The final bell had rung ten minutes ago. The main hallway was like a river slowing to a trickle. The roar of students had drained away into the parking lots and the buses. Alex walked slowly, letting the last slow people rush past him. He kept close to the lockers, moving through the narrow gaps between the chatting groups.
He knew where she would be. Caroline wasn't the type to go home and think. She was the type to stand her ground and wait. She would need the last word, or at least to try and control what happened next.
He pushed through the heavy main doors and stepped into the inner courtyard. The afternoon sun was warm and low, throwing long, skinny shadows from the oak trees across the paved walkways. The air was cooler out here, fresh.
He saw her immediately.
She was leaning against a short, stone pillar near the main path. Her posture was stiff. Her designer bag strap was pulled tight over her shoulder. Her head turned sharply, her eyes feverishly scanning every face that came out of the building. She was waiting for one person.
Alex felt a small, cold flicker of satisfaction. He'd been right.
He didn't walk straight toward her. He circled around the edge of the courtyard, using a cluster of laughing freshmen as a moving screen. His shoes were quiet on the pavement. The distant roar of bus engines and shouting drivers covered any sound. He came up behind her, close enough to see the precise part in her blonde hair.
He reached out and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
Caroline spun around like she'd been shocked. Her face, usually so perfect and composed, was sharp with alertness. "Who—" she started, her voice too loud, and then she saw him.
She cut herself off. Her mouth closed with a soft click.
Alex was already looking straight at her. His face was calm.
"You found what you were searching for," he said. His voice had a slight, funny tone to it, like he was stating the obvious.
Caroline's face changed. First, the tightness around her eyes relaxed. It was just him. Then, her eyebrows drew together as she processed his words and his calmness. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Finally, she smoothed her expression into her usual mask of cool control. She lifted her chin.
She took a step toward him. Then another. She stopped when they were too close for a normal conversation. He could smell her perfume, something sweet and expensive. She was doing it to make him nervous.
"So," she said, her voice dropping to a low, challenging whisper. "You have a foot fetish, huh?" A thin, forced smile appeared on her lips. But her blue eyes were hard and calculating. She was trying to put the blame on him. To make the whole thing his weird problem, not her provocation.
Alex smiled back. It was a small smile that didn't touch his eyes. It was a pure rejection of her story.
"I don't have that weird kind of fetish," he said, shaking his head slowly. He paused, making sure she was listening. Then he leaned in just a fraction, his voice dropping so she had to strain to hear. "It's just that someone was forcefully offering me something. So I had to accept it. Gently."
Caroline's eyes narrowed. Her forced smile vanished. "Forcefully?" she hissed, emphasizing the word with disbelief. The accusation in his tone was clear, and it hit a nerve. "I think you're the one who grabbed my foot under the table and—"
"Well, it already happened," Alex cut her off, his voice flat. He was done with this. "Arguing about who started it isn't going to make any sense now. It's just a waste of time."
A short, tense silence hung between them. The only sounds were the far-off shouts from the football field. Caroline's arms were folded tightly across her chest. Her knuckles were white where she gripped her bag strap. He could see the frustration in the set of her jaw. She was realizing she couldn't bully him into admitting he was the weird one.
Her expression shifted. The anger and calculation melted away, replaced by something else. A strange mix of flirtation and pride. A real smirk, curious and a little impressed, touched her lips.
"So, Alex," she whispered, leaning in again. Her voice was all curiosity now. "Let's be honest. Did you… like it?"
Alex didn't look away. He kept his steady gaze on her. He quickly glanced around. The courtyard was empty. The last bus was rumbling in the distance. They were alone.
"Yes," he said. His voice was flat, serious. No joke, no smirk. "It was very good. Far better than a hand, and—"
"Ew!" Caroline recoiled as if slapped. The smirk disappeared, replaced by a look of pure offense. Her nose wrinkled. "Don't compare my foot to your handjob! And also, don't say these kinds of weird things!" Her pride was deeply offended by the comparison to a simple act of masturbation.
Alex immediately backed down, raising his hands in a peaceful, halting gesture. He had just answered her question truthfully, and he also realized one thing: after merging with the Lucifer bloodline, he couldn't tell a single lie.
Caroline was still staring at him, analyzing his face. She didn't know why, but she felt a pull toward him. Every time she saw him, she wanted to poke him, to tease him, just to see what he would do. It was more than a game now. It was a feeling, and it confused her. She also knew she couldn't say anything. She didn't know if he felt anything back, or if she was just annoying him.
She got lost in her own thoughts, her eyes going distant.
Alex waved a hand slowly in front of her face. "Caroline," he said gently.
She blinked, coming back to the present. She'd been ignoring him. "Yeah?"
Alex nodded toward the school gate. "Let's go," he said, his tone lightening into something funny. "Otherwise, your Sheriff mom will come here to find her baby."
Caroline's eyes flashed. She gave him a sharp, warning glare for the joke about her mother. But she didn't argue. She turned and started walking toward the gate, falling into step beside him.
***
Elena-love interest?