The classroom was louder than usual.
Not because anything special was happening—
But because everyone was waiting for something.
Tessa sat in her seat, her pen resting between her fingers as she stared at the board without really seeing it.
She already knew what was coming.
Group work.
It always happened around this time.
She just hadn't expected to feel… this aware.
Of everything.
Of who was in the room.
Of him.
At the front, the teacher clapped once.
"Alright, settle down."
The noise died down gradually.
"You'll be working in pairs for your next assignment."
Groans.
Murmurs.
A few laughs.
Tessa exhaled slowly, her grip tightening slightly on her pen.
"Each pair will present on a historical topic," the teacher continued.
"Specifically—famous betrayals in history."
A few people reacted to that.
"Interesting," someone muttered.
Tessa didn't react.
But something about the word betrayal sat heavier than it should have.
"Now, I've already assigned the pairs."
That got everyone's attention.
Lily leaned closer.
"If I get someone useless, I'm dropping out," she whispered.
Tessa almost smiled.
Almost.
The teacher started reading names.
One by one.
Tessa didn't really listen.
Not until
"Adrian Knight… Teresa Vale."
Silence.
Not complete.
But enough.
Lily froze.
"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered.
Tessa didn't move.
Didn't react.
Not outwardly.
But something inside her stilled.
Across the room
Adrian looked up.
Straight at her.
And this time
Neither of them looked away immediately.
Then
Tessa broke eye contact first.
Of course she did.
"Projects are due next week," the teacher continued like nothing had happened.
"You'll need to meet outside class if necessary."
Necessary.
Tessa almost let out a quiet breath at that.
Because it definitely was.
—
After class
The room emptied quickly.
Lily didn't move.
"You are not going alone," she said immediately.
Tessa slipped her books into her bag.
"It's a project."
"I don't trust him."
Tessa paused.
Neither did she.
But she wasn't going to say that out loud.
"I'll be fine," she said quietly.
Lily studied her for a moment.
Then sighed.
"…Text me when you're done."
Tessa nodded.
"I will."
—
The library was quieter than usual.
Late afternoon light filtered through the windows, casting soft shadows across the rows of shelves.
Tessa stepped inside, her grip tightening slightly on her bag strap.
She hated that she was early.
Hated that it felt like waiting.
Still
She walked in.
Chose a table near the back.
Far enough to be alone.
Safe.
She sat down, pulling out her notebook and a few textbooks.
Opened them.
Looked at the page.
Didn't read.
Her mind wasn't there.
It kept drifting.
Back to the party.
To the way everything had felt
Too loud.
Too sharp.
Too exposed.
She pushed the thought away.
Focused on the page.
Forced herself to read a line.
Then another.
The chair across from her moved.
Tessa didn't look up immediately.
But she knew.
"You came."
His voice was quieter than usual.
Not teasing.
Not careless.
Just… there.
She lifted her gaze.
Adrian stood across from her, one hand resting lightly on the back of the chair.
For a second
Neither of them spoke.
Then she looked back down at her notebook.
"We have a project."
Simple.
Flat.
It wasn't an invitation.
It was a boundary.
Adrian noticed.
Of course he did.
Still
He sat down.
Not too close.
But not far either.
The kind of distance that made everything feel more intentional.
A silence settled between them.
Not empty.
Heavy.
Tessa flipped a page.
"Famous betrayals," she said, keeping her voice steady.
"That's the topic."
"Yeah," Adrian replied.
Another pause.
Then
"About before..."
"We're not talking about that."
She didn't look up.
Didn't hesitate.
Just cut it off.
Clean.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
Studying her.
There was no anger in her voice.
No emotion at all.
And somehow
That made it worse.
"Alright," he said after a moment.
He didn't push.
Didn't argue.
And that
That caught her off guard.
She glanced up briefly.
Then back down.
"Pick a case," she said.
"Julius Caesar?" he suggested.
Tessa paused.
Then nodded slightly.
"That works."
They started working.
At first
It felt stiff.
Like two people trying not to touch something fragile.
But slowly
It shifted.
"Caesar trusted Brutus," Adrian said, scanning the page.
"That's what made it a betrayal," Tessa replied.
A pause.
Then
"Sometimes people don't realize what they're doing until after."
Tessa's pen stopped moving.
Just for a second.
Then
"Or they do," she said quietly.
"They just don't care."
Silence.
That one sat between them.
Adrian didn't respond immediately.
Because there wasn't an easy answer to that.
They kept working.
Pages turning.
Pens moving.
At some point
Their hands brushed.
Light.
Accidental.
Tessa pulled hers back immediately.
Adrian didn't move right away.
Then slowly
He did.
"Here," he said, pointing at her notes.
"You skipped a step."
His voice was softer now.
Not correcting.
Not mocking.
Just… helping.
Tessa frowned slightly, looking at the page.
"…Oh."
He reached over, writing something down.
Explaining it.
Calm.
Patient.
And that
That was new.
Tessa glanced at him.
Really looked this time.
He wasn't smirking.
Wasn't playing anything.
He was just… there.
Focused.
She looked away quickly.
Something about that made her chest feel tight.
And she didn't like it.
—
A few rows away
Vanessa watched.
Hidden just enough behind a shelf.
Her arms crossed lightly as her gaze stayed fixed on them.
She noticed everything.
The way they leaned slightly toward each other.
The way Adrian actually listened.
The way Tessa didn't chase.
Vanessa's expression didn't change much.
But her eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
—
Back at the table
They finished more than expected.
More than necessary.
But neither of them pointed that out.
Because stopping meant
Talking again.
And neither of them seemed ready for that.
Finally
Tessa closed her notebook.
"That's enough for today."
Adrian nodded.
"Yeah."
They packed up in silence.
The tension still there.
Still unresolved.
As Tessa stood
"Teresa..."
She paused.
Didn't turn.
Didn't move.
Silence stretched.
Then
"See you tomorrow."
And she walked away.
Just like before.
Leaving him there.
Again.
Adrian didn't follow.
Didn't call her back.
But this time—
He watched her go.
And he didn't look away.