"What Are You Waiting For?" || ORIGINAL STORY.

Chapter Eleven.

Tanya's POV.

It almost felt surprising when I saw the truth between Anika and Darren's relationship.

They weren't really a happy couple.

Anika was possessive. Very. And that was the red flag.

I felt bad for Darren.

She was the type that demanded his full, undivided attention—like a spoiled toddler.

But Darren always had this look in his eyes whenever she was talking.. kind of a.. lost expression.

I sighed, looking back at the bracelet he had bought me.

Goddamn.

I gently ran my fingers over the intricate design of the bracelet.

It was a beautiful piece, no doubt, and the fact that he had bought it—for me—was a fact that I couldn't stop thinking about.

But he was just trying to be nice, nothing else.

Because he was taken—by her.

I felt a pang of something in my chest, a feeling that I couldn't quite name.

Was it disappointment?

No, it was too strong for that.

It was something else, something that made my heart ache—like a kind of longing, a wish for something that could never be.

I forced myself to focus on my work, trying to push all the confusing thoughts out of my head.

The numbers and equations on the page helped a bit, grounding my restless mind in the concrete world of mathematics.

But no matter how hard I tried to concentrate, Darren's face kept popping into my mind, his voice—his blue eyes.

—

And before I knew it, it was morning.. time to go to school.

I finally got into my uniform, packing my bag and getting toast before heading out.

As I left the apartment building, I saw that the bus wouldn't arrive for another hour—just like how it happened in the sunflower field.

I groaned. 

'Goddammit..' I cursed.

I sat down on the bench near the bus station, annoyed.

I was going to be late for school.

I was just about to take out my phone and call a taxi or something, but then a car pulled up next to me.

The window rolled down, and Daniel poked his head out.

"Hey," he said, his voice easy and casual. "Need a ride?"

I was taken aback for a moment.

"Uh.. yeah, that would be really helpful," I replied, a hint of surprise in my voice.

I got up and walked over to the car, opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat.

The interior of the car was clean and neat, the scent of leather and coffee hanging in the air.

I buckled my seatbelt and turned to Daniel.

"Thanks," I said gratefully, "I would've had to wait about an hour for the bus."

"No problem," he said, pulling away from the curb.

"You always take the bus?" he asked, glancing over at me.