"I warned you once not to look back... But here you are, tempting me again to ruin your happily ever after with her."
My words hung heavy between us, but his smirk only deepened as he leaned in, so close our lips nearly touched. "Maybe I like the ri...
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The campus halls felt unusually stark as I wandered them Monday morning, the fluorescent lights casting a flat, almost too-bright sheen over everything. The world moved around me, yet my mind seemed anchored to the past, the quiet, surreal night at the beach with Wallace.
A strange ache hovered in my chest when I thought about it. The ease of his laughter mingled with the ocean's waves, the low hum of the horizon swallowing up the sunset. I hadn't meant to let my guard slip, even for a moment, but with him, it was as if a part of me I kept locked away had surfaced, stretching itself to taste the unfamiliar.
But I would never admit that not even to myself.
Shaking off the thought, I reminded myself I had more pressing things to worry about. The class was starting soon, and I couldn't afford to drift. I pushed forward, steadying myself with the familiar rhythms of responsibility, of deadlines I could control.
Yet, as I approached the cafeteria courtyard, a scene stopped me cold.
Wallace stood beneath the sprawling oak tree, his frame casually leaning against its trunk, his eyes on Audrey. She stood close to him, her hip cocked with a confidence that, despite everything, I couldn't help but notice. She said something, and whatever it was made Wallace's whole face light up. He laughed, not just a polite chuckle, but a genuine, whole-hearted laugh that softened his features.
He seemed... happy. With her.
An unexpected twist of something lodged itself in my stomach. I had seen Wallace laugh before, but never with that kind of ease. And certainly not when looking at me. The small nudge he gave her with his elbow, the relaxed slant of his shoulders—were they... together now? Are they not just faking anymore? Or was I reading too much into it?
A bell echoed through the hall, its chime jerking me out of my trance. I turned sharply and forced myself to move, pressing the feeling down, even as it lingered, simmering beneath my skin.
The day slipped into the afternoon, but the images from the morning replayed on a loop in my mind. As I walked with Ethan and Maddison past the school's indoor garden, our conversation about council business became a background noise. Even Ethan's comments about finalizing the calendar and budget barely registered. Instead, my gaze drifted, and there, by the fountain, I spotted them again.
They sat on a bench, close enough for Wallace's arm to rest along the back of it. Their shoulders almost touched an unspoken closeness lingering in the space between them. He leaned in, his eyes focused solely on her, as though she were the only person in his world.
My throat tightened against an unfamiliar bitterness. I didn't like this feeling. I didn't want it.
I swallowed hard as I was about to walk past, determined to pretend not to notice.
