Eliana got home that evening still smiling to herself, replaying everything that happened on campus. The way Xavier looked at her in the hallway. The way his voice dipped a little lower when he asked if she was okay. The way his fingers brushed hers like it was accidental, but it wasn't. She could feel it. Something was shifting between them—slow, warm, impossible to ignore.
She dropped her bag on her bed and lay flat, staring at the ceiling. A soft laugh escaped her. She didn't even know why. Maybe it was the way he said her name. Maybe it was the fact that nobody had ever looked at her like that before… like she was something he was… curious about.
Her phone buzzed.
Joy:Babe, what are you doing on Friday night?
Eliana smiled.
Joy never texted like that unless she had a plan.
Eliana:I don't know yet. Why?
It took Joy about three seconds to reply.
Joy:There's a party. Real one. Not that boring hostel thing. Off campus. Music, drinks, fine boys. Wear something hot. I already said we're coming.
Eliana rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing. Joy didn't ask. She declared.
Eliana:Joy… I don't even go to parties like that.
Joy:You do now.
Eliana stared at the screen.
Parties meant loud music, dancing, being seen.
She didn't know if that was her.
But another thought crossed her mind, slow and thrilling:
Would Xavier be there?
Before she could answer Joy, her phone rang.
It wasn't Joy.
Her heart jumped when she saw the name.
Xavier Cole.
She sat up quickly, tried to clear her throat before speaking.
"Hello?"
"You home?" His voice was low. Calm in that way that always made her nervous.
"Yeah," she managed.
"Come downstairs."
Her breath caught. "Downstairs? Like—right now?"
"Mm-hm."
He sounded like he was smiling, but she couldn't tell.
She didn't even check a mirror. She only grabbed a jacket and hurried down the stairs.
And there he was.
Xavier leaned against his car, hands in his pockets, white T-shirt hugging him in ways that made her chest tighten. The streetlight hit his jaw just right. He looked like someone who didn't know how to look normal. He looked like trouble.
"Why are you here?" she asked, trying not to sound too affected.
He shrugged lightly. "I was already in the area."
Eliana narrowed her eyes. "No, you weren't."
He laughed—quiet, soft. "Okay. I wanted to see you."
She felt warmth spread through her chest.
She hoped it didn't show on her face.
"Come," he said, opening the passenger door for her.
She hesitated for a second—just enough for him to notice—then slid in.
They didn't go far.
He drove to the quiet side of campus, where the street was lined with closed shops and a faint breeze moved the trees. He parked, but didn't say anything at first. Just let the silence settle.
Then—
"You looked upset earlier today. Before I came over."
His voice was gentle.
Too gentle.
Eliana exhaled. "It wasn't a big deal."
He turned slightly toward her. "It was to you."
Her throat tightened. She didn't want to talk about Mike. Or the embarrassment. Or how small it made her feel.
"I don't like being anyone's joke," she said quietly.
Xavier's jaw flexed. Just once.
"He's stupid for that," he said. "I don't like seeing you hurt."
The words were so simple. But they felt heavier than anything she'd heard in a long time.
She looked out the window to steady herself, but then she felt it—his hand, warm, slow, sliding over hers.
Not rushed.
Not desperate.
Just… sure.
Her heart didn't skip. It crashed.
"Eliana," he said, voice lower now. "Look at me."
She did.
His eyes held hers like he wasn't just looking—he was seeing.
Something charged the space between them. The air felt warm. Her skin felt too alive.
He didn't lean in.
Not yet.
He just held her hand, his thumb moving in slow circles, like he was memorizing her.
"I don't want you thinking you're not worth something," he murmured.
The way he said it—
Like it was personal.
Like he meant it.
Like it mattered to him.
Her breath shook a little. She wasn't sure if he noticed.
He did.
His hand tightened. Just slightly.
And for a moment, the world outside the car stopped existing. No music. No campus noise. No past. No future.
Just… them.
She didn't know how long they stayed like that.
Minutes.
Hours.
Something in between.
But when he finally let go, she almost asked him not to.
He drove her back, slower this time. Like he didn't really want to leave yet.
Before she got out, he leaned closer—not touching, but close enough that his breath warmed her cheek.
"See you tomorrow," he said.
And somehow, that simple sentence felt like a promise.
Eliana went back inside, heart full, mind dizzy, skin still warm where his hand had been.
She didn't even reply Joy first.
She just typed:
Eliana:Okay. I'll go to the party.