Unspoken Affection

01

The study group grew more laid back as the evening wore on, with everyone joking and laughing in between periods of intense work. Hannah and Evan were busy quizzing each other while Mia and Steve debated a challenging arithmetic topic. Lia, however, sat quietly in the midst of the bustling scene, leafing through her notes without actually noticing what was written. Her attention was diverted by Jake's previous phone call, and she continued to look at him.

Jay observed Lia's strange stillness across the room. Throughout the night, she had remained silent, her typically upbeat spirit having been replaced by a more reserved one. Her eyes were distant, but he could tell she was making an effort to concentrate on her studies.

Jay stayed quiet, not wanting to call attention to her mood in front of everyone. Instead, he continued observing her from time to time, wondering what was going through her mind. He wasn't the type to push someone to talk if they didn't want to, but it bothered him to see her out of place.

As the night wore on and the others were caught up in their own conversations, Jay caught Lia's eye. He gave her a small, understanding smile, hoping to reassure her without saying anything. Lia returned the smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

For now, Jay chose to let it go, figuring he could check in on her later when they weren't surrounded by the group. Something was clearly bothering her, and though he didn't know what it was yet, he made a mental note to keep an eye on her.

The group continued studying, but Jay kept glancing in Lia's direction, quietly watching as she seemed to drift further away from the lively mood around them.

"Oh my god. Take a look at the time; we'd better leave." Jay looked at his watch and remarked, "It's getting late." Everyone became aware of how late it was, and the room fell silent. Although it had taken longer than anybody had expected, the study session had been fruitful.

Hannah said, "You're right," as she began to collect her belongings. "I was completely unaware of the late hour!"

Steve yawned and extended his arms above his head. The same thing here. When you're cramming, time flies.

Still feeling a little strange from earlier, Lia packed her bag silently. As everyone got ready to leave, Jay continued to look in her direction after observing her silence once again but remained silent.

Jake got to his feet and picked up his phone off the table. "I need to go in a different way. Meeting up with Emily," he added nonchalantly, waving at the group. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

"See you, Jake!" As Jake started to move away from the group and toward the door, Evan yelled at him.

Thoughts still jumbled, Lia watched him go. Jay, who was standing beside her, saw and gently nudged her arm. "All set to go?" He inquired quietly.

"Yes," Lia said in a steady but quiet voice.

After spending hours indoors studying, the rest of the group—Jay, Lia, Hannah, Steve, and Evan—went out together, the cold night air a welcome change. Steve and Evan led most of the informal chat on the trip back, making jokes about how little they had learned from the seminar.

Steve laughed and shook his head, saying, "To be honest, I think my brain stopped working an hour ago. Tomorrow, I'll be lucky if I remember anything."

Hannah grinned despite rolling her eyes. The same. Before the tests, we ought to repeat this.

Evan nudged Hannah, who giggled, and taunted, "Just without the distractions."