Hearts Across Halls

Chapter 15

Elara rushed through the courtyard, her footsteps quick and uneven as she tried to blink away the tears that still clung to her lashes. The cool night air hit her like a slap, cutting through the heat of her embarrassment, but it didn't stop the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. The sting of Noah's words replayed in her head, the accusation that she was messing Charlie around gnawing at her insides. How had things gotten so out of control? All she wanted was to have fun, to feel free for one night.

Now all she felt was humiliated.

The dorms were quieter than usual, most people still inside their rooms or out at parties like the one she'd just fled. Her breathing was shallow, quick, and her mind was racing, tangled up in everything that had just happened. She wanted to crawl into bed and disappear under the covers, forget the whole night.

As she neared her building, the glow of a cigarette caught her eye. There, leaning against one of the brick pillars by the entrance, was Luca. He stood with his back against the wall, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette to his lips. The smoke curled lazily in the air around him as he exhaled.

Luca's eyes flicked up from the ground as she approached, and even in the dim light, he could tell something was off. He straightened slightly, watching her. "Elara?"

She didn't respond right away, just quickened her pace, hoping to pass by without having to talk. But Luca stepped in front of her path, gently placing a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Elara," he said again, his voice softer now. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

She blinked at him, her breath hitching. The last thing she wanted was to break down in front of him—or anyone for that matter—but something in his voice, the way he looked at her with genuine concern, cracked through the wall she was trying to build around herself. She wiped at her eyes, avoiding his gaze.

"Nothing," she mumbled, her voice thick with emotion. "It's... it's nothing."

Luca didn't buy it. He took a step closer, his hand still lightly resting on her arm as if to anchor her there. "Come on. You're crying in the middle of the night, running back from somewhere. Something happened."

Elara swallowed hard, trying to keep it together. "I don't want to talk about it."

There was a beat of silence as Luca studied her, and then he let out a quiet sigh. He glanced around the empty courtyard, then took a final drag of his cigarette before flicking it to the ground and crushing it under his heel.

"You don't have to talk," he said, his voice low and steady. "But you don't have to be alone either. You wanna come back to my room for a bit? Get away from... whatever's got you like this?"

Elara hesitated, her mind swimming with conflicting thoughts. She shouldn't. She should just go to her room, be alone, and deal with this on her own like she always did. But the thought of sitting in her room, replaying every embarrassing moment from the night, felt unbearable. And Luca... well, Luca wasn't asking for an explanation. He was offering her an escape. A quiet space. Maybe even a chance to forget.

"Okay," she said softly, surprising herself with how easily the word slipped out.

Luca gave her a small nod, his hand leaving her arm as he started walking toward his dorm. Elara followed silently, her feet feeling heavier now that the adrenaline from earlier was wearing off. They walked side by side in the stillness of the night, neither of them speaking as they entered the building.

Inside, the hallways were dim and mostly empty, the distant hum of music from other rooms the only sound breaking the quiet. Elara felt a strange calm settle over her as they walked up the stairs. It was almost surreal, the sudden shift from the chaos of the party to this quiet, private space.