;\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0pretty\u00a0and\u00a0looked\u00a0extremely\u00a0intimidating.\u00a0I\u00a0would\u00a0be\u00a0lying\u00a0if\u00a0I\u00a0said\u00a0I\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0nervous about\u00a0meeting\u00a0her for\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0time,\u00a0and\u00a0even\u00a0more\u00a0so\u00a0that\u00a0she\u00a0wants\u00a0to\u00a0speak\u00a0to\u00a0me\u00a0in\u00a0her\u00a0office.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0I\u00a0approached\u00a0the\u00a0faculty\u00a0office,\u00a0I\u00a0used\u00a0the\u00a0elevator\u00a0to\u00a0reach\u00a0the\u00a0top\u00a0floor.\u00a0I\u00a0stepped\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0elevator\u00a0and\u00a0walked\u00a0over\u00a0to\u00a0the<\/p>\n
receptionist\u2019s\u00a0desk.<\/p>\n
Mrs.\u00a0Connolly\u00a0sat at\u00a0the\u00a0desk in\u00a0her\u00a0normal\u00a0fashion,\u00a0typing\u00a0away\u00a0on\u00a0her\u00a0computer.\u00a0She\u00a0had\u00a0been\u00a0the\u00a0receptionist\u00a0for\u00a0years,\u00a0and\u00a0even\u00a0in her\u00a0old\u00a0age,\u00a0she\u00a0refuses\u00a0to\u00a0retire.\u00a0She\u2019s\u00a0so\u00a0old,\u00a0she\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0even\u00a0shift\u00a0into\u00a0her\u00a0wolf\u00a0anymore.<\/p>\n
2\/4<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a0505<\/p>\n
Her\u00a0eyes\u00a0lifted\u00a0from\u00a0her\u00a0computer\u00a0when\u00a0she\u00a0saw\u00a0me,\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0small\u00a0smile\u00a0played\u00a0on her\u00a0lips.<\/p>\n
Sara is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
We Built a Kingdom From Ashes That Still Remembered Love by Aila Frost 505 Chapter\u00a0505\u00a0 +15\u00a0Bonus Judy\u2019s\u00a0POV \u201cYou\u00a0look\u00a0as\u00a0if\u00a0you\u00a0haven\u2019t slept\u00a0in\u00a0days,\u201d\u00a0Nan\u00a0points\u00a0out\u00a0as\u00a0I\u00a0join her\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0coffee\u00a0shop\u00a0near\u00a0the\u00a0school\u00a0campus.\u00a0I\u00a0felt\u00a0gross;\u00a0I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shadow-slave-by-author-novelnozi-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21573\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}