Rebirth: Love me Again

Chapter 122 Lines Drawn in Sugar

[BONUS

Chapter for reaching 400 PS! Thank you all!???? ]

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[EVE]

"Then . . . would you come if we invited Eve too?" Lily asked, flashing a sugary smile in my direction. The forced sweetness in her voice barely masked the irritation simmering beneath it, like a snake hiding its fangs.

I blinked, caught off guard.

Wait . . . why was I being dragged into this? I had nothing to do with their study session!

"If Eve goes, then I'll go," Daniel said, his expression completely unreadable.

My jaw dropped.

Wait . . . what?! WHY?!

The silence that followed was deafening. I could feel every eye in the room on me, the pressure of their stares making it hard to think straight.

My mind raced, trying to piece together why Daniel would say that, but all I could come up with was a blank.

Lily's smile twitched at the corners, struggling to stay in place. It was clear she hadn't expected that answer either. Her eyes flicked to me, narrowing ever so slightly.

"So . . . what do you say, Eve?" Her voice was honeyed, but the challenge in her gaze was unmistakable.

I swallowed, feeling the pressure mounting. "Umm . . . I really don't want to—"

." I smiled sweetly, matching her condescension with a saccharine tone of my own. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The look on Sophie's face was priceless—her eyes widened in shock before narrowing in frustration.

Lily's smile faltered for a split second at my sudden agreement, clearly taken aback. But she was quick to recover, masking her surprise with a sickly sweet grin.

"Great," she cooed, her voice smooth as honey. "I'll see you this Saturday then, Eve. And you too,

Daniel

. I'll be waiting for both of you."

Before Lily could turn away, Riri's voice cut through the air like a burst of sunlight on a cloudy day. "Can I come too?" she asked, her tone bright and hopeful.

The look on Lily's face was priceless. Her perfectly composed smile faltered for a split second, revealing a flash of pure revulsion. It was as if Riri's very presence offended her, like she was a stain on the otherwise polished veneer of her carefully curated image. Her nose wrinkled ever so slightly, and the distaste in her eyes was unmistakable, as though Riri carried some invisible contagion.

Before Lily could even open her mouth to respond—no doubt with some thinly veiled excuse to keep Riri out—I stepped in.

"Of course, Riri," I said firmly with a warm smile. "We can go together. I'd love the company."

Lily's eyes flickered with irritation, though she hid it well behind a strained smile. I knew she hadn't planned on including anyone else, especially not Riri. But I wasn't about to walk into that lion's den alone. I needed an ally, and Riri was the perfect choice.

Besides, it struck me then how isolated I'd become over the past months. I had no real social circle, no close girlfriends I could rely on.

My days in the past were filled with Cole's cold indifference and the relentless whispering of classmates who barely knew me beyond the rumors.

And while Lily's group was far from friendly territory, there might be others at the study session—classmates who weren't caught up in petty power plays, people I could genuinely connect with.

It was time to fix that. If I wanted to build a life beyond the shadows of my past, I needed to start making connections, however small. I couldn't afford to be an outcast forever.