CHAPTER 16: Shared Air

The hallway was quieter than usual.

Alicia and Kevin parted ways in front of the dormitory, exchanging a brief goodnight before she turned to walk into the dormitory while Kevin walked pass the dormitory building. She got to the third floor and ROOM 210 was in sight, she stood before her room door. The digital lock blinked green as she entered her passcode, and the door slid open with a soft click.

The sight that greeted her made her eyes widen and her heart flutter with surprise.

A new bed now occupied the far corner ,soft sheets, neatly tucked in, and beside it stood a small reading table with a matching chair. Everything looked fresh, untouched, and perfectly hers.

Her lips spread into a bright, genuine smile.

“Finally,” she breathed, her voice bubbling with excitement. “My own space.”

She tossed her bag onto the new chair and sat on the bed, bouncing lightly, testing the softness beneath her. It gave under her weight just enough to make her laugh. After days of sharing with Raymond, this felt like freedom , a tiny island of peace in a storm of chaos.

She reached for the things that had been living on his desk, her notebooks, pens, and the mug that served as her makeshift pencil holder and carried them to her new table. As she arranged each item, she hummed a tune under her breath, something light and carefree.

It felt good. Simple.

For the first time in a few days, the room felt a little more like hers.

Her phone screen glowed - 7:03 p.m.

Raymond still hadn’t returned. She doubted he would tonight; he’d been gone since morning and often came back late. The thought eased her nerves. At least she could enjoy this small victory, her new setup, her own bed, without him hovering nearby with his unreadable eyes and that teasing smirk.

Alicia stretched her arms, yawned, and decided she needed a shower. The day had been long: group study with Kevin, a few awkward moments with Tracy in the library, and now, a tired but happy end. She gathered her towel and toiletries and slipped into the bathroom.

Warm water trickled down her skin, washing off the day’s stress. For a moment, she let her mind drift, to how strange it was that life had thrown her and Raymond into the same space. She couldn’t tell what to make of him; he was equal parts irritating and… something else she didn’t want to name.

She stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel tightly around her chest. Steam followed her into the room, curling into the air. She was halfway to her bed when the door clicked open.

Her heart jumped.

Her eyes snapped to the door and there he was.

Raymond.

She froze, every muscle in her body tightening.

He stood framed in the doorway, dressed in his usual dark clothes, his expression unreadable. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.

Then, as if it were nothing, he simply averted his gaze and brushed past her, walking straight into the bathroom.

Alicia blinked rapidly, still in shock.

Why did he have to come back this early?

Her pulse was still hammering when she turned away and hurried into the closet. She threw on her nightwear , a simple soft cotton set and tried to steady her breathing. When she stepped back into the room, the sound of running water filled the silence.

Good. He was occupied.

She grabbed her assignment book and curled up on her new bed, flipping through the pages. The words blurred a little from her scattered thoughts, but she forced herself to focus.

Inside the bathroom, Raymond splashed cold water on his face. His reflection in the mirror stared back, composed, yet the memory of Alicia standing there in that towel flashed through his mind like a pulse.

He dragged a hand through his hair and exhaled sharply.

She wasn’t supposed to affect him like that.

He looked up at himself again, his jaw tight. For someone who had lived through blood, battle, and darkness, he shouldn’t have been this thrown off by a girl in a towel. But there was something about her, the innocence, the spark, the way she filled a room without even trying.

Shaking his head, he turned off the tap and left the bathroom.

Alicia was now on her bed, legs crossed, completely absorbed in her book. Or maybe pretending to be. Her hair was still damp, and strands clung to her neck.

Raymond’s gaze lingered a moment longer than it should have. He tore it away and walked toward the closet, pulling out fresh clothes before heading back to the bathroom.

The second shower was quick. The forest run earlier had left his muscles humming, but the water eased him, grounding him again.

When he finally came out, the room had dimmed, the lamp on Alicia’s table cast a soft glow, painting her face in warm gold. She looked calm now, completely lost in her reading.

He sat on his bed, grabbed his phone, and tried scrolling through social media. The silence between them stretched, not uncomfortable, but charged. Every small sound, the rustle of her pages, the soft exhale of her breath filled the space between them.

Raymond glanced at her again.

He had to admit, the room felt different with her in it.

He cleared his throat. “You always read that seriously?”

Alicia didn’t look up. “Some of us actually care about grades.”

He smirked. “Didn’t say you didn’t. Just surprised you’re not drooling on the book already.”

She shot him a sharp look. “I don’t drool.”

“Sure you don’t,” he said, leaning back on his elbows. “You talk in your sleep, though.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

Raymond chuckled under his breath, enjoying the way her face flushed. “Yeah. Something about cookies and murder… can’t tell which one you were craving.”

Alicia groaned. “You’re impossible.”

“Thank you,” he said smoothly.

She rolled her eyes, trying not to smile. “Don’t you have anything better to do than annoy me?”

“Not particularly,” he replied with that lazy drawl of his. “It’s kind of entertaining watching you pretend you don’t like talking to me.”

“I don’t like talking to you,” she snapped, though her voice betrayed a hint of amusement.

He tilted his head. “Then why are you still replying?”

She shut her book with a soft thud and glared at him. “Because it’s rude to ignore people. Even annoying weirdo.”

Raymond’s lips twitched. “Ah, so I’m a weirdo again. Not your ‘favorite roommate’ anymore?”

“Don’t push it.”

He gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

Silence followed, brief but thick with unspoken words. Alicia sighed and reopened her book, determined to ignore him this time. Raymond turned back to his phone but the smirk on his lips didn’t fade.

After a few minutes, he spoke again, his tone deceptively casual.

“Not a girl who takes her roommate’s stuff and uses it as a spray bottle.”

Her head snapped up. “Excuse me?”

He arched a brow, pretending to scroll on his phone. “You heard me.”

“I borrowed it.”

“Without asking.”

She folded her arms. “You weren’t here.”

“Still counts.”

“Are you keeping score now?” she asked, exasperated.

He finally looked up, his gray eyes glinting with amusement. “Always.”

Alicia’s lips parted in disbelief, then she shook her head and turned away. “Unbelievable. I’m not doing this.”

“Running away from an argument? Classic.”

“Not running,” she muttered, lying down on her side with her back to him. “Just refusing to waste my energy.”

Raymond chuckled lowly, the sound deep and rich. “Admit it, you like arguing with me.”

“Goodnight, Raymond.”

That was her final word.

He smirked, watching the rise and fall of her shoulder as she picked up her phone. The glow from her screen lit her face in soft blue light. For a moment, he thought she’d snap back with another sarcastic remark, but she didn’t.

Her phone slipped from her hand a few minutes later, her breathing steadying into quiet rhythm.

Asleep.

Raymond leaned his head back against the wall and exhaled slowly. The earlier tension that had knotted his chest loosened. He turned off his phone and shifted on his bed, stealing one last glance at her. He kind of felt annoyed about the additional bed in the room even though he likes his space.

The room had settled into peace. Outside, the faint hum of night echoed through the window, crickets, distant laughter, the world still turning.

He lay down and closed his eyes. But even then, her face, that look of surprise, that spark, wouldn’t quite leave his mind.