Eliana couldn't sleep.
She tossed and turned in bed, reliving the kiss over and over. The way her lips had moved without permission. The stunned look on Mae's face. His smirk afterward. And worst of all—how much she liked it.
It wasn't just the kiss. It was everything.
Mae had been kind, attentive, and a bit cocky—but underneath that charm was someone who made her feel… alive.
But then, there was Derrick.
Sweet, steady Derrick who always checked in on her, who made her feel safe. Just the night before, he'd surprised her with a customized planner to help her organize her project workload, a bar of chocolate, and a handwritten note:
"Just a little something to make your goals feel lighter. Rooting for you, always – D."
She had stared at the note for ten full minutes, her heart sinking with guilt.
Because while Derrick was doing everything right, she had kissed another guy.
The next morning, the guilt still clung to her like a second skin. She wore her simplest jeans and a loose top, hoping to keep her head low. But when she arrived at class, Mae was already there, sitting at the back, lazily flipping through his notebook.
Their eyes met. He grinned—like he knew a secret.
Eliana looked away instantly and hurried to sit beside Tolu, who leaned over with a knowing smirk.
"So, milkshake guy again?"
Eliana groaned softly. "Don't."
But Mae wasn't done with her
Later that afternoon, as they passed each other on the hallway, he leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry, I won't tell your other boyfriend."
She froze in place.
"You're acting like I cheated," she snapped back
"Didn't you?" he whispered with a teasing wink, then walked off before she could answer.
She clutched her books tighter, heart in knots.
This emotional tug-of-war was slowly drowning her. Derrick's warmth and gifts made her feel appreciated, yet Mae's teasing and unpredictable nature stirred a chaos inside her that felt… dangerously addictive.
That evening, Derrick texted again:
"How about a movie night soon? Just us. You pick the film."
Eliana stared at the message for minutes. She wanted to say yes. But her fingers hovered above the screen.
Everything was spiraling too fast.
Her project with Mae. Her growing closeness with Derrick. And her feelings, confused and tangled like old yarn.
And through it all, her grades were slipping. Her mind wandered too much during lectures. She kept rereading chapters without absorbing a word. Even Tolu had noticed.
"You need to decide what you really want, babe," she said while they studied together. "Derrick's sweet, but Mae makes you blush like a teenager. You're playing with fire.
Eliana bit her lip. "What if I get burned?"
"Then maybe it's time to stop playing."
As she sat alone in her room that night, one hand on her phone and the other brushing through her curls, Eliana realized something:
This wasn't just about choosing between two guys.
It was about choosing who she was becoming in the process.
And that answer… was still buried deep beneath all the noise.