The entire day had stayed clear, the sun warm enough to dry every trace of moisture from the grass. By nightfall, the field lay under a sky crowded with stars, the moon bright and round overhead, casting silver light across the track.
The four guys from Room 324 had moved their things onto the field early. Candles, flowers, a portable speaker, everything set up well in advance. While they waited, their attention drifted back, inevitably, to Miles and the suit he'd gone out of his way to rent.
"You really needed a suit?" Caleb scoffed. "You're not proposing."
"Maybe that's the point," someone else said. "If he looks serious enough, it might work."
"If it was going to work, it would've by now," another voice cut in. "At this rate, he should stick a flower in his pocket and call it a day."
"That's a little much, don't you think?"
Their teasing had become routine over the past year. None of them actually supported Miles throwing himself into something that had gone nowhere for so long. At this point, it was less encouragement and more spectatorship. Still, when it came time to help, they always did. Miles had a habit of showing up for people, and nobody forgot that.
The four of them got along easily. Noah, Caleb, Miles, and Ryan all had decent tempers, took jokes well, and had settled into a comfortable rhythm over the past year. Miles, especially, was the type who bought food for everyone, lent money without keeping track, and never complained. Somehow, all that steadiness disappeared when it came to love.
"You've been quiet," Caleb said, glancing at Noah. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
"I'm trying to figure out how to talk to Lila," Noah said. "Calling her out here feels like walking straight into trouble."
"It's just a breakup," Caleb shrugged. "You grew up together. It's not like you're strangers now. Talking isn't illegal."
"Hey," Ryan hissed, peering toward the entrance. "They're coming."
The guys melted back into the shadows. The field was nearly empty, the bleachers swallowed by darkness. The track and the main entrance were barely lit, but two figures were approaching.
Lila was beautiful in a way that had become common knowledge on campus. Too striking, almost, which meant most people overlooked the girl walking beside her. Maya wasn't as eye-catching, but she was still clearly attractive. Noah had spoken to her before, mostly because of Lila, though they'd never been close.
Crickets chirred softly in the warm night air. As the girls stepped onto the field, Caleb nudged Noah, signaling that it was time.
Noah walked down from the bleachers, slower than he meant to, turning over possible openings in his head. Before he realized it, he was standing in front of Lila.
She stopped short, frowning at him like he'd personally offended her by existing. "What do you want?"
"Can we talk? Just for a minute," Noah said, scratching the back of his neck.
Lila exchanged a look with Maya, then followed Noah a short distance away, leaving Maya pacing alone near the track.
Lila's heart was beating faster than she wanted to admit. This was how it was supposed to go. Noah wouldn't really break up with her. That had always been her assumption. Who else would he be with, if not her? He'd always taken care of her. That was his role.
He'd said he was tired, as if being a good boyfriend was something exhausting. As if she hadn't been good to him. Plenty of guys wanted her and never even got a chance. Noah had grown up beside her and still didn't seem to understand how lucky he was.
Especially after she'd given him chances. Twice. This time, she wasn't planning to forgive him easily.
"Say what you want to say," she snapped. "I gave you opportunities. You're the one who didn't know when to stop."
"Did you get back to your dorm okay last night?" Noah asked. "You were safe, right?"
"I got back just fine," she shot back. "Satisfied? You didn't come, and I didn't need you."
"That's good," Noah said, glancing past her.
In the distance, the other three had started the setup. They were too far away to hear anything, but Noah could see movement.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Lila demanded.
"Just… you being okay is enough. That's all."
Her stare sharpened, anger flaring hot and immediate. Every word felt like mockery. How could she be okay? No one bringing her breakfast anymore. No late-night drinks. No one to unload her moods onto. Losing him felt like having something carved out of her life and leaving the rest unbalanced.
He cared enough to ask, didn't he? How could he not know how she was doing? Last night, the rain had soaked her through. The wind had blown her umbrella away twice.
Her hands curled into fists. Noah stood there, calm, unreadable, without a hint of apology.
"You called me out here just to say this?"
"…Yeah. I guess."
His attention drifted again, eyes fixed on the far end of the field.
Miles had dropped to one knee, holding a massive bouquet, candles arranged in a heart around him. Maya hadn't taken the flowers yet, but she hadn't walked away either.
To students who hadn't yet left the safety of campus life, love still looked simple. Persistence felt noble. Devotion seemed like it should be rewarded.
Noah had never really believed in it. Lila, to him, had always felt more like someone he needed to look after.
And Evelyn… the thought surfaced without warning. That warmth, that care, something about it felt closer to a parent's presence than anything romantic. She was his sister. That was all he'd ever let himself think.
If… the idea startled him. If everything Evelyn had given him all these years had been something else entirely—
"Evelyn," he murmured under his breath.
"What?" Lila snapped.
"Huh?" Noah flinched, shaking his head. "Nothing. Sorry."
Then he saw it. Maya took the flowers from Miles' hands—and dropped them to the ground. The rejection was immediate, final.
Lila turned as well. One look, and everything clicked.
"So that's it," she said. "You dragged me here just to give him a chance to confess?"
The realization hit hard, her disappointment tipping straight into rage. "You used me."
"No, it's not like that," Noah started, then stopped. The moment was gone. "I'm sorry, Lila."
"Don't say my name like that," she snapped. "You're really something, Noah. Such a great roommate."
"It was just a bit of time," he said weakly. "You didn't really lose anything."
"You wanted to watch me make a fool of myself?" she yelled. "I never knew you were this awful."
The sound cracked through the night.
Noah froze, the sting blooming across his cheek as Lila turned and stormed off, grabbing Maya's arm and dragging her away from the field. Candles lay toppled. Flowers scattered across the grass.
He stood there, stunned, his face burning.
He should've never agreed to this.
It hurt. God, it hurt.
—
"Does it still hurt, Nate?"
"It hurts. Like hell. My sister and my mom have never hit me like that."
Caleb leaned back in his chair, clearly amused. "No way. You're still feeling it from last night? What was that, the Buddha Palm or something?"
"I'm serious." Noah shot him a resentful look, one hand pressed dramatically to his cheek. "That slap was vicious. Do you have any idea how much psychological damage that does to a two-hundred-month-old child?"
Caleb laughed under his breath, then tilted his chin slightly. "She's looking at you."
"What?"
Noah snapped his head up. The exaggerated, pitiful expression vanished instantly, replaced by something much more careful.
At the front of the lecture hall, Evelyn stood beside the whiteboard, one hand holding the marker, the other resting lightly on the desk. Her gaze was sharp, cold, and unmistakably fixed on him. It wasn't hard to tell who she was looking at.
Advanced calculus was already a course most people treated like a battlefield. Half the class showed up early, the other half showed up terrified. Some paid extra attention because the professor was beautiful and easy on the eyes, but most of them were there because the subject was brutal, the exams unforgiving, and failure came easily.
And Evelyn Miller was not a lenient instructor.
Everyone in the room knew Noah was her younger brother. That fact had spread through the department long ago. It also meant that he received a special kind of attention. More questions. More cold calls. Extra after-class explanations. Private reminders. Private corrections.
He was, without question, the most diligent student in the room. Not because he wanted to be, but because he had to be.
He offered Evelyn an awkward smile.
She didn't return it.
Her eyes lingered for a second longer, then she turned back to the board and finished the problem with the same crisp, unforgiving tone she used with everyone else. The moment she capped the marker, the clock hit the hour.
Class dismissed.
Noah packed his things quickly, blending into the crowd as students flooded the aisle. He kept his head down, shifting with the movement, aiming for the back door. If he moved fast enough, maybe—
She didn't call his name.
Relief washed over him as he stepped into the hallway. He'd almost made it.
Then his phone vibrated.
Noah sighed.
"You guys go on ahead," he muttered to his roommates, shoving his textbook into Caleb's arms. "Can you take this back for me?"
Caleb grinned like he already knew what was coming. "Most people would kill for private attention from Professor Miller. You look like you're walking to your execution."
"You don't get it," Noah muttered. "If it wasn't about studying, sure. That'd be great."
He turned around.
Evelyn stepped out of the classroom just as he approached. They nearly collided.
"Hey," he said quickly, already on the defensive. "I was just talking with them for a second. You're not going to… punish me for that, right?"
She smiled, soft and composed, the kind of smile that always made other people relax.
"When have I ever hit you?" she said gently. "That was just loving discipline."
That somehow made it worse.
"Come with me," she continued. "I want to talk."
Noah didn't argue. He fell into step behind her, half a pace back without even realizing it.
Her back was straight, her posture calm and confident. Long dark hair spilled down her back, smooth and neat. She was wearing one of her white dresses again, the kind she favored when she wanted to look clean and unapproachable. It brushed her calves lightly as she walked.
She was beautiful in a way that felt deliberate.
Nothing like Lila.
The walk to her apartment building was short. Too short. Noah had been there almost every day lately, slipping into a routine he hadn't consciously chosen. Studying. Eating. Sitting quietly while she worked.
He hadn't noticed when it started feeling normal.
Inside, she set her bag down and turned to him.
"I want you to quit your cafeteria job."
"What?" He blinked. "Why? They're good to me. The manager's really nice."
"Because I want you to live like other college students," she said evenly.
He hesitated.
She continued, her tone calm but firm. "You've been working since you were a kid. Skipping things. Counting every dollar. You don't have to do that anymore."
"My income is more than enough," she said softly. "Nate… can you listen to me?"
There was no smile now. No teasing.
He thought back to middle school. To high school. To packed lunches, cheap meals, and pretending not to care when friends bought snacks he never did. After his father died, money had always been tight. He'd learned early how not to ask for things.
"I'm fine," he said finally. "It's just part-time. I'm not tired."
Evelyn's expression cooled.
She pulled a chair back and sat down, then patted her thigh once.
"Come here."
"…What?"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
His stomach tightened. He stared at her, searching for any hint of a joke.
There was none.
Slowly, stiffly, he walked over and leaned across her lap, his face burning. He felt ridiculous. Exposed.
"Evelyn," he started, uncertain. "You're really—"
Smack.
It wasn't hard. Not painful.
But it was humiliating in a way he couldn't explain.
"Last time," she said quietly. "Are you going to listen?"
"Yes," he blurted out. "Yes, okay. I will. I'll call right now."
"Call first."
He stayed where he was, fumbling for his phone and dialing the number he knew by heart. The manager answered. He explained. Apologized. Thanked her for everything.
When the call ended, he exhaled and looked up at Evelyn.
"All done."
She smiled again, gentle and satisfied.
"If you'd listened earlier," she said lightly, "you wouldn't have had to go through that."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't realize you were this serious."
She tilted her head. "Do you have time this afternoon?"
"…Yeah."
"Then stay. Have lunch with me. Take a nap."
Her eyes softened, her voice dropping just a little. "Your sister is trying to court you, after all. Won't you give me a chance?"
His ears burned.
"Don't say it like that," he muttered. "It sounds weird."
She laughed softly.
"…Fine," he said after a moment. "I'll stay."