Adrian watched Elena from a distance, his heart tightening as she sat alone on the bench in the university garden, her shoulders hunched in a way that made her seem smaller than usual. The moonlight bathed her in a soft glow, casting shadows across her tear streaked face. His chest clenched at the sight of her vulnerability something he was rarely exposed to, especially from someone as strong and determined as Elena.
He had been walking by, thinking of heading back to the dorms after a long day, but something in his gut stopped him. He had to check on her. The way she looked at him earlier, the way her eyes had avoided meeting his, haunted him. He knew the rumors were spreading, and he knew they were hitting her harder than she was letting on.
Adrian hesitated, but only for a moment. He took a step closer, then another, until he was standing just a few feet away from her. His breath caught when she looked up, her big, doe eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The sight made his heart ache in a way he didn’t want to admit.
“Elena,” he called gently, hoping his voice wouldn’t startle her. She didn’t respond at first, so he moved closer, crouching down in front of her to meet her gaze. “You should go inside. It’s too cold to be out here alone.”
She didn’t answer, her face unreadable as she stared at him for a long moment. It was almost as if she was searching for something in his expression, something to reassure her that things would be okay. He had no words to offer at first nothing that could make the hurt go away. So, instead, he just reached out and brushed a damp strand of hair from her cheek.
She flinched slightly at the touch, but he didn’t pull away. His fingers lingered for a moment, feeling the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips, before he dropped his hand.
“Please, Elena,” he said, a little more forcefully this time. “Let me help you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”
She shook her head, her voice barely a whisper as she spoke, “I just need some air.”
Adrian couldn’t help the frustration that bubbled inside him. He understood needing space, but this wasn’t the way to deal with it. He sighed, slipping off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. She didn’t protest, but he could see the way her fingers curled into the fabric, as if it was the only thing grounding her in that moment.
“Better?” he asked softly, kneeling beside her.
She nodded silently, but the sadness in her eyes didn’t leave. Adrian sat down beside her, their shoulders just brushing, and for a while, neither of them spoke. He could feel the tension radiating from her, the weight of the rumors that she was carrying alone. He wanted to reach out, to take some of that burden away, but he didn’t know how to break the wall she had built around herself.
His gaze flicked to the phone resting in her lap. He saw the picture-the one with him and Gabriel carrying her earlier, and the caption beneath it that made his blood boil. “There’s no shame left to show the affection of their love in front of the head professor and the whole university.” His fist clenched involuntarily. He didn’t want her to see it, to feel any more hurt than she already did, but he knew she had already seen it. She was torturing herself with the words.
Before he could stop himself, he gently took the phone from her hands. She looked up at him in surprise, but didn’t try to stop him as he swiped the screen off.
“Elena,” he said quietly, his thumb grazing over her knuckles as he placed the phone down beside him. “You don’t need to look at this.”
She blinked, her lip trembling as she opened her mouth to say something. But her voice faltered, and the words didn’t come. Instead, she glanced down at their hands, her fingers brushing against his lightly as if unsure whether she was allowed to make that connection.
Adrian could feel the spark of contact between them, the warmth of her skin against his. It was like a shock to his system-he hadn’t expected it to feel so intense. But he didn’t pull away. He couldn’t.
“You shouldn’t let this define you,” he murmured, his voice low. “You’re more than any rumor, Elena. They don’t know you, not like I do.”
Her eyes were still red from crying, and her hand trembled slightly as she held onto his. He couldn’t stop himself from gently brushing his thumb over her knuckles, the motion calming for both of them. She was so small, so fragile in his touch, and yet he could see the strength in her-beneath all that hurt, all that uncertainty.
“You’ve been through so much already. You don’t need to carry this weight alone,” he added softly.
For a brief moment, their eyes met, and the world seemed to fade around them. He was closer to her than he had ever been before, feeling the rapid beat of her heart as she held onto him. Her gaze flickered between his lips and his eyes, and something inside him stirred. The way she looked at him made him want to kiss her, to make her forget about the rumors and the pain and just focus on them.
But instead of leaning in, he pulled back slightly, letting go of her hand. “You should rest,” he said, his voice still a little rough. “Don’t let this harm you from inside.”
She nodded again, still silent, as he stood up. But before he turned away, he hesitated, looking down at her one last time. “You’re incredible, Elena. Don’t let anyone make you think you are an easy target .”
With that, he walked away, but even as he left, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. That brief connection, the softness of her touch, lingered with him as he made his way back toward the dorms.