CHAPTER 24: Not Everyone Is What They Seem

Alicia stood in the middle of Kevin’s room, the faint scent of aftershave and disinfectant hanging in the air. Her brows furrowed as her gaze settled on him, he was too calm, too unreadable.

“You won’t tell me what happened?” she asked quietly, her voice soft but laced with curiosity.

Kevin’s eyes met hers, cold and steady. He didn’t blink, didn’t flinch. Just silence.

Alicia’s lips curled into a small, knowing smile. She’d expected this. Kevin never gave away more than he wanted to. With a quiet sigh, she turned sharply toward the door.

Her hand was on the knob when his voice cut through the still air.

“You should be careful,” he said, tone low and unreadable. “Not everyone is what they seem.”

She didn’t turn around. Didn’t answer. Just walked out.

The hallway was spotless, almost too spotless, as if the chaos from earlier had never existed. The polished floor reflected the faint glow from the wall lamps. Everything looked normal again, but Alicia could still feel the lingering heaviness in the air.

“This place carries a lot of secrets,” she murmured under her breath.

At her room door, she hesitated. It wasn’t fully closed. Her fingers rested on the handle, but she froze. Raymond. The memory of his earlier mood flashed through her mind, dark, dangerous, unreadable.

She inhaled slowly, then pushed the door open.

The room was quiet. Raymond lay on his bed, one arm behind his head, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He didn’t glance her way, and for that, she was grateful. She didn’t want another conversation. Not tonight.

Crossing the room, she sat on her bed and pulled out her phone. Scrolling through I*******m, she wasn’t looking for anything in particular until one photo made her pause.

Her mother. Smiling. Glowing. Standing beside a man Alicia had never seen before.

Her stomach tightened.

Without thinking, she tapped the call button. Her mother picked up on the first ring, her voice warm and familiar.

“Hey, honey.”

“Hey, Mum. How have you been?”

“I’ve been doing well, child. Hope you’re coping fine?”

“I am,” Alicia said, forcing a light tone. “I saw a picture you posted, the one with that man. Who is he?”

Her mother chuckled softly. “Oh, Alicia. He’s just a new acquaintance. Nothing serious.”

“If you say so, Mum,” she teased lightly, though the unease in her voice lingered.

“I said so, honey,” her mother replied with a laugh. “I hope you’re eating well?”

“Yes, Mum. You don’t have to worry.”

“Good. Love you, baby, but I have to run now. We’ll talk later, okay? Love you.”

“Love you too, Mum,” Alicia said, frowning slightly. She wanted to keep talking, but the line went dead before she could say more.

The silence returned. She sighed and dropped her phone beside her. A few seconds later, she snatched it back up, remembering the assignment due on Tuesday.

She quickly texted Kevin

‘We should complete our assignment before tomorrow evening’.

The reply came almost instantly.

‘Send me the file of what you’ve written so far. I’ll complete it. I’ll send my email address’.

Alicia smiled faintly. Okay, she typed back.

She turned to glance at the other side of the room and her eyes met Raymond's and she nearly jumped.

He was staring at her.

His gaze was blank yet oddly intense, like his mind was elsewhere. For a second, she thought he’d been asleep. Clearly not.

She looked away, pretending not to notice, and sat at her study table. The glow of her laptop screen bathed her face as she began typing out her handwritten notes, transferring every word with precision.

When she finished, she sent the file to Kevin and stretched, catlike, a soft yawn escaping her lips. The night air drifted through the window, carrying a faint chill.

She walked back to bed, laid down, and turned her gaze to the sky outside. The moon was nearly full, framed by stars that shimmered like tiny pieces of glass. Her thoughts blurred. Sleep pulled her under before she even realized it.

---

By Monday morning, Alicia was walking briskly across campus, her bag swinging at her side. The weekend’s memories clung stubbornly to her mind, but she pushed them away. She couldn’t afford to be late again.

She slipped into her lecture hall just in time. The place was half-filled, buzzing with low chatter. Choosing a seat near the back, close to the door, she dropped into her chair and exhaled. She didn’t want anyone beside her. Not today.

The lecture began soon after. Alicia kept her head down, taking neat, concise notes, forcing herself to stay focused.

An hour later, the class ended. She didn’t move. She had another lecture coming up, an elective, open to anyone and she preferred to stay put rather than wander out only to return.

The hall slowly emptied. Alicia leaned back, scrolling absently through her phone. The sound of footsteps made her glance up.

Someone slid into the seat beside her.

Her fingers froze mid-scroll. She didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Raymond.

Of all people.

A small groan formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down and rolled her eyes instead. She turned her attention back to her phone.

“Should we pretend we don’t know each other?” His voice was low, calm, threaded with quiet amusement.

“Yes, kind sir,” she muttered under her breath, her tone thick with sarcasm.

He chuckled softly. The sound brushed against her nerves. Before he could say more, the lecturer walked in, and Raymond fell silent.

The class went on smoothly, and Alicia found herself grateful for his sudden restraint. But it didn’t last.

Halfway through the lecture, she felt something, light pressure on her lap.

Her pulse quickened. She didn’t dare look down at first. When she finally did, her breath caught.

Raymond’s hand.

Resting there like it belonged.

He didn’t look at her. His eyes were fixed on the board, his expression neutral, as though nothing at all was happening.

Alicia’s spine stiffened. She immediately brushed his hand off, fingers trembling slightly though her face gave nothing away.

Raymond’s lips twitched, almost in a smirk, before his hand retreated.

The rest of the lecture blurred.

When it finally ended, Alicia packed her books with more force than necessary and stood up. She didn’t look at him. Didn’t speak. She just needed air, space, something that didn’t make her heart beat faster for reasons she couldn’t name.

But as she moved toward the door, Raymond’s voice followed her, quiet enough that only she could hear.

“Not everyone is what they seem, Alicia.”

She froze.

It was the same thing Kevin had said last night.

Her hand tightened around her books. Slowly, she turned her head but the seat beside hers was empty.

Raymond was gone.