LOGIN:By the time Blake and the other students returned, the atmosphere between Liam and me had completely changed.I couldn’t even bring myself to meet his gaze anymore. Every time I looked at him, guilt twisted painfully inside my chest. All this time, it had been such a simple misunderstanding between us.“Do you want some water? Juice?” Liam asked as we returned to the tent.I offered him an awkward smile.“Yeah,” I replied quickly.Honestly, anything that got him away from my side for a few minutes sounded good.He nodded and stood up before disappearing outside.A moment later, Blake stumbled into the tent looking completely exhausted. He dropped down beside me, panting heavily.“That was horrible,” he groaned. “Thank God you didn’t come. Honestly, I wish we could just go home tomorrow. I’m tired.”Then he turned toward me.“And you? How are you?”“I’m okay.”His eyes narrowed.“Wait.”He leaned closer.“Your eyes are red.”My heart skipped.“And your hand—”He grabbed my injured wr
I suddenly opened my eyes, drenched in sweat. My heart hammered against my ribs like it wanted to escape. The tent was quiet, sunlight softly filtering through the fabric. “Oh my God… it was just a dream,” I sighed, relief crashing over me. But the images lingered Liam’s intense eyes, his hands on me, the way my body had betrayed me so completely. Who on earth has dreams like that about their friend? About their complicated, once-best-friend-turned-enemy? I felt deeply embarrassed, almost horrified. It was like a twisted horror movie playing in my subconscious.I shifted under the covers and froze. My manhood was rock hard, and the bed was noticeably wet. “Oh God,” I whispered, biting my nails. How was I going to handle this? I glanced at my leg. The pain had dulled significantly thank God it wasn’t as bad as yesterday. I could even place it on the floor. I prayed desperately for my body to calm down before Liam returned.I got up carefully and hid the soiled sheet under the bed, hear
The next morning, I woke up slowly, sunlight filtering through the tent fabric. Liam was already sitting beside me, watching me intently. I startled, heart jumping.“I’m sorry. I got you scared,” he said quietly. “I was just checking if you were still alive.”I smiled awkwardly. “Here’s your breakfast. I’m coming back.” He stood and left before I could respond, acting strangely gentle. I didn’t understand why.I looked at the tray and felt a flicker of irritation—it wasn’t what I usually preferred. Before I could dwell on it, Blake entered the tent.“Noah,” he said, concern clear in his voice.“Yes, Blake. Are you okay?” I nodded. He could be a bit much sometimes, but I didn’t mind.Before he could say more, the lecturer and camp organizers blew the whistle outside. Everyone was heading out for the day’s hike. Blake sighed. “I wish you hadn’t gone back for your phone last night. Now you don’t even have it.” He gave me one last worried look and left.I sighed, glancing around the empty
I sighed heavily the moment Liam stepped out of the tent. Was he okay? He had carried me for what felt like forty-nine minutes through the dark bushes. I must have exhausted him. The thought made something warm bloom in my chest, unexpected and confusing. Did he actually save me? Did he really come looking for me?Even when I had fallen into that pit, part of me had hoped—foolishly—that he would be the one to find me. He was the only person who had ever truly known how to reach me. But I had pushed the thought away quickly, convinced he wouldn’t care anymore. Not after everything.I forced myself to sit up, determined to check on him. The moment I tried to stand, pain shot through my leg and I collapsed onto the floor with a quiet thud. The tent flap opened almost instantly.“Noah?” Liam’s voice was sharp with concern. “Where were you trying to go?”“Uhmm… I just wanted to see if you were okay,” I admitted. “I saw you bleeding a lot.”“Come on, I’m okay. Don’t worry.” His tone was sur
When we reached the camp, I couldn’t tell whether Blake had already alerted the lecturer, but everyone looked tense — the kind of worry that comes from a wait that’s gone on too long. They wanted to talk immediately, but I raised a hand to stop them before any noise could start. I knew one thing about Noah with absolute certainty: he despised being woken by sound when he was finally asleep.I carried him to his tent. I laid him down carefully. He didn’t stir.What kind of person sleeps through being carried, I thought, shaking my head as I stepped back out.The lecturer was waiting with his arms crossed, clearly unhappy. “Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?”“I didn’t want to cause a scene, sir. Didn’t want to scare the others.”Blake’s hand found my shoulder. “Is my Noah okay?” His worry was genuine.My Noah. The phrase landed strangely — Blake had clearly claimed the friendship fast and completely. I nodded, reluctant, not particularly in the mood for conversation with anyone r
I ran toward the pit, flashlight beam slicing through the oppressive darkness. Branches whipped at my arms and face, but I barely felt them. My heart slammed against my ribs as I reached the edge and looked down. There he was—Noah—lying crumpled at the bottom, bruised and unconscious, dust and dirt streaking his face, a cut bleeding slowly on his forehead.A sharp pang of panic tore through me. I dropped into the pit without hesitation, landing hard beside him. “Noah,” I whispered urgently, touching his shoulder. He didn’t stir. “Noah, please…”I lifted his upper body into my arms, cradling him against my chest. His head lolled weakly. “Come on, Noah. Wake up.”His eyelids fluttered slowly. When his gaze finally focused on me, shock and something like relief washed over his features. For a split second, I wondered—Did he actually expect me to come?I tried to keep my voice steady, but anger and fear bled through. “Do you know how dangerous this is? Coming into these bushes alone at ni
I had seen his passcode enough times to have it memorised without meaning to.When I went home to see my mother — his father away, the house quieter than usual — I sat with her in the kitchen and asked, as casually as I could manage: “Do you know Noah’s birthday?”She looked at me with the particul
I pinned the exam timetable to the wall with the focused energy of someone who has assessed a situation and decided the only way through it is preparation.“Are you actually serious right now?” Kai’s voice came from his bed, where he was lying with the unhurried ease of someone who has not yet allo
“Kai.”He was sitting on his bed when I came in, his back straight, his jaw set — the particular stillness of someone containing something that wants to be larger.“I’m sorry he did that,” I said. “It wasn’t your fault. Neither of you knew about the other.”He looked at me. Said nothing.“But Kai—”
I walked into class feeling lighter than I had in weeks.Ken arrived at my seat with the punctuality of someone who has decided this is simply where he sits now, extending himself into the chair beside me with the ease of long habit.“You look happy,” he said. “Relaxed. Did you sleep well?”I looke







