I forced myself to tear my gaze away, reminding myself why I was here—to forget about Adam. But now, I had to add Finn to the list. Why does this always happen?

"Hey, Lily, come on!" Jennie called, snapping me out of my trance. She waved enthusiastically, gesturing for me to join them at the table where Kam was already seated.

I smiled, pushing Finn to the back of my mind, and made my way over to my friends.

"We're going to start with a round of Codenames," a girl announced, her voice carrying over the chatter of the room. "Girls versus guys!"

Across from us, Finn was engaged in conversation with a girl whose eyes sparkled as she leaned in closer, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Finn, for his part, looked relaxed, his easy grin captivating the girl's attention. I can't help but feel weird watching them interact.

I turned my attention back to the game as it progressed. Laughter filled the room as we exchanged witty clues and guesses, each team struggling.

"Hey, everyone! Let's liven things up a bit. How about we play a game of truth or dare?" a guy suggested.

As everyone gathered, Kam and Jennie sat on either side of me. I couldn't help but steal a glance towards Finn. Our eyes met briefly, his expression unreadable before he turned his attention back to the game.

The tension in the room seemed to intensify with each passing moment as the game of truth or dare continued.

After Kam's kiss with Shawn, which they both seemed to enjoy. The game had gone full circle and finally landed on me.

"Lily, truth or dare?" Shawn's voice rang out, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Dare," I replied, my voice steady despite the nervous flutter in my chest.

"I dare you to kiss someone you're attracted to here," he declared.

I felt Finn's gaze burning into me from across the room, but I refused to let it sway me. Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I scanned the crowd, my eyes landing on a guy sitting in the circle with sandy brown hair—cute, yes, but not in the same way as Finn.

Summoning every ounce of courage I had, I crossed the room and planted a kiss on his lips, the taste unfamiliar and unremarkable.

As I pulled away from the guy, he flashed me a cheesy grin. Well, that was... something.

The game continued, and I reached for my cup, only to find it empty. With a sigh, I realized I should have refilled it earlier.

Making my way to the kitchen, a red-haired girl approached me. "Hi, I'm Rachel," she introduced herself, her voice tinged with a hint of curiosity. "Are you Lily?"

I nodded, my brow furrowing in confusion. "Yes, that's me. Do I know you?"

Her smile widened, but there was something in her eyes that rubbed me the wrong way.

Her gaze flickered across the room towards Finn before returning to me.

"Listen, I'm a girl's girl, and I don't mean to pry, but I thought you should know... Finn and our friends usually have a bet on how many girls they can sleep with during the welcoming week, and it seems your name's been mentioned." She shrugged.

"Sorry, what?" I managed to choke out, my voice tight with disbelief. Rachel's words hit me like a slap in the face. I could feel my composure slipping as I struggled to process her casual tone. Is this some kind of sick joke?

"Are you trying to embarrass me or warn me?" I snap, my frustration evident.

Rachel raised her hands defensively, her eyes widening. "No, no, I'm not trying to embarrass you! I just thought you should know what kind of guy Finn is."

Her explanation only fueled my anger further. "And you think this is the best way to tell me? By casually dropping it in conversation?"

Before I could say anything further, Finn's voice cut through the air, his eyes locking with mine as he approached us.

"Rachel, what did you say to her?" he asked, the tone of his voice sharp, his gaze narrowing.

"Oh, nothing, just some harmless fun" she shrugged before walking away.

Leaving me dazed, confused, angry and irritated. All the emotions that swirled in my body.

"I swear, your silly games will get you in trouble," he muttered at her as she flipped him off, before he turned to me.

"Lily, can we talk?" he started. "Don't believe a word she said. She's my mate, but she just spouts rubbish."

He reached out for my arm, but I recoiled instinctively, my anger bubbling to the surface.

"I need some air," I muttered, brushing past him as I made my way outside. What the hell, just my luck.

I felt the tears prick my eyes and cloud my vision. I don't even know what to think, but all I know is some girl found out that me and Finn had sex, and that confirmation clearly did not come out of my mouth.

As I stepped outside, Finn followed. "Lily, can we please talk? I swear Rachel was just—"

"I don't need an explanation," I snapped, cutting him off, my patience wearing thin. Could he possibly explain how she found out? Like this is just so twisted, it's disgusting.

"Lily."

I turned around and looked at him. His gaze softened as he saw me tearing up.

"What could you possibly want, Finn?" I asked irritated, feeling the anger bubbling in the surface of my stomach, " Oh I know, you want to go fuck in the bushes? So you can tell your friends, you hit it twice?"

His eyebrows scrunched, and a wave of realization, swept through his face.

"Oh, for fucks sake, Rachel," he muttered, rubbing his face in frustration.

He stepped closer, his expression full of concern. "Lily, Rachel wasn't telling the truth. There was a bet among some of the guys on the team, but I wasn't involved."

My eyes widened in a mix of shock and skepticism. I stood rigidly, taking a small step back, crossing my arms defensively in front of my chest. I laughed bitterly, feeling a surge of anger and disbelief coursing through me.

"Do you think I'm dumb?" I retorted, my voice laced with bitterness. "How did she find out we slept together if you weren't even part of that disgusting bet?"

Finn's expression shifted, a flicker of guilt crossing his features. "I don't know why Rachel would say that. She's always been a bit like this, stirring things up."

I laughed bitterly again. "Okay then, how did she find out we slept together if you weren't even part of that disgusting bet?"

Finn scratched the back of his head. "I did mention something to my mate, Shawn, about you and she was in the room. She may have overheard," he said earnestly. "But I swear, I was not part of the bet."

"I promise, Lily," Finn insisted, his voice earnest. "I wouldn't do that to you, or anyone for that matter."

But his words only infuriated me more, honestly, I don't know what to believe, but I know I want to leave here.

"You're unbelievable," I hissed before I heard footsteps approaching. It turned out to be Kam, her presence a welcomed distraction.

"What's going on?" Kam asked, her brow furrowing in concern as she assessed the situation.

I shook my head, my frustration boiling over. "Just another mess," I muttered, my voice edged with irritation. "I'm going home."

Finn's gaze shifted to me. "Lily," he started, his tone defeated.

I felt a surge of annoyance at his request, my patience wearing thin. "Leave me," I snapped, my tone sharp. "I just need to go."

Finn's expression softened, his concern clear in his eyes. "It's late," he said gently. "Let me walk you home."

I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine," I replied tersely. Being with him, was the last thing I wanted right now.

"Kam, I'll catch you later," I said with a forced smile. "Tell Jennie I went back to the room."

With a nod of understanding, Kam gave me a sympathetic look before turning back to Finn. I didn't linger to hear their conversation.

I stormed down the path towards the bus stop, my vision blurred by tears. I can't believe I'd been so foolish, so naive. The cool night air did little to soothe the burning anger in my chest. I needed to get as far away from Finn as possible. My insistent need to find this 'Epic Love' blurs my damned decision-making process. Talk about foolish.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed behind me, pulling me from my thoughts. Instinctively, I quickened my pace, only to find the steps mirroring mine. My hand instinctively reached for my phone, fingers trembling as I called Kam, but her line kept ringing and then cut off.

Before I could react further, a figure appeared in front of me, obstructing my path. The man appeared dishevelled, possibly homeless and intoxicated. Panic gripped me as his hand clutched my arm, sending waves of desperation through my veins, my mind clouded with fear.

A scream escaped my lips as I tried to resist his grasp. Bracing myself for the worst, a sudden intervention occurred, and I was pulled away.

My rescuer stared down at the creep, and the guy left.

Gasping for breath, I lifted my gaze to meet his, only to realize it was the same person I kissed earlier.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice trembling.

He offered me a reassuring smile. "I'm Nate," he said, his voice calm. "Are you okay?"

I smiled, trying to forget the almost unfortunate incident that had occurred. I was still shaking, imagining all the 'What Ifs' that could have happened.

"Shall I walk you back? You look pale," he offered.

"Yes, please, if you don't mind," I asked pleadingly.

The bus arrived, and we both got on, walking towards the back of the bus and taking a seat.

"So, I didn't get your name," he said, smiling.

"It's Lily," I returned the smile.

His phone buzzed. "Just a moment," he said while he answered the phone.

I stared at him.

In the dim light of the bus, with the moonlight peeking through the windows, he looked very attractive. He had a dimple on his left cheek that showed up when he smiled, and his eyes were like little emeralds. He really is quite cute.

"Sorry about that," Nate said, sliding his phone back into his pocket and taking me out of my gaze.

I shifted in my seat, still feeling a bit shaken from the earlier encounter. "Thanks again for helping back there," I said.

Nate nodded, his gaze warm and understanding. "Well, I'm glad I was able to help you out. It's not safe to be alone at night sometimes."

I smiled gratefully, feeling a bit of warmth seeping back into my veins. "Yeah, I really appreciate it. It could have turned out much worse if you hadn't shown up when you did."

As the bus rumbled along, the tension of the earlier incident began to fade, replaced by a sense of ease in Nate's company. We chatted about inconsequential things like favourite movies and music. Turns out we both like the same things, weird huh?

Before I knew it, the bus announced our stop, and Nate rose from his seat, offering me a hand. "Ready to head off?"

I nodded, feeling a flutter of nerves in my stomach as I took his hand and followed him off the bus. The night air was cool against my skin as we walked side by side, the only sound our footsteps echoing on the deserted campus streets.

Finally, we approached Charleston Buildings.

"Well, this is me," I said, turning to face him. "Thanks for walking me back."

Nate smiled warmly. "No problem. Just glad I could help. Take care, Lily."

I stepped into my room, feeling the weight of the day settling around me like a heavy blanket. What a night.

As I kicked off my shoes and sank onto my bed, thoughts of Finn and our argument flooded my mind once again. I know it was a one-time thing, but I thought we hit it off. Why did he have to turn out so cruel? And what the hell was up with that Rachel girl.

With a sigh, I grabbed my phone and shot a quick text to Kam, letting her know that I was home safe. She replied almost at once, her message filled with concern and reassurance.

I tossed my phone aside and collapsed onto my pillow, exhaustion washing over me like a tidal wave.