I threw off my blanket and jumped out of bed, a bright grin spreading across my face.
“Third year, baby,” I whispered to myself, my voice full of excitement.
I grabbed my notepad and books, tossing them into my bag without a second thought. Sliding into a peach-colored fitted top and my dark skinny jeans, I paused only to lace up my white sneakers. They were still spotless, and I wasn't about to ruin that.
I clipped on my sparkling earrings and sprayed a bit of vanilla perfume onto my neck. The mirror caught my attention. I stopped in front of it, standing tall.
My room wasn't anything fancy—just a small wooden bed, a reading table always messy with novels and half-used pens, shelves full of my favorite books, and a flower-patterned curtain swaying in the breeze.
Around the mirror's edges were sticky notes with reminders like "Ace that test!" and "Be kind to yourself."
I stared at my reflection. My curls spilled down to my waist, and my blue eyes sparkled like they had their own light. The scar just above my brow was faint, but always there.
Somehow, it never made me feel less pretty.
“One more year to go,” I whispered. “I’m going to make the most of it.”
With that, I grabbed my phone and stepped out.
Lectures passed in a blur. When it ended, I called Raven.
“Where are you at?” I asked, already heading toward our usual meeting spot under the tree.
“Still stuck in Econ,” she groaned. “Wait for me?”
“Sure.”
I wandered around campus, trying to kill time. That’s when it happened.
I took a wrong turn, ended up in the garden behind the arts faculty—students called it Devil’s Corner. I shouldn’t have gone there. The moment I turned the corner, I stopped.
There he was. Noah. Locked in a very intense kiss with some girl.
I gasped.
They pulled apart at the sound.
“Oh my God! I’m sorry!” I blurted, immediately turning around and covering my eyes. “I didn’t mean to—”
Wait.
Noah?
Noah Noah?
The same Noah I couldn’t stand?
I turned back, narrowed my eyes, and walked toward them. I dragged a plastic chair over and sat down, folding my arms like I had all the time in the world.
Noah shot daggers at me, gesturing for me to leave. I just smirked and looked away.
The girl finally stormed off, muttering something about crazy people.
Noah marched toward me, fuming.
“What is your problem, Mia?”
“You.”
“What did I do to you?”
“You exist,” I replied, shrugging. “Honestly, I don’t get why girls keep falling for you. You’re not even that cute.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Yes. You think you’re God’s gift to women. But trust me, you’re just a walking red flag dipped in good cologne.”
He said nothing. Just stared.
I continued anyway. “Sure, maybe your abs are decent—if you like guys who basically live at the gym. But that’s it. You’re not even close to the kind of man I admire. You’re not a tenth of my father.”
“Are you done?”
“Not quite,” I said, leaning forward. “I used to think maybe there was something charming about you. But after this… yuck.”
He stepped closer, his smile shifting into something mischievous.
“Anything else?”
His face was so close I could see the birthmark at the side of his neck. And his eyes—golden brown with an odd glow. There was a dimple. Of course he had a dimple. Stupid dimple.
I blinked, realizing my eyes had dropped to his lips.
“Mia…” he whispered, leaning in.
I held my breath.
Then he started laughing.
Loud, unbothered laughter.
“You’re all talk,” he said. “You call me a flirt, but look at you. I’ve heard you ranting with my sister. You talk about me nonstop. And now? You were ready.”
“I was not!” I snapped.
“Oh, please. You were waiting for the kiss.”
“Ew!”
He crossed his arms. “Let’s be honest. I could have any girl I want. The most beautiful girl in the world would beg for me.”
“Except me,” I hissed, getting to my feet.
He scoffed. “You? You’re a nerd. Not even my type.”
“You’re delusional,” I growled, grabbing his arm. “If you were the last man on earth, I’d rather die single.”
I spat—meant for the ground, but it landed too close to his shoe. Oops.
I gave him one last smirk.
“By the way, your spoiled little girlfriend Ava’s been looking all over campus for you.”
Then I turned and stormed off.
By the time I reached the parking lot, Raven was already in the car, texting furiously.
I got in and slammed the door shut.
“What happened?” she asked.
I stared out the windshield.
“Mia?”
“Nothing,” I muttered, biting my lip.
Raven drove off.
Under my breath, I whispered, “Stupid, annoying, irresistible—”
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
She glanced at me, then gasped. “Wait. Was that… about my brother?!”
I didn’t say a word.
But silence can be louder than any scream.
From that day until the end of third year, I avoided Noah like he was infected. Then came the final project.
Final-year students had to work with a junior partner—anyone from 300 level. The junior would present on their behalf. I thought I was safe.
Noah arrived late. Other juniors had been picked.
Except a few of us.
The coordinator sighed. “We’ll do a random pick.”
Names were placed in a basket. Noah stepped forward and pulled one out.
“Mia.”
I almost fainted.
Everyone turned.
Noah grinned.
I muttered, “God, why me?”
Then I stormed out.
We had six weeks to work together. Three passed. I ignored him like my life depended on it. He chased me around campus like a lost puppy.
Then he came to my apartment.
The argument was… wild.
“You’re ruining the whole project,” he yelled.
“You’re just scared because I’m smarter than you!” I fired back.
“You? Smarter? You’re just loud.”
“I’m loud? You’re the one who thinks with his abs!”
Raven came bursting out of her room.
“Will you both shut up? You sound like married clowns!”
She slammed her door.
We stood there in silence.
Noah sighed. “Let’s just finish the project.”
“Fine,” I said. “But I’m not sitting next to you.”
We worked during and after lectures. Sometimes in my apartment, sometimes his. The tension shifted.
From tension to teasing.
From teasing to awkward silences.
One night, I fell asleep on his shoulder.
Another night, he brushed my hair behind my ear.
We both panicked.
Feelings were forming.
And I hated it.
So did he.
I stepped away from the mirror and headed for the door, my hand gripping the knob like it held every choice I’d ever made. For a second, I paused, my chest rising in a slow breath. Then I gave a quiet nod—almost like I was telling the door this was the very last time. The final lap. The closing chapter.I opened it and stepped out.There she was.Raven stood across the hallway, just outside her door, as if she’d been waiting for me. She wasn’t crying anymore. Her posture was stronger, straighter. Her eyes, still red, held no weakness now. Only resolve.She wore a black windbreaker jacket zipped halfway up over a fitted grey tank top. Her jeans were dark, cuffed at the ankles, and she’d laced her boots tight—like someone preparing for a long, uncertain walk. A slim black backpack hugged her shoulders—small enough not to get in the way, big enough to carry whatever hope looked like.She was staring into the hallway, almost as if she could see something I couldn’t. But the moment my door
Raven had known all this?And she never said a word?My eyes locked on her, but I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know how.Abortion?Was that what she meant? That he forced them to…?End pregnancies?Multiple?I pressed my hand to my mouth, bile rising to the surface. My vision blurred. My stomach twisted.And Raven… had just been walking around with that kind of horror inside her?How many had there been? How many girls? How many dreams torn apart, how many bodies trembling in silence? How many sat alone, bleeding and terrified, while Noah walked free like nothing ever happened?I thought I knew the worst of him.I didn’t.This—this was something darker.Something rotten at the core. This wasn’t just reckless. It was vile. Cruel. Unforgivable.I turned to Noah, my throat dry, my voice hoarse. But the words came, loaded with fury.“You’re a demon.”His head lifted slightly. Just a twitch.That was all I got.No remorse. No shock. No denial.Just silence.I stepped forward, heat rushing up m
“No, it’s not!” I spun toward her. “I know he’s your brother, Raven. Your blood. Your family. You’re used to fixing his messes. But I’m not. I have a sibling too. Bella and I—we protect each other. We’ve never been burdens to one another. So why am I stuck being one for a complete stranger?”Raven’s voice cracked. “Enough, Mia. This isn’t helping anyone. And for the record—Noah isn’t a stranger. You know him.”I laughed. But there was no humor in it.I turned to Noah, fire dancing in my chest.“No, I don’t,” I whispered. “Not really. Not where it counts.”I stepped forward until we were almost face to face.“He’s a stranger to me. And he always will be.”The silence that followed wasn’t peaceful.It was loaded.Heavy with things unsaid.And a storm that hadn’t even begun yet...Began.The silence between us cracked—split wide open by Raven’s voice. It wasn’t loud, but every word struck like a slap.“Maybe you’re right, Mia.”I blinked. My anger had been volcanic, but her tone? It was
Noah looked up sharply. “Raven, wait—”“There’s no point hiding,” she cut in. “If we’re innocent, then let them see it.”Her voice cracked on the last word.She moved toward the door, each step slow, like she was walking through mud. The closer she got, the heavier the room felt.The knock didn’t come again.Whoever it was… they were waiting.She reached for the knob.My breath caught.Her hand hovered over it for a heartbeat. Then another.And then—she turned it.The door opened with a groan.And all I could think was—Please. Let it not be the end of everything.My breath hitched as the door creaked open.A faint scent of cigarette smoke drifted in—brief, sharp—before the figure stepped into view.We both leaned forward—Noah and I—our bodies instinctively drawn toward whatever was about to shatter our fragile calm, hearts thrumming like war drums.It wasn’t a uniformed officer or some grim-faced investigator.It was a young man.About twenty-eight. Dark skin with warm undertones. Ne
"What do you think people will say happened?”That was the last thing Noah said.And we were still trying. Still piecing together what he already seemed to know. The silence between us wasn’t just silence anymore—it was weight. A pressure. Like sitting underwater and realizing you’re running out of breath.Raven, Noah, and I sat frozen in the living room. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Our thoughts spiraled in all directions, tangling up in anxiety, fear, and every ugly emotion that refused to be named.It was about 2:45 p.m.The sky outside was overcast, but it wasn’t raining. The kind of weather that matched the stillness of death—clouds pressed down like a blanket of cement, and even the birds seemed to have lost their voices. Inside, the air was stale. Thick with silence. It felt like the entire house was holding its breath, waiting for something to snap.This was not how I envisioned my Saturday.I had plans. Normal ones. Grocery runs. Maybe laundry. Some reading. A moment to breath
I turned fully to him, pulse thudding in my neck, words scrambling to come out with meaning.“Have you even checked properly? Like—really checked? Gone back to her apartment again? What if she just… needed space? Maybe visited someone—family, a friend, anywhere outside town?” My voice cracked. “She’s probably around somewhere. Just... lying low.”But Noah just stared.Stared like he was watching someone try to hold water in their bare hands.“I wish that was the case,” he said, quieter now. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes your bones ache.Then his tone shifted. Heavy. Flat. Like something dragging through gravel.“After I saw the video, I went back to her apartment to check. Thought maybe she’d returned or… I don’t know… left a clue behind. I waited outside. Just waited.”His voice dropped a little more.“I stayed outside her door. All night. Till 4 a.m.”The silence that followed was suffocating.Not a single sound dared to interrupt it.“No sign of her,” he added, voice roug