Gabriel’s grip on Elena’s shoulders tightened as his anger swirled inside him. His heart was racing. His face was inches away from hers as he looked into her eyes, frustration and something deeper flickering in his gaze. “Why the hell didn’t you fight back?” he repeated, his voice low and raw with emotion. “Why did you let them talk about you like that?”
Elena’s breath hitched in her chest, her eyes wide with both confusion and something else. “What do you mean by this, Gabriel?” Her voice wavered, almost a whisper, as if she couldn’t fully comprehend the words coming from his mouth.
Gabriel’s hands slid from her shoulders, his fingers brushing against her skin before he lightly tapped her on the head. “You dumb girl,” he muttered, his frustration mingling with a hint of affection. “Why do you always make things so complicated?”
Before Elena could respond, the familiar voice of Andrew interrupted the moment. “Well, well, well, looks whose back here,” he said, a teasing smile on his face as he stepped into view. He walked toward Gabriel, the two exchanging a look before they both hugged each other like old friends. It was an unexpected sight, and Elena could only watch in confusion as the two guys, who seemed to have been in such tension moments before, now acted like they were close.
Andrew slapped Gabriel on the back, grinning widely. “Hey, bro, let’s teach Mia a lesson, huh? I mean, she’s really crossed the line this time. Don’t you think?”
Gabriel’s lips curled into a smirk, his eyes flicking toward Elena for a moment. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, his voice dripping with a kind of dark amusement. “It’s about time someone taught her who’s boss around here.” He turned to Andrew with a nod of agreement.
Andrew raised an eyebrow, looking at Gabriel like he was about to propose something even more outrageous. “So, bro, what do you think? How about we make Elena our friend? What’s the worst that could happen?”
Elena blinked, utterly stunned. “Wait, what?” she said, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked at both Gabriel and Andrew, trying to process what they were saying. “You want to be… friends with me?”
Gabriel and Andrew exchanged a glance, their smiles growing mischievous as they both answered at the same time. “Yeah, we want to be friends with you, Elena.”
For a moment, Elena stood there like a statue, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. The most popular guys at the university-two of the most handsome, charming, and feared students-wanted to be her friends? It didn’t make sense. She could feel her heart racing, her thoughts swirling in confusion as she stared at them, still frozen in disbelief.
Andrew and Gabriel could barely hold back their laughter. They both burst out laughing, shaking their heads as they watched Elena stand there, completely in shock. “What’s the matter, Elena? Never thought the two most dangerous guys on campus would ever ask to be your friend?” Andrew teased, grinning.
Gabriel chuckled as well, leaning in closer to her. “Looks like our little ‘no-friends’ girl is having a hard time processing the situation,” he said, giving her a wink.
As they both laughed, their amusement filled the air, almost too much for Elena to bear. Suddenly, the loud, simultaneous shout of their voices pierced her thoughts, causing her to jump. “Elena!”
The unexpected sound of her name being shouted so loudly made her stumble, her feet slipping beneath her. She was suddenly off balance, her body leaning dangerously close to the edge of the pool. Her heart stopped in her chest as she felt herself falling, but just before she could hit the cold water, two strong hands shot out to grab her.
One hand was at her waist, the other at her back, holding her firm and pulling her upright. Elena gasped in shock as she was pulled back into safety. Her breath came in shallow bursts as she stood, steadying herself, her hands pressed to her chest as if she could calm her racing heart.
Gabriel and Andrew stood just a few feet away, their eyes wide with laughter, their smiles still wide. “See, I knew you’d be surprised, but damn, Elena, you really did take that to heart,” Gabriel teased, his voice lighter now, though there was still a hint of something more intense beneath the humor.
Elena stepped back from both of them, her heart still pounding. She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Gabriel and Andrew-the two guys she had tried to avoid for so long, the ones who had made her life more difficult than it needed to be-were now standing there, laughing and asking her to be their friend.
Her mind raced with confusion, her thoughts struggling to catch up with the reality of the situation. She was still in shock, unable to fully comprehend what had just unfolded in front of her.
Both Gabriel and Andrew could see the confusion in her eyes, and it only made them laugh harder. “Come on, Elena,” Andrew said between chuckles, “you don’t seriously think we’re joking, do you?”
Gabriel’s expression softened slightly, though his mischievous smile remained. “We’re serious. Don’t make us wait forever for an answer. You’ve been avoiding us for too long, and honestly, it’s getting boring. We’ll wait for you to think about it tonight, kid.”
Elena still stood there, unable to speak. She was overwhelmed by everything that had just happened-Gabriel’s words, their touch, their laughter-and the fact that, despite everything, they were offering her something she never thought she’d receive from them: friendship.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Could she really trust them? Could she trust Gabriel, the one who had made her life miserable in the beginning, who had kept his distance and mocked her? And why, after all this time, were they suddenly so interested in being her friends?
Still, the shock was too much for her to process. She barely managed to nod at their words, but it didn’t go unnoticed by either Gabriel or Andrew.
With one last laugh, Gabriel gave her a teasing wink. “Go on, Elena. Go back to your dorm and get some rest. Think about what we said. We’ll be waiting for your answer tomorrow.” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he added, “But don’t take too long. I’m not the patient type.”
Andrew grinned at her one last time. “See you, kiddo. Think carefully. We might just be the best friends you’ll ever have.”
With that, they both turned and walked off toward their dorm, their laughter still echoing in the air as they left Elena standing by the poolside, completely stunned.
As she watched them leave, still trying to come to terms with everything that had just happened, Elena couldn’t help but feel a strange mixture of emotions. Confusion, disbelief, and, strangely enough, a little bit of excitement. Could this really be happening? Did she just hear those words come out of their mouths?
She shook her head, trying to snap herself out of the trance they had left her in. “What just happened?” she muttered to herself, her voice barely audible.
She looked around, half expecting the world to somehow make sense again, but it didn’t. Her mind was too clouded, and her heart was still racing from the unexpected turn her day had taken.
Elena didn’t know what to think. All she knew was that tomorrow, everything would change. Would she really accept their offer? Could she trust them? Only time would tell.
But for now, she could only stand there, watching the two most dangerous guys on campus disappear into the distance, and wonder what the hell she was supposed to do next.