All Chapters of Ice Between Rivals : Chapter 171 - Chapter 178

He lay down beside me.“Are you okay?” I asked softly.I turned to face him, using my good arm to support my body as I looked into his eyes.“Hmm… I am,” he replied quietly.I raised an eyebrow.“Come on. Tell me what’s bothering you.”He let out a long sigh.“It’s nothing.”I frowned before sighing myself.“Okay… if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll stop asking.” I paused for a moment before continuing. “But just know… you did the right thing. You deserve better.”He turned to look at me, confusion filling his eyes.“How do I know I deserve better?” he asked. “I’ve been such a jerk to you for so long. I’ve treated you terribly… so why do I deserve better?”I shook my head gently.“That doesn’t mean you deserve to suffer with the wrong person.”“The wrong person, huh?” he repeated thoughtfully.“Yeah.”He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before speaking again.“So… where’s the right one?”I simply shrugged.“I don’t know.”He turned back to me, a teasing smile tugging at the corn

Noah’s POVI woke up groggy and drained, my head still throbbing from the music I’d blasted through my headphones the entire night. Those sounds raw, unrestrained moans echoing through the walls had burrowed under my skin in ways I didn’t want to examine. I sighed heavily as I opened my door, the hallway quiet for once. Liam hadn’t mentioned anything about groceries, and though I planned to buy my own soon, hunger gnawed at me now. My first class wasn’t until after lunch, so I padded toward the kitchen, hoping to whip up something quick before the “lover birds” emerged.I cracked a couple of eggs into a pan, the sizzle filling the small space. Just eat and go, I told myself.Suddenly, a voice behind me made me tense. “Morning.”I turned. It was the girl from last night . She was adjusting Liam’s oversized shirt over her shorts, looking far too comfortable.“Liam’s bad for real,” she said with a light laugh. “He didn’t tell me we had a guest.”I forced a smile. “I’m his new roommate.”

“Liam, please.” I grabbed his hand before he could take another step. “Please, let’s not enter class like this.”He sighed impatiently. “Then what do you want?”“Give me my bag.”“Noah, you’re sick.” He frowned. “I’m helping you. Don’t you understand?”“I do understand you’re helping me,” I said quietly. “But you’re also making it harder for me. Everyone is going to stare at us.”“Let them stare.”Before I could argue again, he walked into the classroom, leaving me standing outside.I sighed and slowly followed him inside. My right arm was wrapped in a cast, and my leg was still in a plaster brace. Thankfully, the doctor had said my leg wasn’t badly injured—it just needed support for a while.I thought Liam had already gone to his seat, but when I stepped through the doorway, I found him waiting for me. Without saying a word, he gently rested his hand on my shoulder and walked beside me all the way to my desk.Whispers immediately spread across the classroom.I couldn’t blame my class

I stood in my room, fumbling with the buttons of my pajamas.No matter how many times I tried, my injured arm made even the simplest things frustrating.Just as I gave up with a sigh, there was a knock on my door.“Come in,” I called.The door opened, and Liam stepped inside.“I made dinner,” he said. “Come and eat.”Then his eyes fell on me.He sighed.“Why don’t you ever call me whenever you need help?”“I was just about to finish,” I muttered.He raised an eyebrow.“About to finish?”He walked toward me.“That’s a lie.”I looked away.“You weren’t even close.”He stopped in front of me before gently taking the loose buttons between his fingers.“You can’t even button your pajamas by yourself right now.”His voice wasn’t mocking.It was patient.Careful.Without another word, he slowly fastened each button for me.We were standing so close that I could feel his warm breath.Somehow…That had become normal.Or maybe it hadn’t.Because every single time Liam stood this close to me, my