The lecture hall buzzed with low chatter as students filled the rows. Racheal slid into her usual seat near the middle, setting her books down with hands that still trembled slightly. She tried to calm herself, inhaling slowly, but her chest refused to steady.
Her pen tapped against her notebook unconsciously. She wasn't even aware of it until the girl beside her glanced over with a frown.
"Sorry," Racheal muttered, quickly stilling her hand.
The professor arrived, and the room gradually fell into silence. Pages rustled, laptops opened, and the lecture began. Words filled the space, diagrams sketched across the board, yet for Racheal, everything blurred. She wrote half sentences, random fragments, but her mind wasn't on the lecture at all.
It was on him.
Declan.
Even though he wasn't sitting near her, she could feel him. Two rows behind. To her left. His presence was a quiet hum against the edges of her awareness, impossible to ignore. Every time she shifted in her seat, she found herself resisting the urge to glance back.
At one point, she gave in.
Her eyes darted toward him quickly, as if by accident.
He was already watching.
Not staring rudely. Not trying to make her uncomfortable. Just watching. Calm, steady, as though she was the only one that mattered in the crowded hall.
Her pulse spiked, and she quickly turned back to her notebook, cheeks heating. She tried to focus, scribbling down whatever words the professor said, though none of it made sense.
When the lecture ended, students began gathering their things in a hurry. Racheal packed her bag slowly, deliberately, hoping he would leave first. But Declan didn't.
Instead, his friends appeared—Gideon and Noah, their laughter carrying easily across the room. Gideon clapped Declan on the back, whispering something that made Noah smirk. Racheal felt her stomach twist. They were teasing him again. Teasing about her.
She ducked her head, but her body betrayed her, ears straining to catch fragments.
"Man, you're hopeless," Gideon chuckled. "You look like a stalker sitting there the whole time."
Noah added, "Forget it, Gideon. He doesn't even deny it anymore."
Declan didn't respond, only gave them both a look that shut their grins down quickly. But even without words, his silence spoke louder.
Heat spread across Racheal's face. She grabbed her bag and practically fled the hall, her footsteps quick against the corridor floor. She didn't know if she was running from Declan or from the pounding of her own heart.
Outside, the cool breeze met her skin, calming her nerves slightly. She leaned against the wall, exhaling shakily.
Why did it feel like everyone could see through her? Why did it feel like no matter how far she tried to push him away, Declan always found a way back?
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, dragging her out of her thoughts. She pulled it out, and her heart skipped when she saw the name.
Mia: Are you free this evening? I want you to come over for dinner. Please say yes.
Racheal's fingers hesitated over the screen. Dinner. At Mia's house. Which meant seeing him.
Her stomach fluttered with nerves. But deep inside, something else stirred—something she refused to name.
She typed back slowly.
Racheal: Okay. I'll come.
When she hit send, she closed her eyes briefly, knowing she had just agreed to step straight into the fire