Chapter Ten – When the Heart Wanders
The red ink on her graded paper might as well have been blood. C. The letter glared at Eliana from the top corner like a wound she couldn't hide. Her scholarship depended on excellence—on being flawless. One slip was dangerous. Two was deadly. And this was her second in as many weeks.
She shoved the paper into her bag before Maddie could see, but William, sitting two rows behind, had already noticed. He'd seen her shoulders stiffen, the way her hand trembled.
After class, she tried to bolt, but his voice stopped her. "Eliana."
She froze. When she turned, he was standing there with that steady, unreadable gaze of his. For a moment, she wanted to crumble into him, let his steadiness be her shield. But guilt kept her rooted.
"You're not okay," William said softly. Not a question. A statement.
"I'm fine," she lied.
"You're not." He stepped closer, lowering his voice so no one else could hear. "I don't know what's going on, but I know you. You don't fall apart like this unless something's tearing you apart inside."
His words pierced her, because they were true. Her throat tightened. She wanted to confess everything—that she was distracted, that she was caught between him and Stephen, that she was drowning. But how could she?
Instead, she whispered, "I just… I'll handle it."
He studied her for a long moment, then leaned closer, his breath brushing her ear. "If the weight gets too heavy, don't carry it alone. You can lean on me."
Her heart stuttered. She turned away before he could see the tears threatening her eyes.
---
That night, her phone buzzed.
Stephen: Meet me outside. Don't say no.
She hesitated, staring at the glowing screen. She knew she should say no, that she should stay in and catch up on the essay due tomorrow. But her fingers betrayed her.
Minutes later, she was in his car again, the leather seats cool against her legs. Stephen grinned at her like she was the only girl in the world.
"You've been avoiding me," he said, pulling out of the campus lot.
"I've been busy," she muttered.
"Busy?" He laughed, shaking his head. "You're always busy, Ellie. That's the problem. You're too damn serious."
His hand found hers, strong and sure, resting it against his thigh. "Relax. With me, you don't have to think. Just feel."
Her chest tightened. And when he parked overlooking the city lights, when he tilted her chin up and kissed her, her heart betrayed her again. She melted into him, the fire of his touch burning away every thought of grades and deadlines.
For a while, she let herself drown in it.
---
But when she returned to her dorm at 3 a.m., guilt crushed her. Her essay remained unwritten. Her alarm rang three hours later, dragging her into a fog of exhaustion.
By the end of the week, her professor called her aside. "Miss Martinez, your work is slipping. This isn't like you. If this continues, we'll have to reconsider your scholarship."
Her blood ran cold.
That evening, she sat alone in the library, staring at her blank page. But Stephen's texts kept lighting up her phone:
"Miss me already?"
"Come outside."
"Don't keep me waiting."
She silenced her phone, but the ache remained. And then—another vibration. This time, it wasn't Stephen.
William: I noticed you weren't in class today. Do you need help catching up?
She closed her eyes. One message felt like temptation. The other felt like salvation.
Her heart was at war with itself.
---
An hour later, William appeared at the library table, setting down a cup of tea beside her.
"You didn't answer my text," he said gently.
She stared at the steam rising from the cup. "Why do you always—why do you keep doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Showing up." Her voice cracked. "Even when I don't deserve it."
His gaze softened. He leaned closer, his voice low and sure. "Because I don't need you to be perfect, Eliana. I just need you to let me care."
Her chest squeezed painfully, caught between fire and warmth, rebellion and safety.
And as much as she wanted to deny it, she knew: one way or another, this couldn't last.