EIRA'S POV
That night, sleep refused to come.
I lay staring at the ceiling, replaying everything that had happened.
Adrian.
No matter how hard I tried, his face kept appearing in my mind.
His eyes.
His voice.
The way he had looked at me.
I groaned and buried my face into my pillow.
"Stop thinking about him."
The words sounded ridiculous even to me.
Why was I wasting my time thinking about someone like Adrian?
Someone rude.
Arrogant.
Impossible.
He didn't matter.
He shouldn't matter.
Whatever happened between us didn't change anything.
I wasn't going to ruin my life thinking about a boy who barely acknowledged my existence.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
And somehow, I fell asleep.
The next morning, I arrived at college only to be ambushed by an unusually excited Tessy.
"There you are!" she practically shouted.
"What happened now?" I asked suspiciously.
"Jake's boxing match!"
I blinked.
"His what?"
"His boxing match. Today. And we're going."
Before I could protest, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me away.
The gymnasium was packed.
Students filled the seats.
Music blasted through the speakers.
Excitement buzzed through the air.
Tessy and I managed to get seats in the front row.
A few minutes later, Jake appeared.
Already dressed for the match.
His confidence was impossible to miss.
The crowd cheered loudly.
Jake grinned before walking straight toward us.
Or rather—
Toward me.
He stopped in front of my seat.
Then held out his hand.
I looked at him in confusion.
"What?"
"Good luck."
I laughed.
"I'm supposed to wish you luck."
"Exactly."
Shaking my head, I placed my hand in his.
His smile widened.
"Don't worry. I'll win."
The confidence in his voice made me laugh.
"I believe you."
Something warm flashed through his eyes.
"Good."
Then he headed toward the ring.
The match began.
The crowd erupted instantly.
Jake moved quickly.
Confidently.
Every movement precise.
Every strike controlled.
The audience cheered louder with each passing minute.
Eventually—
His opponent hit the floor.
The referee raised Jake's hand.
The crowd exploded.
Jake had won.
Tessy practically screamed beside me.
I found myself cheering too.
Jake's eyes immediately searched the crowd.
And somehow found mine.
His grin widened.
A few minutes later, Jake walked toward us.
Still breathing heavily.
Still smiling.
"I told you I'd win."
"You did," I admitted.
"I expect congratulations."
"You already got a trophy."
"Not enough."
I rolled my eyes.
Tessy groaned dramatically.
Then—
A familiar voice cut through the moment.
"That's what all this excitement was about?"
My smile disappeared.
Adrian.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Students began whispering.
Some moved closer.
Others backed away.
Adrian stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets.
Looking entirely unimpressed.
Jake's smile vanished.
"What do you want?"
Adrian's gaze flickered toward the ring.
Then back to Jake.
"Nothing."
His expression remained cold.
Bored.
Almost insulting.
"I was just wondering why everyone was celebrating something so ordinary."
The crowd immediately fell silent.
Jake's jaw tightened.
Tessy muttered, "Oh no."
I silently agreed.
Jake stepped forward.
"You got something to say?"
Adrian shrugged.
"If that's your best performance, then no."
The insult landed perfectly.
Several students gasped.
Jake laughed.
But there wasn't any humor in it.
"Think you can do better?"
Adrian's expression never changed.
The gym fell silent.
Every eye locked onto them.
Jake took another step forward.
"Then prove it."
I immediately stood.
"Jake."
He ignored me.
"Jake."
Still nothing.
His eyes never left Adrian.
Across from him, Adrian looked completely calm.
As though none of this mattered.
As though Jake wasn't a threat.
As though he had already won.
That somehow made everything worse.
"You challenging me?" Jake asked.
"If that's what helps you sleep at night."
The crowd exploded with excitement.
Students immediately began chanting.
Jake.
Adrian.
Jake.
Adrian.
My stomach sank.
This was a terrible idea.
"Stop it," I said.
Neither listened.
Of course.
Why would they?
Both were far too stubborn.
The tension between them became suffocating.
Jake climbed into the ring.
Adrian followed.
The crowd completely lost its mind.
The bell rang.
The bell rang.
And suddenly they were moving.
Fast.
Relentless.
Neither willing to back down.
The audience screamed.
Every exchange drew louder reactions.
Neither man looked away.
Neither surrendered.
It felt less like a match and more like a war of pride.
A clash of egos.
A challenge neither intended to lose.
Jake attacked first.
A sharp punch.
Then another.
Adrian avoided both effortlessly.
The crowd erupted.
Jake attacked again.
And again.
Adrian blocked every strike with infuriating calm.
As though he wasn't taking the fight seriously.
As though Jake wasn't worth the effort.
Then—
For a brief second—
Adrian's eyes left Jake.
And landed on me.
My breath caught.
The look lasted barely a moment.
Then he looked away.
Jake noticed.
His jaw tightened.
He attacked harder.
More aggressively.
Adrian blocked the strike.
Yet somehow—
His eyes found me again.
Just for a second.
Then again.
And again.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
But enough for me.
Enough to make my stomach twist.
As though he was checking whether I was still there.
As though despite the fight—
Part of his attention remained fixed on me.
Jake's fist connected with Adrian's jaw.
A sharp gasp swept through the gym.
A cut appeared near Adrian's lip.
His head turned slightly.
Slowly—
His gaze returned to me.
Not angry.
Not hurt.
Just unreadable.
Then he looked back at Jake.
The fight resumed.
More vicious than before.
"ENOUGH!"
The voice thundered across the gym.
Everyone froze.
The principal.
Standing at the entrance.
Looking furious.
The entire room went silent.
The match ended immediately.
Students began scattering before they could be punished.
Jake climbed out of the ring.
Adrian stepped away without a word.
As though none of it had mattered.
As though he hadn't cared at all.
Yet as he turned, I noticed something.
A cut near his lip.
A bruise forming along his jaw.
Nothing serious.
Barely noticeable.
But my chest tightened anyway.
Why?
I didn't understand.
Jake was my friend.
Jake was the one I should be worried about.
So why was my gaze following Adrian as he walked away?
Why did seeing him hurt bother me?
Why did I feel relieved that he wasn't seriously injured?
I hated the answer.
Because no matter how much I tried to deny it—
Adrian still mattered.
The crowd slowly dispersed.
Students returned to class.
Teachers restored order.
But my thoughts remained trapped inside the gym.
Inside that ring.
Inside those impossible black eyes.
I hated it.
Jake was my friend.
I should check on him.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
That was the only reason I found myself standing outside the boys' locker room.
The corridor was empty.
Quiet.
I hesitated before stepping inside.
"Jake?"
No answer.
The room was dimly lit.
Rows of lockers stretched before me.
Then suddenly—
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
And went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
My heartbeat quickened.
"Jake?"
A figure stood near the lockers.
Back facing me.
Relief washed through me.
"There you are."
I moved closer.
"Are you okay? That fight looked—"
The figure turned.
My words died instantly.
Adrian.
My breath caught.
The darkness somehow made his eyes look even darker.
Almost black.
Almost endless.
Before I could step back—
He moved.
Fast.
The next thing I knew, my back hit the lockers.
Not hard.
Just enough to stop me.
A startled gasp escaped me.
His arm landed beside my head.
Trapping me.
The cold metal lockers pressed against my back.
Adrian stood in front of me.
Far too close.
Far too close.
"Leave me alone."
My voice came out weaker than intended.
His jaw tightened.
"Does it really hurt you that much?"
I frowned.
"What?"
His eyes burned into mine.
"Seeing your boyfriend get hurt."
The sarcasm in his voice was sharp enough to cut.
"What boyfriend?"
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"Please."
His gaze dropped briefly toward the gym entrance behind me.
Then returned to my face.
"You were practically ready to run into the ring."
I pushed against his chest.
He didn't move.
Not even an inch.
"Move."
"No."
My heart hammered.
"Adrian."
A humorless smile touched his lips.
"Don't worry."
His voice dripped with mock sympathy.
"Your precious boxer survived."
The jealousy hidden beneath the sarcasm made my stomach twist.
"You're impossible."
"And your taste in men is terrible."
My eyes widened.
"What?"
"If that's your standard."
His gaze turned colder.
"You should raise it."
I stared at him.
Completely speechless.
Then the question escaped before I could stop it.
"Why did you save me yesterday?"
Silence.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Quieter.
His eyes locked onto mine.
"You hate me."
My throat tightened.
"You make that very clear."
Something broke inside me.
A single tear slipped down my cheek.
I hated it immediately.
Hated myself for letting him see it.
The moment the tear fell—
Everything changed.
Adrian froze.
Completely.
His gaze followed the tear.
Then returned to my eyes.
For one brief second—
Something cracked in his expression.
Confusion.
Conflict.
Something raw.
Something he didn't understand.
Neither of us moved.
Neither of us spoke.
Then suddenly—
He stepped back.
As though burned.
As though staying near me had become unbearable.
His expression hardened instantly.
The wall returned.
Cold.
Arrogant.
Untouchable.
And before I could say anything—
He was gone.
Vanished.
Leaving me alone in the darkness.
The tears came faster now.
And for reasons I couldn't understand—
Watching him leave hurt more than it should have.