( He was leaning back on the wall when I came out of the library. His gaze met mine — sharp, cold, and unreadable. The same eyes that once held warmth now felt like winter storms. I had only seen him smile once, back in Greece. That time, he looked completely different — softer, calmer. Now, everything about him screamed distance.)
( His messy jet-black hair fell slightly over his forehead, giving him that careless yet perfect look. The black t-shirt hugged his lean, 5'9 feet height with muscular frame, and the silver chain around his neck glinted under the light. His jaw was sharp, his posture relaxed but confident, and his expression — emotionless, almost challenging.)
(He looked like the kind of person who never needed to say much to make others notice him. Rylan wasn't just handsome — he had that dangerous calm, the kind that made your heart skip without warning.)
"What are you doing here, Rylan?" I gripped my books tightly against my chest, trying not to lose my composure.
His eyes darkened. "Why did you come with that guy?"
"That guy?" I raised a brow. "You mean Luka? And may I know why you're asking me this?" My tone was firm, but my heart was already racing.
"Aira, I asked a question," he said, stepping closer. "Why did you come to college with him? He's not a good guy."
I instinctively took a step back, trying to create space between us. "Rylan, it's *my* life. I can go with anyone I want. And if you think he's not good—then tell me, who are you to decide that?"
His eyes turned even darker, a mix of frustration and something I couldn't name. "What do you mean by that, Aira?"
I scoffed, my grip on the books tightening as if they were the only thing holding me together. "You said at the breakfast that you weren't coming to college, so why are you here now? Because you were ashamed of me?" My voice trembled. "You think your friends would talk about me, right? You think you're too good, Rylan?"
He clenched his jaw, the muscle twitching near his cheek. "Ashamed of you?" His voice was low, controlled, but I could feel the tension hiding beneath every word. "Don't flatter yourself, Aira."
That stung. I forced a bitter laugh. "Right. I forgot—you don't feel anything, right? You never did."
He took another slow step toward me, and for a second, I forgot to breathe. "You really think that?" he asked, his tone darker now. "You think I don't feel anything when I see you with someone like him?"
I blinked, confused. "What does that even mean, Rylan?"
He ran a hand through his messy black hair, exhaling sharply, as if he hated that he'd said too much. "Forget it," he muttered, turning his back to me.
Something inside me twisted. "That's what you're good at, right? Forgetting."
He stopped in his tracks but didn't look back. "Maybe," he said quietly. "But the problem is… I never really could."
( My breath caught, but before I could say anything, he was already walking away, hands shoved deep into his pockets, leaving me standing there in the soft wind that suddenly felt too heavy.)
My gaze stayed fixed on his back until he disappeared down the corridor.
(The composure I had been holding onto slipped away the next second as my tears finally began to fall. I didn't even try to stop them. Each drop burned my skin, and for the first time, I realized how much his words had hurt.)
I didn't know why it hurt so badly. Was it because of what he said—or because he said it like he didn't care?
( I kept walking, not knowing where my feet were taking me, my head lowered, my grip on the books so tight my knuckles turned white. But no matter how hard I tried to breathe, the tears wouldn't stop.)
And then I bumped into someone.
"Aira."
[ That voice—soft, familiar, and full of concern—made my heart twist. Luka.]
I kept my face down; I didn't want him to see me like this.
"Aira, what happened?" he asked, his voice gentle but worried. "Why are you trembling? Look at me."
"I—Luka… please. Leave me. I just… want to go." My voice broke between words.
He sighed. "No, not until you tell me what's wrong. Look at me, Aira. Please."
( I shook my head, refusing to lift my gaze. But Luka never gave up easily. He stepped closer, his fingers brushing against my chin as he gently tilted my face up.)
( I must have looked pathetic—eyes red, tears still fresh. But the moment his gaze met mine, his expression softened, the playfulness gone, replaced by something darker and protective.)
"Aira," he said in a low voice, "who said something to you? Tell me, and I'll make them pay."
"N-no one," I stammered, shaking my head. "Nothing happened, seriously."
( He sighed again, but this time, his thumb brushed against my cheek, wiping away the tears that refused to stop. That single soft touch undid me completely.)
( The emotions I'd been holding back burst out like a dam breaking. My body trembled, and I started crying again—louder, heavier, raw.)
( Without saying anything, Luka wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. I didn't know why he did it… but at that moment, that warmth, that care—it was everything I needed.)
(Luka dropped me home. He didn't ask anything, though I knew he had a thousand questions running through his mind. He just said a simple "goodbye" and "take care," and somehow… that was enough.)
( I didn't want to talk to anyone. My mood was completely ruined. What I thought would be a refreshing, happy day had turned into something heavy and dull.)
( I went straight to my room, closed the door, dropped my bag to the side, and flopped onto the bed. My mind went blank. My eyes felt dry, though I had cried so much earlier. I just stared out the window, unmoving—like a statue.)
I skipped dinner, telling Mom that I was okay, just not in the mood to eat. Then I shut myself in again.
(For the next two days, i don't go anywhere. I started having breakfast, lunch, and dinner inside my room. I barely stepped out.)
(Mom came by a few times, asking softly if I was okay. I smiled faintly each time and said yes. She didn't force me to talk, and that was the best thing about her—she understood silence. She would just nod, smile back, and quietly check on me from time to time.)
[ Now, it's Saturday afternoon. I'm lying on my bed again, staring at the ceiling when I hear a knock at the door.]
Thinking it's Mom, I say softly, "Come in."
But to my surprise, it isn't her.
(It's my friends—standing there, looking at me with concern written all over their faces.)
[I sat up on the bed as Ava rushed over and hugged me tightly.]
Her voice was filled with concern. "Are you okay, Aira? You weren't coming to college, so we thought we'd come check on you."
I hugged her back softly. "Yeah, I'm okay, Ava. Just... something going on in my mind."
Mila and Rhea joined in, wrapping their arms around me too.
Mila said, "Then at least drop us a message next time! We were so worried. Don't you consider us your friends anymore?"
I pulled back slightly, managing a faint smile. "Of course, I do. You're all my friends. I just wasn't in the right headspace to talk, that's all."
Rhea spoke gently, her shy voice warm. "Aira, you know... when we share what's bothering us, it feels lighter. You can tell us anything."
I simply nodded. I didn't have the heart to tell them everything — not right now.
Mila, sensing the silence, quickly changed the topic with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "By the way, Aira... we brought another guest along. Guess who?"
I frowned. "Who's that guest, Mila?"
Ava smirked. "The one and only—Luka."
"What?" I gasped. "Why is he here?"
[ Before I could say anything else, Luka strolled in through the door, that infuriating smirk plastered on his face.]
"So, little liar," he drawled, "did you miss me?"
"Ugh, that guy," I muttered. "No, I did not miss you!"
Luka chuckled and placed his hand dramatically over his chest. "Ah, that hurts! And here I was, thinking you were missing my face... or maybe something else?"
"Ugh, shut up, Luka!" I groaned. "Why did you guys bring him here?"
Ava grinned. "Long, long story, darling."
"Yeah, right—too long," Mila added, glancing around the room. Then her gaze stopped at my window. "Wait—you have a swimming pool in your house?"
I sighed. "Yeah, of course I do."
Ava's smirk widened. "Perfect. Let's have a party."
My eyes widened. "What do you mean—party?"
Mila laughed. "Exactly what we said—a pool party! We're already here, so why not make memories?"
Luka crossed his arms with a grin. "Nice idea, girls."
"No," I said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere."
Luka tilted his head. "Are you sure?"
I let out a sigh. "One hundred percent."
He took a step closer, that teasing glint in his eyes. "You sure, sweetheart?"
"W-Why are you coming closer? I said I'm sure!"
Before I could react, he scooped me up effortlessly into his arms. "Hey, Luka! Put me down!" I yelled, struggling against his grip.
He only tightened his hold. "Nope. Let's go, girls—pool party time!"
( The maids froze mid-step, staring at us like they'd seen a ghost — and honestly, I couldn't blame them. There I was, in a guy's arms, and my friends following behind us laughing. Luka carried me straight to the pool and without hesitation—threw me in.)
( The splash echoed across the backyard, water rushing around me. For a moment, I wanted to scream.)
But somewhere deep inside...
I felt alive again.
(The splash echoed through the air as I fell straight into the pool, water rising high enough to hit Luka and the girls.)
"LUUKAA!" I yelled, half angry, half trying not to laugh as water dripped from my hair.
He leaned against the poolside, smirking like the devil himself. "What? You said no, so I took that as a maybe."
"You—ugh—you're impossible!" I said, splashing water right at him. But of course, he dodged it easily.
"Nice try, sweetheart," he said with that teasing grin that made me want to throw the entire pool at him.
( Ava, Mila, and Rhea were laughing like crazy, already pulling off their jackets and jumping into the pool one by one. Within seconds, the calm water turned into chaos—splashing, laughing, screaming chaos.)
I tried to swim to the edge, but Luka grabbed my wrist under the water and pulled me back in. "Not so fast. Didn't you promise to have fun?"
"I didn't!" I snapped, but a laugh slipped from my lips as he playfully splashed me again.
"Oh? Then why are you smiling?" he teased, his dark eyes glinting with mischief.
"Because I'm imagining drowning you," I said, pushing his shoulder lightly, and he burst into laughter.
Mila shouted, "Aira, you should thank him! If not for Luka, you'd still be locking yourself in that gloomy room!"
"Yeah," Ava added, "and now you're glowing again!"
(Their words hit me softly. I didn't want to admit it, but they were right. Somewhere between Luka's teasing, the laughter, and the splashes, something heavy inside me felt lighter.)
Luka flicked water at my face again, and I gasped, "Stop it!"
"Make me," he said with that same grin.
[ So I did. I splashed him back, full force. The girls joined in, turning it into an all-out water fight.]
By the time the sun began to set, we were all breathless, laughing, and drenched. Luka leaned on the edge beside me, brushing back his wet hair. "You look better when you smile," he said softly this time—no teasing in his tone.
I didn't say anything, just looked at him for a second before turning away. "You talk too much."
He chuckled. "And yet, you still listen."
( I rolled my eyes, but deep down, my heart skipped just once. Maybe because of the way he said it… or maybe because for the first time in days, I didn't feel broken.)
**[ After the Pool Party]**
The laughter slowly faded as evening painted the sky in orange and pink shades.
(We all sat by the poolside, wrapped in towels, drinking hot chocolate that Mom brought out for us. The air smelled like chlorine and comfort.)
Mila was showing Ava some random dance moves, Rhea was giggling over something Luka said, and for the first time in days… I wasn't thinking. I was just *there.*
When they all started packing up to leave, Luka looked at me one last time before walking out. "Don't hide again, okay? I'll find you anyway," he said with that same teasing tone—but this time, there was warmth in his eyes.
I didn't reply, only gave a small smile. He smiled back and followed the girls out.
(The house fell quiet after they left. Only the soft hum of crickets and the faint splash of water remained. I walked back to the poolside, dipping my toes in. The reflection of the moon shimmered across the surface.)
The water was still now, unlike my heart.
I looked up at the stars and whispered softly to myself,
"Why does it still hurt, Rylan…?"
The name slipped from my lips like a secret I didn't mean to say.
A breeze brushed past me, cool and gentle, and I closed my eyes.
(Maybe Luka and the girls pulled me out of my silence—but the ache Rylan left behind still lingered quietly, hidden beneath my smile.)
For now, I just wanted to breathe.
Tomorrow would come.
And maybe… just maybe, I'd see him again.
Author note ✨
Hey reader 💫
Thank you so much for adding my novel to your collection! It honestly made my day and gave me so much motivation to keep writing and complete this story. 💕
Now, one small request — please start commenting too!I really want to know what you think about Luka, Aira, and Rylan.
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Veronica_Moon 🌙