The Roots Beneath

Chapter 16: Unexpected Confessions

The school cafeteria buzzed with the usual chatter of students, but Seren felt as though she was in a bubble, disconnected from everything around her. She sat with Emily, who was halfway through recounting details from the party last weekend, her voice animated as she described every moment.

"I still can't believe you ended up with Elijah for most of the night," Emily said, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly. "You two were practically glued together."

Seren flushed, pushing her food around on her tray. "It wasn't like that. He just—"

"Oh, please." Emily laughed. "He didn't leave your side the entire night. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is."

Seren didn't respond right away. She wasn't sure how to explain it to Emily. There was something between her and Elijah—she could feel it, even if she didn't fully understand it. But it wasn't like they were a thing. Not officially, anyway. And she wasn't even sure if that was what Elijah wanted.

Before she could dwell on it, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey, Seren."

Seren looked up to see Nathan standing in front of their table. He was a tall, athletic guy from her English class, someone she'd spoken to a few times but never really gotten to know.

"Hey," Seren said, blinking in surprise.

Nathan shifted his weight, looking slightly nervous. "So, uh, I was wondering... would you maybe want to grab coffee sometime? You know, just the two of us?"

The question caught Seren completely off guard. Her cheeks flushed, and for a moment, she was too stunned to answer. She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say, but before she could get a word out, another voice cut in sharply.

"She's busy."

Seren turned to see Elijah standing behind Nathan, his expression cold, his eyes fixed on the other boy with a dangerous edge. The playful, laid-back Elijah she'd been getting to know over the past few weeks was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he looked tense, his jaw clenched, like he was barely holding something back.

Nathan blinked, taken aback by Elijah's sudden appearance. "Oh, I didn't realize..."

Elijah stepped forward, his presence towering and intimidating. "You didn't realize what?"

Seren could feel the tension between the two boys thickening. She glanced at Elijah, confused by his sudden hostility. It wasn't like him to act this way, especially not toward someone who'd barely done anything.

"Nathan, it's fine," Seren finally managed, her voice soft as she tried to diffuse the situation. "I'm just... I'm not really looking to date anyone right now."

Nathan nodded quickly, clearly eager to avoid any further confrontation. "No problem. Just thought I'd ask." He gave a tight smile before retreating to another table, leaving Seren and Elijah standing awkwardly in the middle of the cafeteria.

Seren looked up at Elijah, her confusion turning to frustration. "What was that about?"

Elijah's expression softened slightly, but there was still a flicker of something intense in his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck, his shoulders tense. "I didn't like the way he was talking to you."

"You didn't have to scare him off," Seren said, exasperated. "I can handle myself."

"I know you can," Elijah replied, his voice quieter now, but still firm. "But I don't want you with someone like that."

Seren frowned, taken aback by his possessiveness. "Someone like what? Nathan's a nice guy."

Elijah's jaw clenched again, and he avoided her gaze, clearly struggling with something. For a long moment, he didn't say anything. Seren watched him, waiting, her heart beating faster as the silence stretched between them.

Finally, he looked back at her, his eyes dark and serious. "Seren, I..." He hesitated, as if searching for the right words. "I don't want you with anyone else."

Seren's breath caught in her throat. The way he was looking at her—the intensity in his gaze, the raw vulnerability—made her heart race.

"Elijah," she whispered, unsure of what to say. "What are you trying to say?"

He took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling as he finally said the words. "I like you, Seren. I've liked you for a while now. And I know I've been acting weird, but it's because... well, it's because I don't want to mess this up."

Seren's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She stared at him, wide-eyed, the cafeteria and everyone in it fading into the background. For a moment, all she could hear was her own heartbeat.

"I didn't think you..." She trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

Elijah's gaze softened, and he took a small step closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't want to say anything until I was sure. But seeing that guy asking you out... it drove me crazy."

Seren blinked, still trying to process what was happening. "So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying... would you want to go out with me? Like, a real date?" Elijah's voice was steady now, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, like he was afraid of what she might say.

Seren felt a smile tugging at her lips, the nervous energy that had been swirling inside her suddenly dissipating. "Yeah," she said softly. "I'd like that."

Elijah's entire expression shifted, the tension in his shoulders melting away as a slow, relieved smile spread across his face.

"Great," he said, his voice lighter now. "Saturday still works?"

"Saturday works," Seren replied, feeling the last bit of uncertainty lift as excitement bloomed in her chest.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Elijah stepped back, still smiling, but there was a new kind of warmth in his gaze that made Seren's heart skip.

"I'll see you after class," he said, his tone casual, but his eyes still locked on hers.

"Yeah," Seren said, smiling softly. "See you."

As Elijah turned to leave, Seren sat back down, her heart still pounding in her chest. Emily, who had been watching the whole thing from the sidelines, leaned over with a wide grin.

"Finally," she whispered conspiratorially. "Took you two long enough."

Seren just laughed, feeling lighter than she had in days.