Ava pov
The evening was quiet, the kind of chilly calm that made every sound sharper — laughter, footsteps, even the soft scrape of wind through the trees. We'd split into small groups on the way back from the café; Emma, Emily, and Kate trailed a few paces behind, lost in their own chatter. Somehow, that left me walking beside Axel.
He didn't say a word. Hands buried in his pockets, shoulders tense, eyes fixed straight ahead. The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable exactly — just heavy.
I kicked at a stray pebble on the path. "You know," I said, breaking the quiet, "you glared at the word party like it personally offended you."
He didn't look at me. "Because it does."
I raised a brow. "That bad?"
"Worse," he muttered. "It's full of idiots who think flashing lights and bad decisions make them interesting."
I laughed softly. "You sound ancient."
"Maybe," he said, glancing sideways at me, "but I'm not wrong."
His tone wasn't teasing — more like he meant every word. Still, something about how serious he looked made me want to push his buttons a little more.
"So… if it's that awful, why do you care if I go?"
He stopped walking. I almost bumped into him.
He turned to me, the glow from the streetlight catching in his eyes. "Because," he said quietly, "you don't belong in that kind of mess."
I blinked. "Mess?"
"It's not for you," he continued, voice low but firm. "Those people — they'll stare, they'll talk, they'll try things. It's not safe."
Something in my chest stuttered. "You make it sound like I can't take care of myself."
He hesitated, then sighed. "I know you can. That's not the point."
"Then what is?"
He looked at me for a moment — long enough that I could see something flicker behind his calm expression. Something almost protective. Almost gentle.
"Just…" He shook his head slightly. "Don't make me have to deal with trouble again."
I smirked faintly. "Deal with me, you mean?"
That earned the tiniest hint of a smirk from him. "You said it, not me."
We started walking again, and for a while, the silence returned — but this time, it wasn't heavy. It was quieter, slower, something that almost felt like… peace.
Even if neither of us would admit it out loud.
Axel pov
The dorm was quiet except for the faint hum of traffic outside. Jay and Liam were probably still out somewhere, leaving me alone with my thoughts — which, unfortunately, had decided to circle one person and one person only.
Ava.
The Ridge Hall party.
That laugh.
The way her eyes caught the light when she teased me earlier.
I groaned, pressing a hand over my face. "You've got to be kidding me," I muttered to myself.
I'd seen those parties before — chaos barely disguised as fun. Music so loud you couldn't think. People too close, too careless, too drunk to understand boundaries. The kind of place that made everything blur until nothing felt real.
And then there was her — the idea of her in the middle of all that. It didn't sit right. Not because she couldn't handle herself — she could, easily — but because I knew the kind of attention she'd get there. The kind that made my blood boil just thinking about it.
I leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "You're overthinking," I told myself.
But I wasn't.
The truth was simple and annoying: I didn't want her there. I didn't want her walking into a place full of people who wouldn't see her for who she really was — the way she frowned when she concentrated, the little sarcastic tilt of her smile, the quiet way she cared even when she pretended not to.
They'd just see her — pretty, confident, tempting. And that thought alone made my jaw tighten.
Jay had joked earlier that I was possessive. Maybe he was right. Maybe I was. But I couldn't figure out when it started — when she went from that annoying partner I got stuck with to someone I couldn't stop thinking about.
I'd tried ignoring it.
I'd tried being annoyed.
But it was starting to feel impossible.
And the worst part?
She probably had no idea.
So I just sat there in the quiet, telling myself it didn't matter. That she'd go to that stupid party, laugh, dance, come back fine — and I'd be fine too.
But even as I closed my eyes, the image of her smile burned through the dark, and I knew — I was lying to myself.
Ava pov
The morning sunlight spilled through the dorm window, catching the scattered clothes and shopping bags strewn across our room. Emma, Emily, and Kate were in full planning mode, flopping on the bed and desk chairs, swapping ideas, showing off outfits.
"So, red or black?" Emily asked, holding up a sparkly top in front of her.
"Definitely red," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "You'll look like you walked straight out of a magazine."
Kate twirled in a sequined skirt. "I vote black. Mysterious. Dangerous. Totally party vibes."
I sighed, holding up my own dress, still unsure. "I don't know… I don't want to be over the top."
"Over the top?" Emily laughed. "Ava, you don't even know. This party is the event of the semester. Everyone goes big."
I glanced at Emma, who gave me a mischievous grin. "Just go with something that makes Axel jealous. That's the real win."
I froze mid-breath, laughing nervously. "Emma!"
"Come on," she teased. "You know it'll get to him."
I blushed, burying my face in my hands, but before I could protest further, a soft buzz sounded from my phone.
A message from Liam:
"Heads up. Axel's with Jay. We're walking past Ridge Hall later — he might hear."
My stomach flipped.
"What?" I asked Emily, who was already giggling.
"He's… nearby?" Emma whispered, eyes twinkling. "Ooooh, this is perfect. The timing couldn't be better!"
My blush deepened. "I can't believe this…"
Kate laughed. "Relax. Just have fun picking something that makes him look. That's the whole point."
I groaned, half exasperated, half excited. The thought of him watching — even indirectly — made my pulse speed. Somehow, I knew this party would be more than just music, drinks, and lights.
It was going to be… complicated.
And thrilling.
Axel pov
Jay and Liam were sprawled on the couch, still half asleep, scrolling through their phones and joking about nothing in particular. I had intended to stay quiet, just sip my coffee, and ignore the chaos of the morning.
Then Jay's phone buzzed with a message — and with it, the corner of my vision caught something I wasn't supposed to.
Ava.
Her name. My stomach twisted.
I leaned forward, pretending to check my own phone, but my ears picked up snippets of laughter and conversation drifting from the dorm window across the quad.
"…red or black?" I heard Emily say, followed by Ava's soft voice, clearly debating.
"…don't want to be over the top," she muttered.
Emma's teasing laugh cut through: "Ava, you know it'll get to him."
My jaw tightened.
Get to him.
My fists clenched slightly on the table. I tried to tell myself it was nothing — just girls being ridiculous, teasing each other. But the image that immediately popped into my head was Ava, standing there in some flashy dress, laughing, thinking she was just having fun — while every guy at that party would notice her.
And worse… thinking that it would "get to me."
I wanted to glare. I wanted to storm over there. I wanted to tell her she couldn't do this — that it wasn't safe, that she didn't need to play games with me.
But I didn't.
Instead, I sat there, quietly brooding, listening to every word, feeling my chest tighten with a possessive, irritating twist of jealousy I refused to admit.
She had no idea how much control she had over me. No idea how much I was simmering, trying not to show it.
And that thought? That alone was enough to keep me tense for the rest of the morning.