Through the Cracks - Cairo Sweet X Pip Fitz-Amobi

Chapter 2

POV: Pippa Fitz-Amobi

The days passed with Cairo Sweet becoming an unavoidable presence in Pippa's life. Whether it was in lectures, in the library, or even crossing paths on campus, she was there-always watching, always waiting with that infuriating smirk. Pippa hated how much space Cairo had started to occupy in her mind. She had come here to get away from people like her. People who saw too much, people who pried.

But Cairo wasn't like the others.

She didn't ask questions directly, but her presence alone was enough to remind Pippa that she hadn't escaped her past entirely. The worst part was that Cairo never pushed too far.
She didn't harass Pippa with constant chatter. She didn't follow her around like a puppy, seeking attention.

No, she was always just... there. Always in Pippa's peripheral vision, just close enough to be noticed but never giving Pippa a reason to call her out.

It's maddening—She is maddening.

By the time the second week rolled around, Pippa had had enough.

She stormed up to Cairo after their criminology lecture, her temper flaring hotter than she'd expected.

"What is your problem?" Pippa demanded, keeping her voice low but laced with anger.

Cairo looked up from her phone, arching a brow. "Problem?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about," Pippa snapped.

"You've been watching me. Following me."

Cairo's smirk returned, the one that made Pippa's skin crawl. "Following you? We just happen to have the same schedule. Coincidence, really."

Pippa's fists clenched at her sides, but she refused to let Cairo get the best of her. "Stay out of my way."

Cairo pushed herself off the wall, standing just a bit taller than Pippa. For a moment, their eyes locked, and Pippa could feel her heart racing, though she hated to admit it.

"I could," Cairo said, her voice dropping to a low, teasing whisper. "But where would be the fun in that?"

Before Pippa could respond, Cairo brushed past her, her shoulder grazing Pippa's as she walked away.

Pippa stood there.

Her mind buzzing with frustration, confusion, and something else she couldn't quite name. Why was Cairo so interested in her? What did she want? And more importantly-why do I even care about this girl?

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POV: Cairo Sweet

There was something thrilling about watching Pippa come undone.

Cairo had always enjoyed pushing people to their limits, testing the boundaries of their carefully constructed façades. It wasn't about breaking them,—no, that was too easy.

It was about the dance, the pull-and-push of tension that revealed who someone truly was. And Pippa? She was like a coiled spring, wound so tightly with control and precision that Cairo knew she was just waiting to snap.

She followed Pippa's retreating figure for a moment before letting her gaze drift lazily over the crowd. Cairo had never been one to push for things she didn't care about, but this—Pippa—she's different.

The girl was a mystery wrapped in steel, and Cairo thrived on mysteries. The fact that Pippa had already snapped at her meant she was getting somewhere, no matter how much the other girl tried to deny it.