Craving My Brother's Best Friend (Bailey and Kaleb) novel Chapter 55

**The Night We Borrowed Fire from a Broken Star by Selvin Arlo Crest 55**

Bailey’s POV

As I stepped out of the panel room, I felt a tremor run through my legs, a remnant of the anxiety that had clung to me throughout the long, torturous hours. Even though the ordeal was finally over, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled in my chest.

The entire process had felt like an eternity. They had played the video of the boy who had ignited the rumor, the one who had turned my life upside down. I could still see him, standing there, utterly broken. His voice quivered as he confessed to the crowd, tears streaming down his cheeks like a relentless rain.

“I am so sorry… I made it all up… Bailey never slept with any lecturer. It was all a lie. I was angry and I wanted to destroy her,” he had said, his words hanging in the air like a heavy fog.

I sat there, frozen, numb to the core. The past week had been a nightmare, a waking hell. I had avoided school completely, unable to bear the onslaught of whispers and stares that felt like daggers piercing my skin.

The panel members looked at him with a mix of disgust and disbelief. One of them leaned forward, his voice sharp as a knife, “Do you realize what you have done to this girl’s reputation? Do you understand the damage you have caused?”

He continued to sob, nodding his head vigorously, pleading for forgiveness as if it could somehow undo the harm he had inflicted.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the head of the panel spoke with a firm authority that cut through the tension in the room. “This is malicious defamation. We have decided that you will be expelled, and Bailey is cleared of all accusations.”

A wave of relief washed over me, loosening the tight grip of dread that had constricted my chest for what felt like days. It was as if I had been holding my breath, and now, I could finally exhale.

As I walked out, my phone buzzed in my hand, a familiar yet unwelcome distraction. Out of habit, I opened it, my heart racing as I read the comments flooding in online. The same people who had once branded me as a whore were now typing words of sympathy and support.

“I feel so bad for Bailey. She didn’t deserve this.”

“We judged her too quickly. I’m sorry.”

“She went through hell because of a lie. Stay strong, girl!”

Some even went so far as to say, “I admire how she handled everything. She’s so strong.”

Just a week ago, I had been weeping into my pillow every night, feeling utterly alone, and now here they were, extending their hands in support.

But I didn’t want their pity. I didn’t crave their applause. All I wanted was to breathe freely, without the weight of judgment pressing down on me.

As I stepped outside, I spotted Kaleb leaning against his car, his tall frame relaxed yet tense, arms crossed as if he had been waiting for an eternity. Our eyes locked, and before I could muster a word, he broke the silence.

“Get in the car,” he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I froze, shaking my head in defiance. I hadn’t spoken to him since the fight he’d had with Ethan, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of resentment that lingered. David had been the one I wanted by my side for the panel, but Kaleb had shown up instead.

“I really want to be alone right now, Kaleb,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

He scrutinized me for a moment, his jaw tightening in response to my rejection. Yet when he spoke again, his voice softened.

“Then I’ll take you to where you can be alone.”

I didn’t have the energy to argue further; the thought of facing anyone else was exhausting. If I walked through campus, I would be met with hugs, apologies, and pitying glances. I wasn’t ready for that, so I reluctantly opened the door and slid into his car, the silence wrapping around us like a thick blanket.

I leaned my head against the cool glass of the window, watching the blurred shapes of buildings pass by, but my mind was anything but empty. My chest felt heavy, filled with unspoken words and emotions that had been bottled up for too long. Finally, I turned to him, my voice quiet yet piercing.

“Are you not going to apologize?” I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

Kaleb’s eyes flickered to mine before returning to the road. “For what?” he replied, the indifference in his voice stinging.

“For the other day,” I said, my throat constricting with the weight of my feelings. “For beating Ethan in front of my door like that.”

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