Maya's POV
I could not stop shaking.
All night, the same sentence echoed in my head like a drum that refused to quiet down.
Liam specifically requested you.
Those words followed me into my sleep, dragged themselves into my dreams, and pulled me awake again before the alarm even rang. I sat up breathing fast, my heart pounding like I had run a race. For one long moment, I wished the whole call had been a mistake.
Then my phone buzzed with a reminder:
Tutoring session. Today. 7 PM. Study Room 3B.
My chest tightened.
I whispered to myself, "I cannot do this."
But I had to.
Four times the pay.
My overdrawn bank account.
Rent in two days.
There was no running. No hiding. No backing out now.
I grabbed my textbook, my notes, my laptop, and stuffed them into my bag with shaking hands. The zipper caught on the corner, and I yanked it harder than I meant to.
Jenna peeked into my room. "Are you ready?"
No.
Absolutely not.
But I forced out a small nod.
She gave me a worried look. "You are going to be fine. He requested you for a reason. Try to breathe, okay?"
"I will try," I whispered, though my voice hardly came out.
Hours passed slowly, like the day refused to move. Every class dragged. Every minute felt longer than the one before. My thoughts were crowded with fear, curiosity, stress, and one question I could not escape.
Why me?
When the time finally reached six forty, my legs felt stiff as I walked across campus. My bag thumped against my side. My hands were cold even though the air was warm. My breathing wasn't steady.
I reached the academic building and pushed open the door. The hallway felt too quiet. My footsteps echoed a little, and each sound made my heart jump.
I found Study Room 3B easily. My hand shook as I touched the doorknob.
This is it.
I stepped inside fast, like ripping off a bandage, and closed the door behind me.
Then I froze.
It was empty.
My stomach dropped. Even though I came early on purpose to calm myself before he arrived, seeing the room empty made me feel even more anxious. It made everything feel heavier.
I placed my bag on the table and opened the textbooks, spreading them out like a shield between me and the world. My hands still trembled. I tried to breathe slow, but my chest kept tightening.
I whispered, "Relax. It is only tutoring. You can do this."
But the truth was, I did not feel ready. Not for him. Not for this.
Minutes passed. I kept glancing at the door. The clock ticked loudly, each second sounding like a countdown.
My voice cracked as I whispered, "Where is he?"
I checked my phone.
6:58 PM.
Two minutes left.
I wiped my palms on my jeans and flipped through the textbook to keep my mind busy. The words on the page were blurry. My thoughts were scrambling.
Why did he request me?
Did I do something?
Did someone tell him about me?
Did he even know who I was?
How would he react when he saw me?
My heart pounded harder.
6:59 PM.
One minute left.
I clutched my pen so tightly it dug into my fingers. I closed my eyes and whispered, "Please do not let this be a disaster."
Suddenly, the doorknob clicked.
I jumped so hard the pen fell from my hand and clattered onto the table.
My pulse quickened. My breath froze. My shoulders stiffened.
The door pushed open slowly.
But no one walked in.
It opened halfway, stopped, then started closing again.
I stared, confused, my heart racing.
Was someone there?
Was he backing out?
Was he nervous too?
I forced myself to speak. "Hello?"
No answer.
The door opened again. This time, the sound of footsteps followed.
Quiet. Slow. Heavy.
And then he appeared.
Liam Carter stepped into the room.
My breath caught. My hands went numb. Every thought in my brain scattered at once. I felt my throat tighten as he walked inside.
He was three minutes late.
My heart pounded harder with each step he took. I felt small. Quiet. Almost too aware of myself.
This was real.
He was real.
And he was standing right in front of me.
His eyes lifted, searching for mine.
The moment our eyes met, something sharp flashed across his face.
Not anger.
Not confusion.
Something else.
Pain.
Real pain.
He winced suddenly, his face tightening. His breath hitched. And before I could process what was happening, he grabbed his left shoulder like something inside it snapped.
He stumbled slightly.
My chair scraped loudly against the floor as I stood up fast. "Are you okay?"
He didn't answer.
His jaw clenched. His eyes dropped from mine. His hand pressed harder against his shoulder, like he was trying to hide the pain or stop it from spreading.
I took a small step forward, unsure if I should help or stay still.
"Liam?" I asked quietly. "Are you hurt?"
He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, fighting something I could not see. His breathing went uneven. His other hand grabbed the edge of the table, steadying himself.
Then he said in a low, strained voice, "Do not come closer."
The words froze me.
I stopped instantly.
His head lowered, and he let out a slow, shaky breath. His shoulder trembled under his hand.
I swallowed hard, fear creeping into my chest.
"Did you injure it?" I asked softly.
He didn't answer right away. He just stayed still, holding his shoulder like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.
Finally, he spoke. His voice was tight, almost forced.
"It is nothing. I am fine."
He wasn't fine.
His wince.
His sharp breath.
The way his fingers dug into his shoulder.
Nothing about him looked fine.
I wanted to move. I wanted to help. But he straightened before I could speak again, forcing his face into something calmer, something stronger, even though the pain was still there in his eyes.
He tried to take another step forward.
His knees buckled for half a second.
I gasped. "Liam!"
He caught himself on the table, his hand shaking.
My heart raced so fast I felt dizzy.
"Liam, you are not okay," I said, my voice trembling. "Sit down. Please."
He looked up at me then. Really looked. His eyes were cloudy and tired, and something heavy hid behind them.
Something he did not want me to see.
Something he did not want anyone to know.
Then he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear:
"Maya... you cannot tell anyone you saw that."
My breath stopped.
"What? Why?"
He stepped back, his face tight with fear and frustration, his hand still pressed against his shoulder.
He whispered again, voice breaking in a way that sent chills down my spine.
"If the coach finds out... if anyone finds out... everything is over."
I took a shaky breath. "Your shoulder... is it serious?"
His eyes darkened. His jaw clenched again.
"It does not matter," he said. "I just need you to pretend you did not see anything."
His words were heavy. Too heavy.
Dangerous heavy.
"Liam," I whispered, "you are hurt. You need help."
He shook his head immediately. "No. What I need is for you to keep this secret."
"But why?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the pain again. His voice cracked when he spoke.
"Because if this gets out... I lose everything."
He opened his eyes slowly, and the fear inside them hit me like a blow to my chest.
"Maya," he said quietly, "please. I am begging you."
My heart dropped.
Because in that moment, I realized something terrifying.
This tutoring job was not going to be simple.
Not even close.
And whatever was happening to Liam Carter...
was bigger than grades.
Bigger than tutoring.
Bigger than both of us.
He took a slow breath, his voice almost a whisper.
"If you tell anyone about my shoulder... everything falls apart."
I stared at him, frozen, breathless, my heart pounding so loud it hurt.
And then he whispered the last words that tore the ground out from under me.
"Maya... please do not let them find out."