Self

Chapter 76

Zachary and Michael each grabbed one of the men, with Zachary pleading, “Yale, chill out, man! Just breathe!”

Michael chimed in, “Shane, snap out of it! Can’t we talk this through without throwing. punches?!”

Yale and Shane both resisted. “Get off me! Let go!”

As fists were about to fly again, Zachary and Michael knew they could not let go, not when things were so heated.

“Come on, spill the beans. What’s going on? Michael’s eyes darted between the two, searching for answers.

“Let’s talk it out. We’re all friends here. There’s no need to wreck the good vibes,” Zachary said, trying to defuse the tension.

Michael said, “Yale, it’s Shane’s birthday today. Whatever it is, it can wait. Let’s deal with it later.”

Shane, wiping the blood from his lip with his sleeve, shot a defiant look at Yale and cracked a half–smile. “I meant every word I said earlier. I’ve thought this through, and you don’t get a say in it.”

With that, he turned to Yara, who was ghostly pale and dazed, slipped off his jacket, and gently wrapped it around her. “You okay? Didn’t mean to scare you. Let me take you home.”

Zachary and Michael stood there, slack–jawed and utterly baffled.

Shane and Yara together?

What on earth?

Was that the reason Yale just lost it?

Yara quickly came to her senses. As Shane reached out to her, she smoothly stepped back, avoiding his touch. She peeled off her blazer and handed it back to him.

“I’ll get myself home. Keep me out of your drama from now on. I’m not some prize you guys can toss around.”

She locked eyes with him, her words deliberate and precise. “And let’s not keep in touch, okay?”

Her words were for Shane, but they also flew like arrows to Yale, who stood not too far off, his eyes red with emotion.

“Yara…” Shane’s voice faltered, his eyes dropping. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think things through today. If I’ve caused you any trouble, I’ll make it right.”

Yara said, “If you want to make it right, give me some space.”

She had started the day dazed, hurt, and frustrated. However, she then was the picture of composure.

None of that was Yara’s fault.

Shane had acted on a whim, without thinking. Yale had lost his cool, causing a scene. What did she do to deserve any of that?

She refused to shoulder the blame or the shame. She was done with the mess these

two had dragged her into.

Shane was not about to let her walk away that easily, though.

He had gone to great lengths to bump into her, to create chances to be with her. After finally making a breakthrough today, there was no way he would let her bow out of this pursuit.

“Yara, you can push me away, but trying to date you is my right.”

Yara was speechless. Did he want to escalate things even further? Was that chaos. not enough?

As expected, Yale’s stormy expression darkened even more at Shane’s words.

“Shane, you think I’m just going to roll over?! he snapped.

Shane just shrugged. “You’ve thrown your punches. You’ve said your piece. Time to face reality.”

Yara said, “Go ahead and keep talking. I’m going to head out.”

With those words, she spun on her heel to leave.

Shane was not about to let her slip away that easily. He dashed after her, reaching out to snag her shoulder…