The days that followed were marked by stolen glances. Not between Adrian and me, but between Adrian and Maya.
At first, I thought I imagined it. A flicker of his eyes across the classroom. Strike one!
A brush of his hand when Maya passed him in the hallway. Strike two!
A smile too quick, too sharp, gone before I could name it. Strike three!
But Maya… Maya was no longer subtle.
Her laughter at his jokes lingered too long, like honey dripping slow and sticky. Her gaze followed him like a tether she couldn't cut.
When I spoke of Adrian, she grew quiet, her words sharp at the edges, though she tried to soften them with smiles.
"Tricky smiles always have the best attraction".
I told myself it was envy.
That Maya wanted what I had, his attention, his charm, his devotion. And maybe that was true.
I should have blame myself for spilling the "T" of our love affairs to her.
But sometimes, in the way Adrian's eyes darkened when she entered the room.
I wondered if envy wasn't the only thing binding them. Something else must be attached.
"Whatever that's hidden in the dark, must be brought to light one day".
All my life, I've always believed in this theory.
One evening, after a long day of classes, Adrian texted me:
"Going home early... Exhausted...See you tomorrow".
I believed him. Why wouldn't I?
Only to notice Maya never came home that night too.
It all happened in the quiet shadows of the old library. Our campus's secret haven where lovers went when they couldn't bear the world's eyes on them.
One of my favorite love spot with Adrian.
Maya had gone there first, needing silence, needing escape. But Adrian found her. He always found what he wanted.
You've been avoiding me, he said. Stepping into the soft glow of the desk lamps.
Maya froze, heart racing. No, I haven't.
Yes I think you have, Adrian insisted.
Voice low, dangerous, pulling her closer with just his presence.
You can't even look at me when Elena's around.
You scared of her claws?
Her throat tightened. Who is not scared of Elena's claws?
Maybe, because I shouldn't be looking at you at first.
And yet she did. She always did because she's starting to growing crazy dirty feelings around him and can't wait to dine.
Their silence cracked under the weight of unspoken desire. His hand clinged on her body caressing. She didn't pull away.
Her body started responding like never before.
Maya!… He whispered like a confession. Like he always do.
"You got me so hot whenever I look at you, even though I'm with Elena, I still find my gaze towards you. Maybe you're the right one for me and I wanted to kiss you so bad".
And then immediately his lips were on hers.
It wasn't like the kisses he gave Elena in the courtyard, grand and sweet, meant for the world to admire.
This kiss was feverish, raw, a hunger that had been denied too long. A desire that has been longed ages.
Maya melted into him, fingers clutching his shirt as if she could tear him from her skin and bury him there forever.
Adrian! She gasped in-between calling his name as he intensify more strokes in different angles. But the words came out like surrender.
He pressed her against the cold shelves, the books silent witnesses to their betrayal.
His hands roamed on her body with more kisses on the right places, desperate, claiming, and Maya trembling, torn with legs shaking and screaming but too consumed to let him.
She never had this pleasure in ages. Maybe it's a fantasy well deserved.
Untill Adrian hit earthquake slowly giving breathes. They felt on each other sides.
They crossed the line that night. Not with love. Not with tenderness. But with fire, lust, and the bitter thrill of tasting what wasn't theirs to have.
And when it was over, when their breaths came ragged and their bodies stilled, silence crashed over them.
Maya turned her face away, tears stinging her eyes.
What have we done?
Adrian leaned against the shelves, chest rising and falling, guilt already poisoning the afterglow.
We can't tell Elena…. Yeah? This is between us. I suggest we keep it our secret.
Only her name was like a dagger on his tongue. But neither could he take it back.
They left the library separately, shadows of guilt clinging to their skin.
In the days that followed, they smiled in public, laughed at the right moments, played their roles perfectly.
But when Maya passed Adrian in the hallway, their eyes met, lingering, guilty and hungry. A secret burned between them, heavy and suffocating.
I watched them from across the quad, unnoticed.
Maya stood too close to him, her hand brushing his sleeve like it belonged there.
Adrian didn't hesitate to pull away.
They were talking in low voices, both serious, both avoiding each other's eyes.
Then Maya looked up. Not at Adrian, but at me.
And she smiled.
And I, blissfully unaware, remained caught between their gazes.
I felt it, though. The shift. The bitterness in Adrian's kisses, sharper now than ever.
The quiet sadness in Maya's smiles. Her sudden change in behavior. Something was wrong. I knew it.
But I couldn't yet see the knife hovering behind my back.
Should I be scared?