Untouchable

0.24

Ivy’s POV

A sharp knock on my door pulled me out of my half-asleep daze.

I groaned, rolling over in bed, burying my face in my pillow. It was the weekend. Who in their right mind—

Another knock. Louder. More impatient.

I sighed and pushed myself up, trudging toward the door. “Who is—”

I froze the second I opened it.

Adrian.

Dressed in black, like usual. Hands in the pockets of his hoodie. Eyes sharp but unreadable.

My stomach twisted. We hadn’t spoken since our last argument. Since Kennedy’s words had festered in my mind like poison.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, voice hoarse from sleep.

Adrian exhaled through his nose. “Can we talk?”

I blinked. “You? Want to talk?”

His jaw tightened. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

I stared at him, still disoriented, still trying to piece together why he was standing at my door this early.

“Alistair’s out,” he added after a beat. “He won’t be back for a while.”

Oh.

So that’s where we were going.

I hesitated. Every instinct told me this was a bad idea. That talking to Adrian alone would lead to nothing good.

But I still stepped forward.

“Fine.”

He turned without another word, leading me down the hallway, down the stairs, out of the dorms, and into the crisp morning air.

---

Alistair’s dorm was the same as always—spacious, stylish, somehow effortlessly his.

But the second we stepped inside, the silence became unbearable.

I shifted uncomfortably, glancing around. “So?”

Adrian stayed by the door, staring at me like he was debating something. Then, suddenly—

“I hate you.”

My heart stilled.

I blinked, caught completely off guard. “Excuse me?”

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “I hate you.” His voice was steady, but his eyes—dark, conflicted, messy—betrayed him.

I swallowed. “Wow, okay. You could’ve just sent a text.”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “I hate you.” His voice dropped slightly, quieter now. “But I don’t.”

I inhaled, my chest tightening.

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.

Adrian shook his head, looking as frustrated as I felt. “It means I should hate you.”

“Why?”

He didn’t answer.

I took a step forward. “Because of Alistair?”

Nothing.

“Nathaniel?” I tried again.

Still nothing.

“Because I exist?”

Adrian’s eyes snapped to mine. “Because you ruin everything.”

A sharp sting spread through my chest.

I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Wow, thanks.”

“You do,” he muttered, his tone more bitter than I expected. “You walk in and suddenly nothing makes sense anymore.”

I stared at him, stunned into silence.

Then he scoffed and shook his head, pacing slightly. “You shouldn’t date Nathaniel.”

I blinked. “What?”

“He’s not good enough for you.”

I let out a short laugh. “Okay, what?”

Adrian exhaled sharply. “You heard me.”

My lips parted, but I had no idea how to respond. What the hell was he talking about?

“I—Nathaniel’s your best friend,” I said slowly, like I had to remind him.

Adrian clenched his jaw. “I know.”

“Then why—”

“Because no one’s good enough for you,” he snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut.

I froze.

Silence.

Tension stretched between us, crackling like static.

My heart pounded against my ribs. “I—”

“You’re stubborn and insufferable and—” He cut himself off, dragging a hand down his face. “You drive me insane.”

I scoffed. “I’m stubborn? That’s rich, coming from you.”

His lips curled slightly, but there was no humor in it. “Trust me, I know.”

I let out a breath, shaking my head. “You’re so confusing.”

A humorless laugh left his lips. “Trust me, you’re not the only one confused.”

Another beat of silence.

And then—

I let out a breath. “I should stay away.”

Adrian’s jaw tensed. “What?”

I lifted my chin. “You were right.” I hesitated. “Kennedy was right.”

His expression darkened. “Kennedy doesn’t know anything.”

“She does,” I argued. “I shouldn’t be in your lives—I shouldn’t—”

“I don’t care,” Adrian cut me off, his voice sharper than before.

I inhaled, startled by the intensity in his tone. “You—”

“I don’t care,” he repeated, his voice lower now. “You think I care about what Kennedy says? What anyone says?”

I stared at him. “Then what do you care about?”

His expression flickered—something I couldn’t read.

I waited.

But he didn’t answer.

He never answered.

And maybe that was the worst part.

I let out a shaky breath, my chest tight, my head spinning, my heart—God, my heart.

Finally, Adrian exhaled. “This was a mistake.”

I swallowed. “What was?”

His jaw clenched. “Everything.”

I felt something inside me crack.

He turned toward the door.

And, just like that—

He was gone.

Leaving me standing in the middle of Alistair’s dorm, my head still spinning, my heart still pounding, my everything still messy.

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