Brooklyn walked across campus the next morning with her headphones in, trying to drown out the buzz of voices around her. But she couldn't drown out the memory of last night—the candlelight, Mani's intensity, his sharp words about Bryant.
She hadn't replied to his late-night text: "I hope tonight made you see how much I care. Sweet dreams, Brooklyn."
Her stomach knotted just thinking about it.
She rounded the corner toward her lecture hall, only to freeze. Mani was leaning against the wall near the entrance, hands in his pockets, looking like he had been waiting.
"Morning," he greeted with a bright smile.
Brooklyn tugged out an earbud. "Mani. What are you doing here?"
"Walking you to class," he said simply. "After last night, I thought… why not start today together too?"
Her pulse quickened. She forced a smile. "You didn't have to."
"I wanted to," he replied smoothly, falling into step beside her. "So? Did you think about what I said?"
Brooklyn tightened her grip on her books. "Mani, last night was… thoughtful. But I'm not ready for this. For… us."
His smile wavered, just for a second, before he masked it. "You're still thinking about Bryant, aren't you?"
She stopped walking, facing him directly. "This isn't about Bryant. This is about me. And right now, I need space."
For the first time, Mani's expression faltered. His eyes hardened, though his lips curved into a smile that didn't reach them. "Space? After everything I've shown you? Brooklyn, I'm not your enemy. I'm the one who's here, proving myself, while he just—"
"Stop," she interrupted, sharper than she intended. "I'm not comparing you two. I'm asking you to respect my boundaries."
The silence between them stretched. Mani's jaw tightened, then relaxed as he forced a laugh. "Boundaries. Got it. But Brooklyn… don't push away someone who actually cares. Not when others will only hurt you."
Her chest tightened at the warning tone hidden beneath his words. Before she could respond, the lecture hall door opened and students began filing in. She seized the distraction and slipped inside, leaving Mani standing outside, watching her with unreadable eyes.
All through the lecture, Brooklyn couldn't focus. Mani's persistence pressed against her mind, heavy and suffocating. She tapped her pen against her notebook, her thoughts spiraling.
At the end of class, Amanda intercepted her in the hallway. One look at Brooklyn's face and Amanda scowled. "He cornered you again, didn't he?"
Brooklyn sighed. "He was waiting outside my class."
Amanda threw up her hands. "Brooklyn, this isn't romantic anymore. It's obsessive. You need to shut this down before he convinces himself you're just playing hard to get."
Brooklyn rubbed her forehead, exhaustion seeping into her bones. "I know. I tried. But he doesn't listen."
Amanda lowered her voice. "Then maybe it's time you let someone else step in."
Brooklyn froze. "You mean Bryant?"
Amanda gave her a pointed look. "He's already fighting for you whether you admit it or not. And Mani's not going to back off until he realizes you've made your choice."
Brooklyn's stomach twisted. She didn't want a war. But maybe Amanda was right—maybe silence wasn't protection anymore.
And for the first time, Brooklyn wondered if choosing Bryant out loud was the only way to finally stop Mani.