CHAPTER 10: Where Were You?

Alicia’s eyes scanned Kevin’s room. It was smaller than the one she shared with Raymond, and the contrast inside was almost comical. Two beds. Two worlds.

Her gaze drifted slowly across the space, absorbing every detail like she had stumbled into a live exhibition of clashing personalities.

One side screamed look at me, posters of half-naked girls plastered across the walls, bold colors fighting for attention. The bedsheet was a violent red, the pillowcases patterned with loud flames, as if the owner had decided to turn teenage rebellion into interior décor. A faint whiff of cheap cologne clung to the air there, clashing with the lingering musk of sweat.

The other side was… nothing. Plain. The walls painted in a dull nude shade, no serious decorations. A desk stood neatly against the wall, books stacked with precise care, the kind of arrangement that screamed control freak. The bedsheets were gray, simple, ironed smooth without a single wrinkle. It was so neat it almost annoyed her.

Alicia tilted her head, biting her lip. Two personalities forced to share one room, what a sight.

Kevin, as if perfectly fitting the plain half, crossed to the quieter corner. He grabbed a book from the neat stack on his desk and raised it for Alicia to see.

“I got the literature text for our project.”

Relief flashed in her eyes, melting away the slight tension in her shoulders. “Oh wow, you’re really efficient. I was about to go search for it online.”

“You can’t find it on the internet.” Kevin sat on his bed, the book resting on his knee. His voice carried that calm certainty he always had, like he enjoyed holding knowledge no one else did. “This college has access to forgotten works, books that have been banned or restricted over time.”

“Forgotten works?” Alicia echoed, curiosity pulling her toward him. She wandered to the window instead, peering out. From here, the campus stretched out in green patches, the fading light turning everything golden. A soft wind pushed against the curtains, brushing her arm like a secret whisper. She frowned.

“Why do we have to study outdated books? Shouldn’t the school follow trends?”

Kevin didn’t indulge her question. His lips pressed into a thin line as he flipped a page. “I don’t know, Alicia. Let’s just get the project done.”

His clipped tone made her chuckle under her breath. Always so focused, so annoyingly calm. She sighed, dragging herself from the window, and slid into the chair at his desk.

“You won’t see the book from there,” Kevin said matter-of-factly, not even glancing at her.

Alicia arched a brow, tilting her head. “Really?” Without hesitation, she hopped onto his bed instead, the mattress dipping slightly under her weight. She plopped down right beside him, invading his space on purpose, a grin spreading across her face. “I can see you just wanted me closer. Well, here I am.”

Her smile was wide, too wide, playful enough to sting with a teasing edge.

Kevin’s throat bobbed as he gulped slowly, the sound audible in the thick silence. He shifted an inch away, like even that small distance could save him, then forced his eyes back to the book. His voice, though steady, betrayed a slight husk. “Let’s begin.”

And so they did.

They fell into rhythm, taking turns reading chapters aloud, pausing to exchange ideas, jotting down notes. Alicia tapped quickly on her phone, her thumbs dancing across the screen, while Kevin scribbled steadily into his notebook, his handwriting neat and deliberate.

The room grew quiet except for the rustling of pages, the tapping of keys, the scratching of his pen. Time moved without them noticing, the orange of sunset bleeding into blue dusk.

Two hours passed before Alicia leaned back, stretching her arms high above her head. The soft arch of her back brushed against his shoulder, her yawn unguarded. Her eyes darted down to the mattress under her, her fingers running across the smooth gray fabric. How soft would it feel if she just…

“Can I lie down for a bit? I’m tired,” she asked suddenly, her voice dropping into polite sweetness.

Kevin blinked, caught off guard. His jaw tightened. “Sure. Let’s take twenty minutes.” He stood quickly, perhaps too quickly, heading into the bathroom as if the tiled walls there could swallow his confusion.

By the time he returned, Alicia was already fast asleep, her body curled into his sheets like she belonged there.

For a moment, Kevin just… watched.

The way her lashes brushed her cheeks, the soft rise and fall of her chest, the peace painted across her features. She didn’t look like the Alicia who teased him, who talked with fire in her voice. Here, she looked fragile. Human. Untouchable.

His hand twitched. He shook her lightly.

She stirred like a baby, cracking one eye open before shooting him a glare sharp enough to cut glass. With deliberate defiance, she rolled to the other side and drifted back into sleep, ignoring him completely.

Kevin froze, then huffed a breath of disbelief. A smile tugged uninvited at his lips. She was trouble. The kind he shouldn’t want, but couldn’t look away from.

With a sigh, he changed into his nightwear, crossing over to his roommate’s bed. He hated lying in anyone else’s space, but tonight he had no choice. The sheets smelled faintly of cologne, foreign, not his. He turned onto his side anyway, gaze inevitably finding its way back to Alicia.

“It’s going to be a long night,” he muttered to himself.

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The Next Morning

Sunlight crept lazily through the curtains, spilling gold across the floor. Alicia stirred awake, blinking against the unfamiliar ceiling. Two beds. Posters on one wall. A plain corner on the other.

Her memory clicked back into place with a violent jolt.

Her hand flew to her forehead. “Shit. I slept here?” she whispered, sitting up too fast. “He could’ve woken me up.”

Kevin was nowhere in sight. The neatness of his side suggested he had already left for class or maybe he’d simply escaped before she could wake and tease him again.

Biting her lip, Alicia grabbed a pen from his desk and scrawled a quick note on a sticky note.

Thanks.

Simple. No heart, no signature, nothing extra. She slapped it against his notebook before slipping out of the room.

The hallway was already buzzing with morning chatter. Three students passed her, their gazes snapping to her instantly, curiosity etched in their expressions. Their eyes followed her like she was a walking headline.

Alicia’s stomach twisted. She pulled the hem of top tighter and quickened her steps, her fingers typing in her room’s passcode with practiced speed. The door clicked open. She stepped inside.

And froze.

The last person she wanted to see was standing by the window, hands tucked into his pockets, broad shoulders tense. Raymond.

Her heart thumped hard, a sound she swore echoed in the silence.

She walked past him without a word, straight into the closet. No greetings, no explanations. But she could feel his gaze drilling holes into her back, hot and accusing.

She barely made it past when his hand shot out and caught her wrist.

She spun, eyes blazing. “Leave me.”

Raymond’s grip tightened. His voice came out low, controlled, but dangerous. “Where were you?”

“It’s none of your business.” Her tone dripped with disinterest. She rolled her eyes, tugging against his hold like his question was beneath her.

“Alicia.” His voice sharpened, slicing through the air. “Until you tell me where you’ve been…”

Her patience snapped. She yanked hard, expecting his grip to break. But instead of freeing herself, the sudden force dragged him a step forward.

For a breathless second, his body was closer than it should’ve been, his hand loosening but his eyes locking on hers with dangerous heat.

And the air shifted.

The anger between them melted into something thicker, heavier. A tension neither could name, yet both felt.

She was breathing fast, chest rising and falling in frantic rhythm. His gaze dipped, lingering on her lips, before snapping back to her eyes.

Her pulse stuttered. His hold was gone, but the burn of it lingered, crawling across her skin.

Neither of them moved.

The silence was deafening. His jaw clenched, her lips parted slightly, the space between them unbearably small.

She should move. Say something. Anything.

But her body betrayed her, rooted to the spot, caught in the storm of his eyes.

Raymond leaned in, just enough for her to feel the heat of his breath brushing her cheek. Her heart hammered wildly, thoughts spinning out of control.

No.

Panic jolted through her. With a gasp, she bolted, slipping past him and fleeing into the bathroom. The door slammed shut, cutting off the electric silence that had threatened to consume them both.

Inside, she pressed her back against the door, palms flat against the wood, her breathing uneven. The mirror reflected flushed cheeks, wide terrified eyes, and the undeniable truth that something had just shifted between them.

“What the hell was that…” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Outside, silence. But she knew. She could feel him. Raymond was still there.