Chapter 5
The next morning, Eliana tried to focus on her notes, but her mind kept wandering back to the party. Stephen's smile. The way his laugh seemed to melt through the noise around them. The way he had said her name like it mattered.
She was halfway through rereading the same sentence in her economics text when Maddie barged into their dorm room, kicking off her heels and collapsing onto her bed.
"You," Maddie announced, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Eliana, "were glowing last night."
Eliana frowned. "Glowing? I wasn't glowing."
"Please." Maddie rolled her eyes. "If your face was any redder when Stephen leaned in, I'd have thought you downed a bottle of wine."
Eliana covered her face with her hands. "Stop it."
Maddie laughed, but then her voice softened. "Look, Ellie… I'm just saying, maybe it's time you stop burying yourself in books and give someone a chance."
Eliana peeked at her through her fingers. "Someone like Stephen?"
Maddie smirked. "Someone, yes. But maybe not Stephen."
That made Eliana pause. "What do you mean?"
Maddie sat up, suddenly serious. "Stephen's… unpredictable. He's fun, sure, but he's the kind of guy who notices you today and forgets you tomorrow. You deserve stability. Someone who'll actually be there, no matter what."
Eliana tilted her head. "And who exactly is that?"
Maddie smiled knowingly. "William."
Eliana blinked. "William? Maddie, he hardly even talks to me."
"Exactly," Maddie said smoothly. "That's what makes him different. He's not like the others. He doesn't need to show off to get attention. He's… safe. The kind of safe that'll protect you, not hurt you."
Eliana frowned, but Maddie's words stuck. Safe. It sounded boring, maybe, but after a childhood of financial struggle, of always walking a tightrope between survival and collapse, safety had its own appeal.
That afternoon, William made his move—quietly, as always.
Eliana was in the library again, flipping through a heavy law textbook, when a shadow fell across her table. She looked up to see William standing there, hands in his pockets, a hesitant smile on his face.
"Hey," he said simply.
"Hi," she replied, surprised.
He nodded at the book in front of her. "Do you ever take breaks, or are you secretly trying to outdo the professors?"
Eliana laughed, embarrassed. "Maybe both."
William pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. For a moment, they just looked at each other in the quiet hush of the library. William leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"You know, Maddie talks about you a lot," he said.
Eliana raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah," William said. "She says you're the reason she's even passing some of her classes. She also said you're stubborn, hardworking, and… a little too hard on yourself."
Eliana felt her cheeks warm. "She says too much."
William smiled faintly. "I don't think she says enough."
Her heart skipped. She didn't know what to say, so she looked back at her book, though the words blurred on the page. William sat there for a while, not pressuring her, not demanding attention, just… being present. And strangely, it comforted her.
That night, when Maddie asked her how her study session went, Eliana hesitated. "William was there," she said softly.
Maddie raised her eyebrows, pretending to be surprised. "Really? And?"
Eliana shrugged. "He's… nice."
Maddie gave her a knowing smile. "See? That's what I meant. Stephen is exciting, but William is the kind of man you can build with. Sometimes, Ellie, the safe choice is the best choice."
Eliana lay awake staring at the ceiling.