Aria's POV
History was my last class of the day, but somehow, it felt like the longest one yet. My mind kept wandering back to the morning to the silent space that had grown between Liam and me.
He wasn't in the class, which should've made it easier to focus. It didn't.
The teacher's voice droned on about revolutions and treaties, but my notes were half-finished scribbles instead of full thoughts. When the bell finally rang, I packed up faster than usual, desperate to breathe something other than stale classroom air.
The cafeteria was already buzzing by the time I got there. The smell of food, chatter, and laughter filled the space, grounding me back to the present. I spotted familiar faces near the corner Caleb waving his hand high in the air like always.
"Over here, Aria!"
I smiled and made my way over. Aubrey sat beside Ethan, both of them laughing quietly about something. Across from them, Caleb was already halfway through his meal, while Ethan was deep in conversation with Noah, who looked like he was trying to explain something with way too much hand movement.
"Finally," Caleb said as I sat down. "Thought history kidnapped you."
"Almost did," I replied with a small laugh, pulling my tray closer.
Noah looked up from his plate. "You should've seen Ethan trying to prove he could balance a fork on his nose. We were this close to recording it."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "You say that like it didn't work."
Caleb snorted. "It didn't."
The table erupted into easy laughter, and for a while, I forgot about Liam the tension, the distance, all of it.
At least until his voice drifted from behind me.
When I turned, he was walking toward our table and he wasn't alone.
Vanessa was right beside him, her perfectly styled blonde hair gleaming under the cafeteria lights, her manicured hand brushing his arm a little too casually. She was smiling that polished kind of smile that never reached her eyes.
"Mind if we join?" she asked sweetly, though her tone carried no question.
No one answered. She sat down anyway, sliding beside Liam like she owned the place.
"Nice to see you all again," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "It's been such a hectic week. Daddy's been busy with the company merger, so I barely get time to breathe."
Noah leaned closer to Caleb and whispered, "Did she just flex oxygen?"
Caleb nearly choked trying not to laugh. Aubrey elbowed him hard under the table.
Vanessa's gaze eventually landed on me, her lips curving. "And you're Aria, right? The scholarship student?"
There it was. The tone. Sweet, but sharp.
"Yes," I said simply, stabbing a piece of chicken with my fork.
She leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting. "It must feel… surreal, doesn't it? Getting to study at one of the most prestigious schools in the world. Must be such a huge opportunity for you."
I met her gaze, unflinching. "It's not an opportunity," I said calmly. "It's something I earned."
Caleb let out a low whistle. Ethan grinned. Even Aubrey tried to hide her smirk. Noah mouthed, ouch.
Vanessa's smile faltered for a heartbeat, then she laughed lightly, trying to smooth it over. "Of course. That's… cute."
"Cute?" I tilted my head, voice still even. "You call hard work cute?"
The table went quiet only the faint sound of trays clattering in the background. Liam shifted slightly, his jaw tightening, but he didn't say a word.
Vanessa's expression cooled, though she tried to keep her tone light. "I didn't mean it like that. Just saying… some people are lucky."
"And some people mistake luck for privilege," I said before I could stop myself.
The look on her face was priceless.
Ethan coughed to break the tension. "Sooo… who's up for dessert?"
Caleb chuckled under his breath. "Guess it's not just me who's getting roasted today."
Noah laughed. "Remind me to never pick a fight with you, Aria."
Aubrey nudged my shoulder gently, whispering, "Seriously, that was epic."
I smiled faintly, but inside, I felt a strange mix of satisfaction and unease.
Because even as I tried to act unaffected, I could still feel Liam's presence beside Vanessa silent, distant, unreadable. And that, somehow, stung more than her words ever could.
—-
The rest of the day passed in a blur of sunshine and chatter. After lunch, we all decided to head down to the small town near the beach grab coffee, browse the local shops, maybe catch the sunset before heading back.
Vanessa, of course, tagged along.
And she didn't just tag along she practically glued herself to Liam's side. Every step of the way, she was there: laughing at things that weren't funny, touching his arm for no reason, asking him questions she clearly didn't care about just to keep his attention.
"I swear if she leans on him one more time, I might just—" Caleb started
"Throw her into the ocean?" Ethan suggested.
"Exactly." Caleb sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Poor guy's trapped."
I tried to laugh, but it came out weaker than I intended. It wasn't that I was jealous at least, that's what I kept telling myself. It was just… uncomfortable to watch.
A few minutes later, Liam's phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and said quietly, "I'll be back. It's an important call."
He stepped away from the group, moving toward the quieter side of the boardwalk.
It took less than a minute for Vanessa to follow.
Caleb groaned. "Unbelievable."
"She's persistent," Noah said dryly.
"Persistent? She's a walking warning sign." Caleb shook his head, kicking a pebble on the pavement. "Honestly, I don't know how Liam's still breathing with her around."
Aubrey laughed softly, linking her arm through mine. "Come on, let's just get some ice cream. Let them handle their drama."
We did, and for a while, things felt lighter again the warm sun, the ocean breeze, the sound of Caleb trying to convince Ethan to race him to the pier. But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that the air between Liam and Vanessa wasn't as harmless as it looked.
When the sky started turning orange, we realized Liam and Vanessa hadn't come back.
"Guess they'll find their way," Caleb said, though his tone carried an edge of irritation.
By the time we returned to the dorm, the chatter had faded into quiet exhaustion. Everyone went their separate ways, and I found myself walking beside Aubrey down the hall.
She glanced at me after a while. "You've been quiet since the beach. What's going on?"
I hesitated before answering, my fingers brushing the strap of my bag. "It's nothing… I just—" I exhaled softly. "Sometimes I'm scared to get close to anyone again. After what happened before, it's hard to trust that people won't hurt you the same way."
Aubrey nodded slowly. "Because of your ex?"
"Yeah," I admitted. "He was… someone I thought I could rely on. But then he chose someone else. Someone who was supposed to be my friend." My voice dropped lower. "After that, it just felt safer not to feel anything at all."
She stopped walking, her eyes gentle but steady. "Aria, not everyone is like him. And definitely not Liam."
I looked at her, unsure of what to say.
"He's not perfect," she continued, smiling faintly. "But he's real. The way he looks at you sometimes he doesn't even realize it, but everyone else does."
My heart skipped a beat. "You're imagining things."
She laughed. "Am I?"
I shook my head, but a small, nervous smile tugged at my lips. "You're impossible."
"Maybe," she said, looping her arm through mine again as we reached our door. "But I'm not wrong."
As I changed into my nightwear later that night, her words echoed in my mind soft, stubborn, and somehow comforting.
Maybe she was right. Maybe Liam wasn't like the others.
But I wasn't sure my heart was ready to find out.