Twenty One
Warwick’s smirk stayed on his face as he stepped closer. My heart started racing, and I could feel the tension in the air grow even thicker.
“I have something to tell you, Audrey,” he said, his voice calm but serious. “Something important.”
I blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, though I was nervous.
He didn’t look away, his dark eyes locked on mine. “I like you,” Warwick said, his tone soft but clear. “I’ve been watching you for a while, and I thought it was time you knew.”
I froze. Out of everything he could’ve said, I wasn’t expecting this. “You… like me?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn’t believe it. “Even after seeing what I am?”
Warwick’s smile softened a bit. “Yes, even after that,” he said, sounding amused. “I don’t run away from things that interest me.
You’re different, Audrey. And I don’t scare easily.”
I stared at him, completely shocked. I had expected Warwick to avoid me, to be afraid of what he might’ve seen in me. But instead, he was standing here, saying he liked me. It didn’t make sense.
“I thought you’d be… afraid,” I admitted, still trying to process what he said.
“Afraid?” Warwick chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ve seen worse. Much worse. And you’re not something to be afraid of.”
For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of everything. Logan, Warwick, the secrets I still didn’t fully understand-everything was happening so fast.
Warwick took a step back, giving me space.
“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” he said, his voice calm again. “But I thought you should know how I feel.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, completely stunned.
I stood there for what felt like an eternity, Warwick’s words swirling in my mind. How could he like me? I was still trying to make sense of everything-of myself. The revelation of what I was had barely settled in my own mind, and now this?
As the hallways cleared out, I found my feet moving automatically toward my next class.
But my mind was still with Warwick, replaying his every word. He wasn’t afraid of me, he liked me. And not just liked, but he had been watching me. That thought made me shiver, though not entirely in a bad way.
Then, as if on cue, my thoughts drifted to Logan. Logan had always been a whirlwind of emotions-frustrating, protective, and infuriatingly charming all at once.
He acted like I belonged to him in some unspoken way, but we hadn’t even scratched the surface of what that meant. And now, Warwick had thrown himself into the mix. Two forces on opposite ends of the spectrum, and somehow, I was caught between them.
By the time I sat down in my next class, my head was pounding. I barely registered the teacher speaking, my focus entirely elsewhere.
“Audrey?”
I blinked, pulling myself out of my thoughts.
Mal was staring at me from the seat next to mine, concern etched across her face.
“You okay?” she whispered, leaning closer.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I forced a smile, shaking my head. “I’m fine, just… a lot on my mind.”
“Yeah, l’d say so,” Mal said, her gaze flicking to Logan, who was lounging in the back of the room like usual. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I can tell you’re in the middle of it.”
She wasn’t wrong. But how could I explain everything without sounding insane? I just shrugged, giving her a noncommittal response.
As the class droned on, I could feel Logan’s eyes on me, but I didn’t dare look back. My mind kept wandering to Warwick’s words.
How could I possibly handle this?