I wasn’t sure if Evelyn would believe me, but deep down, I swore to myself that this would be the last time I deceived a close friend in such matters.
“Alright, Seraph, I’ll forgive you this time. But I hope you won’t hide things from me again. It hurts me, and it makes me feel like you don’t consider me a friend.”
“No, no, Evelyn, there won’t be a next time. I promise!” I hugged Evelyn, feeling the warmth of her body.
Her willingness to forgive me made me incredibly happy-and deeply moved. She truly was a kind and understanding person.
At that thought, my eyes began to well up. For a moment, I felt the urge to cry-for friendship. But I held it back.
Once we both calmed down, Evelyn asked, “What are you going to do about Kael?”
“I don’t plan to pursue a romantic relationship with him. You know he’s a playboy,” I admitted.
Evelyn nodded in agreement. “That’s why I’m surprised you even got involved with him, knowing that.” She rolled her eyes.
“I regret it, okay? I don’t want him to keep bothering me!” I replied helplessly.
“Well, I’ve heard he never sleeps with the same girl twice. But you two… that’s surprising!” Evelyn exclaimed.
“I’ve heard that too, so I don’t understand why he’s so fixated on me!”
This was unexpected. I thought a man like Kael would have a different woman every day. But since I met him, aside from Vivienne, no other women seemed to be around him. He was relentlessly pursuing me, as if I held some special appeal. It was baffling.
Now that our relationship had been exposed, he even wanted to make it public. If Kael truly saw me as a toy, he wouldn’t do this. Unless, of course, he wanted to turn me into the enemy of every girl at school, ensuring everyone would hate me. That possibility couldn’t be ruled out-it would be a disaster.
“Do you think he actually likes you, Seraph?”
Evelyn ended our hug and looked me in the eye. Suddenly, she cupped my face and removed my glasses.
“Honestly, you’re beautiful. You just don’t know how to dress up. Kael has good taste.”
“No, I don’t think he likes me. He’s close to Vivienne, and since Vivienne and I are enemies, he might be using me as a pawn against her.”
“Seraph, that’s really a weird way to think about it all! How can you think that? Oh my god!” Evelyn burst into laughter, her voice loud and cheerful, as if she’d just heard the funniest thing.
I couldn’t help but grip her arm. “Stop laughing, please. Be serious.”
Evelyn finally stopped and lay back on the couch, relaxed.
“Okay, Seraph, but it’s still hilarious. Why would Kael choose to be with you just to get back at Vivienne?”
“Isn’t that the case? There are so many girls prettier and with better figures than me. Why would he like me?”
“Come on, Seraph, have some confidence! You’re way prettier than Vivienne. That bitch has nothing going for her except her big chest,” Evelyn mocked mercilessly.
Alright, I had to admit, Evelyn’s words convinced me. With proper makeup and styling, I wasn’t inferior to Vivienne. But did Kael really like me?
A shiver ran through me as I remembered Kael’s other identity-he was a werewolf. Being liked by a werewolf wasn’t exactly a good thing. But I couldn’t tell Evelyn about this. If she got entangled too, it would be a disaster. I had promised not to hide anything from her, but this was something I had to keep secret. Revealing it would only bring her trouble.
“I don’t want to be with Kael, Evelyn, but he seems determined to stay with me.”
“Determined? With all these leaked photos and everyone talking about it, if Kael didn’t want people to misunderstand, he would’ve clarified by now. But he hasn’t said a word-only you’ve spoken up.” Evelyn was scrolling through her phone, likely reading the statement I posted.
I, however, didn’t dare to look. I knew the comments would be full of hate. Even though they were just words, they still hurt.
“He probably doesn’t care,” I said.
“You think a playboy like Kael wouldn’t care about rumors? If he wanted more women, he’d deny this immediately,” Evelyn countered.
“Seraph, I know you understand-he likes you.”
*He likes you.*
Evelyn’s words hit me like a boulder, making me sway slightly. I felt caught in a contradiction. I didn’t believe Kael liked me, even though our physical connection was undeniable. But physical compatibility didn’t equate to love. Yet Evelyn seemed so sure.
“Seraph, what do you think? Do you want to be with him? Honestly, you two look good together, and he’s better than your ex. You should give him a chance.”
“I’m still thinking about it. I’m afraid of getting hurt,” I said. “After being betrayed in my last relationship, I didn’t plan to fall in love again.”
But things with Kael had taken an unexpected turn. Yet, he was a werewolf… Being with him would mean my life would never be peaceful. I was already facing strange dangers, and I didn’t want more.
I went to my room to take a shower and calm down. When I came out, I saw that Lucian had called and messaged me several times. Since I’d blocked him, his messages only appeared in the blacklist. He must’ve seen the news about Kael and me. He was probably devastated. The thought made me smile. I admit, it was a bit cruel, but someone who’d been hurt before couldn’t afford to be magnanimous.
I ignored him.
Then Magnus called.
“Seraphina, I saw what happened on Twitter. Are you okay?”
“Thank you for your concern. I’m fine.” I was touched that Magnus cared, but his earlier warning about staying away from Kael made me feel guilty. I hadn’t listened to him and had even become Kael’s casual partner. If not for this incident, our relationship might have continued.
“That’s good, Seraphina. I told you before-Kael isn’t worth your time. If you’re looking for a boyfriend, you should consider me instead.”