Chapter 11
The silence at the door didn't last long.
Jade was the first to recover, her brows lifting slightly as she looked at Edwin. "Uh… hi?"
Edwin didn't return the smile. His gaze was fixed past her.
"Can I speak to Kaela?"
The tone wasn't rude.
But it wasn't casual either.
Kaela felt it immediately that shift in the air, the weight behind his words. She hesitated for just a second before standing up.
"I'll be back," she muttered to her friends.
Jade and Lila exchanged a look that said everything.
Drama.
Kaela stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door halfway shut behind her. The corridor was quiet, dimly lit, and suddenly felt too small for the tension between them.
"What's going on?" she asked, crossing her arms lightly. "You've been acting weird all day."
Edwin stared at her like he was trying to see something beneath the surface.
"You don't feel it?" he asked.
Kaela frowned. "Feel what?"
A pause.
Then he exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair like he was holding himself back from saying something else.
"Nothing," he said finally. "Forget it."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You didn't come all the way here for 'nothing,' Edwin."
"I came to make sure you're okay."
The answer came too quickly.
Too directly.
Kaela blinked, caught off guard. "I am okay."
"You don't seem okay."
Her expression hardened slightly. "Since when are you this invested?"
That hit.
He didn't look away this time.
"Since I started noticing that something about you changed."
The hallway felt quieter.
He stepped a little closer not invading her space, but close enough that she could feel the intensity of his presence.
"Just… tell me something honestly," he said, voice lower now. "Do you trust him?"
Kaela didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The answer came instinctively.
And that alone irritated him.
Why did it feel so automatic?
Edwin studied her for a long moment, something tightening in his jaw.
"…Alright."
But he didn't sound convinced.
"If anything feels wrong," he added quietly, "don't ignore it."
Kaela frowned. "You're being cryptic."
"I'm being careful."
"With what?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he stepped back.
"I should go."
Kaela watched him, confused, slightly annoyed, and strangely unsettled all at once.
"Edwin..."
But he was already walking away.
Leaving her standing there with more questions than answers.
Weeks passed.
And everything changed.
What started as something uncertain… became something undeniable.
Kaela found herself drawn into Ryker's world more than she ever intended. What she once called a mistake slowly turned into routine, late-night visits, quiet conversations that stretched into dawn, stolen moments that blurred the line between wrong and inevitable.
Date nights that weren't supposed to happen.
Weekend outings that felt too natural.
Kisses that lingered longer than they should.
And nights, nights where she stopped pretending she didn't want him.
Their bond deepened.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Harder to resist.
And somewhere along the way…
She stopped trying.
Not everyone was blind to it.
Nikita's jealousy burned like wildfire.
She watched from a distance now, bitterness written all over her face, but she never acted. Not anymore. Not after the quiet, firm warning Ryker had given her a warning that didn't need to be repeated twice.
She stayed away.
But her hatred didn't.
Edwin, on the other hand, didn't stay away.
He stayed close.
Too close.
Study sessions turned into excuses to sit beside Kaela. Lunches stretched longer than necessary, filled with small conversations and quiet moments he held onto more than he should.
In his mind…
There was still a chance.
A possibility.
Something he convinced himself was growing between them.
Even when reality said otherwise.
Until the day it broke.
He hadn't meant to walk in.
The classroom was empty. Quiet. He had come looking for her, just like he had done so many times before.
But what he found instead—
Stopped him cold.
Kaela was pressed lightly against the desk.
Ryker stood in front of her, his hand resting at her waist, pulling her just close enough.
And their lips
Locked.
Not hesitant.
Not accidental.
Intentional.
Familiar.
Like it had happened a hundred times before.
Edwin's chest tightened.
For a moment, he couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Kaela pulled back first, her eyes widening slightly when she noticed him.
"Edwin"
Ryker didn't move immediately. He simply turned his head slowly, his gaze meeting Edwin's.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Like this meant nothing.
Like Edwin meant nothing.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Then Kaela stepped forward quickly, her voice lower now. "You weren't supposed to see that."
Edwin let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I figured."
She hesitated, then added, "Can you… keep this to yourself?"
That did it.
His gaze snapped back to her.
"Seriously?"
Kaela blinked. "What?"
"You're asking me to keep your secret?"
Her brows furrowed. "It's not like that..."
"Then what is it like?"
There was something raw in his voice now.
Something exposed.
Kaela looked at him, confused more than anything else. "Why are you reacting like this?"
The question hit harder than anything else she had said.
And in that moment it clicked.
She didn't know.
She had never known.
Edwin exhaled slowly, the anger draining just enough to leave something colder behind.
"…Right," he muttered.
Kaela took a small step toward him. "Edwin, I didn't mean to..."
"You didn't do anything," he cut in.
His voice was calm again.
Too calm.
He nodded once.
Then turned and walked out.
And this time
He didn't look back.
The confrontation didn't wait.
Edwin found him before the sun fully set.
Ryker walked across campus like nothing had happened, hands in his pockets, completely at ease.
"Stop."
Ryker didn't.
Edwin moved in front of him, blocking his path.
"I said stop."
That made Ryker pause.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze.
"What do you want?"
"That was your last warning," Edwin said, his voice tight.
Ryker's expression didn't change.
"Was it?"
"I'm not playing games with you anymore."
A faint smirk touched Ryker's lips.
"I never was."
Edwin stepped closer. "Stay away from her."
Silence.
Then Ryker moved.
Not violently.
Not dramatically.
He simply stepped forward, his shoulder brushing past Edwin's as he walked through him like he wasn't even there.
"Move," he said calmly.
Edwin turned sharply. "I'm serious."
Ryker stopped.
But he didn't turn around.
"That's unfortunate," he replied.
Then he kept walking.
Leaving Edwin standing there,
Furious.
Powerless.
Done waiting.
That night
The alcohol burned going down.
Bottle after bottle.
Glass after glass.
And yet…
Nothing.
No dizziness.
No escape.
Just anger.
Still sharp.
Still present.
Edwin exhaled slowly, setting the glass down harder than necessary.
"This isn't over," he muttered.
And with that, he was outside her dorm.
The night was quiet again.
Too quiet.
His hand lifted.
And knocked.
Once.
Firm.
Final.
Inside the room
The sound echoed.
And Kaela looked up.
"Again".
She groaned