Aria’s POV.
I stood just outside the lecture hall, my hand gripping the edge of the doorframe as I watched Daniel. I knew I shouldn’t be there, but I couldn’t help myself. Like some self-destructive compulsion, I needed to see him, even if he was making it his mission to push me away.
His voice was calm, controlled, as he explained a point from the lecture. He was so composed-so infuriatingly unaffected-like the storm that had raged between us earlier this morning didn’t exist. Like I didn’t exist.
And then, there she was.
The brunette in the front row. She leaned forward over her desk, her blouse hanging just low enough to reveal the lace edge of her bra. It was deliberate-everything about her posture, her body language screamed intention. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I watched her.
She giggled at something Daniel said, her voice light and airy, like she was trying to sound younger, more innocent. She wasn’t fooling anyone. Least of all me. Her pen slipped from her fingers, falling to the floor, and she bent to pick it up, her chest brushing the edge of the desk as she did. When she sat back up, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bit her lip, looking up at Daniel like he was the only man in the room.
My stomach twisted painfully.
But what hurt more was that Daniel didn’t seem to stop her.
When she asked her question, her voice syrupy sweet, he stepped closer to her desk. Too close. She leaned toward him, and for a moment, her fingers brushed his wrist, lingering there as she tilted her head, smiling up at him like he was her personal savior.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
Was he encouraging her? Or was he just oblivious? I couldn’t tell. But it didn’t matter because the ache in my chest was the same either way.
I shifted, my movement catching someone’s attention, and a student glanced back at me. I froze, my heart pounding, and quickly turned away. I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t watch this.
—
By the time I reached the diner, I told myself I didn’t care.
I didn’t care that Daniel was ignoring me. I didn’t care that he’d spent far too much time answering that girl’s question, that he didn’t seem to mind the way she looked at him.
I didn’t care.
But then I saw him.
He was sitting in a booth near the window, his back to me, leaning toward the woman across from him. Jackie. The English professor. She was beautiful, of course, with her sleek hair and sharp features, her polished confidence that made her seem untouchable. She wasn’t like me. She wasn’t hesitant or unsure. She was bold.
And Daniel looked… relaxed.
I slipped into a booth on the opposite side of the diner, far enough away that I wouldn’t be noticed but close enough to see them. My heart sank as I watched Jackie laugh, her hand reaching across the table to brush against Daniel’s forearm. He didn’t pull away.
I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t.
They were talking, their conversation light and easy, and I hated how natural it seemed. How comfortable they were with each other. Jackie leaned forward slightly, and her hand slid lower, brushing against Daniel’s on the table.
I tried to convince myself that it was nothing, that I was overreacting. But then Daniel leaned back, and Jackie’s hand slipped under the table.
My breath caught in my throat as I saw her lean closer, her lips moving as she said something that made Daniel smirk. His smirk. The one that made my knees weak.
And then I saw it-her hand. It was subtle, but I wasn’t imagining it. Her fingers slid across his thigh, resting there like she belonged there, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Daniel didn’t stop her.
I felt like I was going to be sick.
I turned away, staring down at the chipped edge of the table in front of me as my vision blurred. I didn’t want to see any more. I couldn’t.
But the worst part wasn’t Jackie. It wasn’t the way she touched him, the way she laughed at his jokes, the way he let her.
The worst part was that he didn’t even look like he missed me.
..
The campus buzzed with life as the day stretched into the evening. I tried to lose myself in the noise, the endless chatter of students, the hum of life that surrounded me. Anything to distract myself from the image of Daniel with Jackie at the diner. From the way he smirked at her, the way her hand rested on his thigh like it belonged there.
I hated it. Hated how much power he had over me, how much space he took up in my mind even when I tried to push him out.
“Aria!”
The voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned to see Jason, one of the students from my literature class, jogging toward me. His blond hair was disheveled, his smile boyish and easy.
“Hey,” I said, forcing a smile.
“We’re throwing a party tonight,” he said, his grin widening. “Just some cool people, you know? Thought you might want to come.”
“A party?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, nothing crazy,” he said quickly. “Just a few of us hanging out. Midnight at the old student house by the lake. You should come-it’ll be fun.”
I hesitated, glancing around. A party was the last thing I needed right now. But then I thought about Daniel. About the way he ignored me in the lecture hall, the way he let that student flirt with him, the way he laughed with Jackie like I didn’t exist.
Maybe I *did* need a party.
“Sure,” I said, my voice light. “Why not?”
Jason’s grin grew even brighter. “Awesome! I’ll see you there.”
As he walked away, I felt a flicker of satisfaction. Maybe this was what I needed-to remind myself that there was more to my life than Daniel. That I could have fun, too.
—
### **The Diner – Teasing Daniel**
I didn’t mean to end up at the diner again, but somehow, my feet carried me there. Maybe I wanted to see if they were still there-Daniel and Jackie. Maybe I wanted to prove to myself that I didn’t care.
But when I stepped inside, Jackie was gone.
Daniel sat alone at the booth, his phone in his hand, a faint scowl on his face. He looked up when he noticed me, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“You’re still here?” I asked, sliding into the booth across from him without waiting for an invitation.
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. Typical Daniel-silent, brooding, impossible to read.
“I got invited to a party,” I said casually, leaning back in the seat.
That got a reaction. His eyes flicked up to meet mine, sharp and piercing. “A party?”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling sweetly. “One of the students invited me. Midnight by the lake. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?”
His expression darkened, the scowl deepening. “You’re not going.”
I laughed, the sound light and mocking. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Daniel. Remember? You’re the one who’s been ignoring me all day. You don’t care, right?”
His fists clenched on the table, but he didn’t say anything. I could feel the tension radiating off him, the barely restrained anger simmering beneath the surface.
“Why do you care, anyway?” I asked, tilting my head. “You seem to be having plenty of fun with Jackie. Maybe I want to have some fun, too.”
He stood abruptly, the sudden movement making me flinch. He grabbed his jacket and threw a few bills on the table before storming out of the diner without another word.
I watched him go, my heart pounding. I told myself I didn’t care. That it didn’t matter.
But the look on his face-the anger, the frustration-it stayed with me.