The Dark Lord (Tom Riddle X Reader) || Short Story - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Neither Tom nor Casey visit you even once as you're recovering.
"Are you sure Tom is the one who saved me?" You ask Avery not believing that it was Tom who saved your life.
Avery looks at you, his expression sincere.
"Yes, of course. I promise you, Tom was the one who carried you all the way back to the infirmary. He was really worried about you. I think he..."
Avery hesitates, unsure if he should reveal any more.
"He what?" You raise an eyebrow at him.
Avery looks torn, as if he's caught between saying too much and betraying Tom's trust.
"He... he just really cares about you. You mean a lot to him, you know? I could see it in his eyes when he held you in his arms. He was terrified that you might not wake up."
"That can't be true. I thought it was all a silly dream." You recall Tom confessing his love for you in the avalanche.
But you weren't even there. I thought you cared about. Why didn't you come save me. Do you even like me?" You divert the topic.
Avery takes a deep breath, feeling the weight of the truth on his shoulders.
"Look, Y/N... I think there's something you should know. Those dates you thought you had with me... they weren't real. Tom asked me to set them up for you."
"But why?" You're disappointed right now is an understatement.
Avery says, confirming your fears.
"Tom thought you were lonely and wanted you to have some company. That's why he asked me to take you out on those dates."
"That jerk. You're both pathetic. Just leave. He clearly loves Casey since he didn't even show up once to check on me. And you are just a deceiver, his puppet. You can leave now." You turn your gaze away from Avery.
Avery looks at you, a mix of guilt and frustration in his eyes.
"Y/N, you don't understand. Tom cares about you more than you know. He's been worried sick about you, even if he hasn't shown it. And I never wanted to deceive you. I just did what Tom asked me to do. But I can see now that it was all a big mistake."
"If Tom cared, he would at less show up here to check on me. But he hasn't." You dismiss Avery and ask him to never talk to you again.
Avery looks at you, his expression filled with sadness and resignation. He nods, understanding that he's lost your trust.
"I'm sorry, Y/N... I never wanted things to turn out this way. I wish I could take it all back. But for now, I'll respect your wishes. I won't bother you any more."
You finally return back your dorm after weeks of recovering, only to find a happily giggling Casey
"You look happy." You scoff at her.
Casey turns to you, her face lighting up in a smile. She looks genuinely happy and excited.
"Y/N! You're back! How are you feeling? Are you all recovered?"
"Yes, are you this happy about me being back? I thought you would be loving the room to yourself." You roll your eyes.
Casey blushes slightly at your comment, but quickly regains her cheerful demeanor.
"Of course I'm happy you're back! And I never said I loved having the room to myself. I was just teasing you, that's all."
"You won't believe what happened when you were gone..." She continues.
"What happened?" You frown at her.
Casey grins excitedly, her face filled with delight.
"Tom kissed me! It was so unexpected, but also so sweet. He told me he's been harboring feelings for me for a while now, and he wanted to see where things could go between us."
Your heart shatters into a million pieces after hearing that. "Good for you two. I'm happy for you." Your voice breaking. "Now. I'll need some rest."
Casey's smile falters as she notices your crestfallen expression. Though she's blissfully happy about her situation with Tom, she notices your sadness and concern. However, she figures it's probably just exhaustion from your recent ordeal.
"Of course. Rest well, I'll let you get some sleep. We can talk more later."
As you go back into your normal routine you decide to ignore everyone around you. Except Casey because she keeps babbling about Tom all the time when you're in your dorm room. It's a torture really. But other times you are always alone.
Every time you have to listen to Casey raving on about Tom, your heart sinks further into a pit of heartbreak and loneliness. You feel like an outsider, watching from the sidelines as she lives your dream with the boy you love.
You finally decide to accept the fact and move on.
Accepting the reality that Tom is with Casey and that you need to move on is like a knife through your heart. It's painful and difficult, but you force yourself to push through it, determined not to let your unrequited love hold you back any longer.
Avery is confused by all of this so he decides to confront Tom.
"What are you doing? Thought I clarified the situation enough for you to finally stop seeing Casey and go be with Y/N."
Then Tom states plainly that Y/N is in love with someone else.
"How do you know that for sure?" Avery scoffs at Tom.
Tom reveals to him that casey showed him Y/N's dairy in which you have written about your huge crush on a guy named Jake.
"And you actually believe it was Y/N's diary?
Then Tom confirms that it was your diary indeed as it had details about your life which only you know.
Avery is taken aback by Tom's confidence in the diary's authenticity, realizing that the information within the diary appears legitimate. He frowns and crosses his arms, skeptical of the idea that you might have feelings for someone else.