Avoiding him should've been easy.
It had been before.
After everything that happened
After what she heard.
After what she felt.
Tessa thought it would be simple.
Just go back to how things were.
Distant.
Quiet.
Unaffected.
But it wasn't.
Because now
She noticed his absence.
And that?
That was worse.
—
By the time she got to school
She already knew.
She was going to see him.
And she wasn't ready for that.
So she did the only thing she could.
She avoided him.
Not obviously.
Not in a way anyone else would notice.
But enough.
Different seat in class.
Leaving early.
Not going to the library.
Small things.
Careful things.
And yet
It didn't work.
Because no matter what she did
She still felt him.
The presence.
The awareness.
Like he was just
There.
Watching.
Waiting.
—
"Tessa."
She froze.
Of course.
Her grip tightened slightly on her books before she turned.
Adrian.
Standing right behind her.
Closer than she expected.
"How long are you going to keep doing that?" he asked.
Her expression stayed neutral.
"Doing what?"
"Avoiding me."
"I'm not."
A lie.
A weak one.
And they both knew it.
Adrian stepped closer.
Not aggressive.
But not giving her space to walk away either.
"You changed your seat."
"I wanted to."
"You skipped the library."
"I was busy."
"You left early."
"I had somewhere to be."
Each answer
Quick.
Controlled.
And completely unconvincing.
Adrian watched her for a second.
Then
"Why?"
That one
That one hit differently.
Because it wasn't an accusation.
It wasn't teasing.
It was real.
And she didn't have an easy answer.
"I just don't feel like it," she said finally.
Still avoiding his eyes.
Still holding onto control.
Adrian let out a quiet breath.
"Stop lying."
Her head snapped up.
"I'm not lying."
"You are."
His voice didn't rise.
Didn't need to.
Because the certainty in it
Was enough.
Tessa held his gaze now.
For a moment
Neither of them moved.
Then
"It's easier this way," she said quietly.
Honest.
Finally.
Adrian's expression shifted slightly.
"How?"
She hesitated.
Because saying it out loud
Made it real.
And she wasn't sure she was ready for that.
But he was still looking at her.
Waiting.
And for some reason
She answered.
"Because I don't have to think about things I don't want to think about."
There it was.
The truth.
Not all of it.
But enough.
Adrian studied her.
Carefully.
"You mean me."
Not a question.
A statement.
Tessa didn't respond.
Didn't deny it.
And that?
That was answer enough.
Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Then
"That girl," Adrian said.
Her expression hardened instantly.
"You don't get to—"
"She doesn't matter."
Too fast.
Too certain.
Tessa let out a quiet breath.
"That's not the point."
"Then what is?"
Her chest tightened again.
Because the answer was right there
But saying it?
Would mean admitting something she wasn't ready to face.
So instead
"It's nothing," she said.
But this time
Her voice wasn't as convincing.
And Adrian noticed.
Of course he did.
He stepped closer.
Enough that she felt it.
That shift in space.
That awareness.
"That didn't look like nothing yesterday," he said quietly.
Her breath caught.
Just slightly.
And that was enough.
For him to know.
"You were jealous."
The words landed between them.
Sharp.
Clear.
Tessa's eyes widened slightly.
Then narrowed.
"I wasn't."
Another lie.
Another weak one.
Adrian didn't move.
Didn't back down.
"Then why did you shut down?"
"I didn't—"
"You did."
His voice was still calm.
But there was something underneath it now.
Something stronger.
More certain.
And it made it harder to argue.
"I don't care who you're with," she said.
But even as she said it
She knew it wasn't entirely true.
And so did he.
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
"Say that again."
Tessa frowned.
"What?"
"Say it like you mean it."
Silence.
Because she couldn't.
Not completely.
And that—
That was the problem.
Adrian took another step closer.
Now
Too close.
"You don't get to feel something and then pretend you don't," he said.
Her heartbeat picked up.
"Stop telling me what I feel."
"Then tell me I'm wrong."
She opened her mouth
Then stopped.
Because she couldn't.
Not fully.
Not honestly.
And that silence?
Said everything.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
Like he'd just confirmed something.
Something important.
"You care," he said quietly.
Not accusing.
Not mocking.
Just… stating it.
And somehow
That made it worse.
Because now
She couldn't hide from it.
"I shouldn't," she said.
Barely above a whisper.
There it was.
The real truth.
Adrian's expression softened—me less
Just slightly.
"But you do."
She looked at him.
And for a second
Everything else faded.
The noise.
The people.
The past.
Just them.
Standing too close.
Saying too much.
Feeling too much.
"I don't trust you," she said again.
Like she needed to remind herself.
Like she needed to hold onto it.
Adrian nodded.
"I know."
A pause.
Then
"But that doesn't change anything."
Her breath caught.
"What does that even mean?"
"It means…" he hesitated.
For just a second.
Then
"I'm not going anywhere."
That
That shifted something.
Deep.
Unsettling.
Because he didn't say it like a promise.
He said it like a fact.
And that?
That was dangerous.
Tessa stepped back.
Finally creating space between them.
Because she needed it.
Because staying any closer
Would make it harder to think.
Harder to hold onto the distance she needed.
"I have to go," she said quietly.
Not running.
But leaving.
Still choosing distance.
Even now.
Adrian didn't stop her.
Didn't reach for her.
Didn't push.
This time
He let her go.
But his eyes stayed on her.
Until she disappeared into the crowd.
And even then
He didn't move.
Because nowin
He knew.
And that changed everything.