When Curiosity Becomes A Problem

“Mara.” Dave called out, softly. “Hm?” Dave sighed, “Stop looking at him like that.” Mara tore her gaze away from across the cafeteria for what felt like the fiftieth time and frowned at Dave. “Like what?” “Like you’re trying to solve a murder.” “I am trying to solve a murder.” Dave blinked. “What?”

“This school is clearly hiding at least six.” She gestured vaguely with her fry. “Possibly ritualistically.” Despite himself, Dave laughed. The sound loosened some of the tension knotting inside her chest. Only some. Because across the room, Alaric still hadn’t looked away. Not continuously.

That would have been easier somehow. No, what made it worse was the deliberate restraint. He looked away often enough to seem normal. Then inevitably his attention returned to her like gravity correcting itself. Mara hated how aware she had become of it. Worse… She hated how aware she became when it stopped.

The realization alone nearly ruined her appetite. “This,” she informed her sandwich darkly, “is psychological warfare.” Dave leaned lazily against his chair. “You could always just talk to him normally.” Mara stared at him. “Dave.” “What?” “You say that like he’s a regular person.” “He technically is.” “That word technically is carrying concerning weight.”

Before Dave could answer, movement near the cafeteria doors interrupted them again. A group of students entered laughing loudly enough to draw attention. Expensively dressed. Athletic. The kind of people who treated confidence like inherited property.

At the center walked Celeste Arden. Her eyes landed on Mara instantly. The laughter around her dimmed. Not entirely, but enough. Mara sighed. “Nature is healing,” she muttered. “The mean rich girl has returned.” Dave snorted into his drink.

Celeste approached their table with two girls trailing behind her like decorative hostility. Unlike before, however, she stopped several feet away instead of invading Mara’s space directly. Progress through trauma. “Mara Vale,” Celeste said coolly. “Celeste Arden,” Mara replied pleasantly. “How’s emotional recovery?”

One of the girls behind Celeste coughed suddenly to hide laughter. Celeste ignored it with visible effort. “You enjoy embarrassing people.” “No,” Mara corrected. “I enjoy consequences. People just keep volunteering publicly.” Dave lowered his head into one hand. “Mara,” he said weakly, “please attempt survival instincts.” “She started it.” “You antagonize everyone instinctively.” “That sounds made up.”

Celeste folded her arms tightly. “You think being amusing protects you?” “No,” Mara replied honestly. “I think most of you are too rich to have been punched enough.” A nearby table went silent instantly. Dave made a strangled noise beside her. And somewhere across the cafeteria…A low sound suspiciously close to a laugh escaped Alaric Arden.

The entire room felt it. Mara looked up automatically. Big mistake, because Alaric was still watching her. And now, horrifyingly, amusement softened the sharp severity of his face just enough to make him look unfairly attractive. Which should have been illegal frankly. Mara’s pulse betrayed her immediately and she looked away so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.

Unfortunately Celeste noticed. So did Dave. So, Mara suspected, did God. Celeste’s expression sharpened. Understanding flickered there. Not full understanding but enough. And suddenly the hostility aimed at Mara changed slightly. Less annoyance now and more threat assessment.

“You should be careful,” Celeste said quietly. Mara frowned instantly. “You all keep saying that like this campus sits on top of cursed ground.” For one suspended second, something unreadable crossed Celeste’s face. Then it vanished beneath practiced coldness. “Maybe it does.” Before Mara could respond, another voice cut smoothly through the tension. “Celeste.”

Immediate silence, filled the whole cafeteria. Alaric had crossed the cafeteria without Mara noticing. Which felt deeply unfair for a man his size. Up close, the pressure surrounding him felt stronger again. Not physical exactly. But close enough that Mara’s body reacted before her thoughts did.

Awareness prickled instantly beneath her skin. Every nerve ending abruptly awake and she absolutely hated it. Celeste automatically stepped back instinctively, the moment he approached. Like movement responding before thought. “We were talking,” Celeste said carefully. “No,” Alaric replied calmly. “You were circling.”

Mara blinked slowly. That was… oddly specific. Celeste’s jaw tightened faintly. For one brief moment, something tense passed silently between them. Family resemblance flickered sharply there. Not physically....Behaviorally. Controlled expressions. Restrained aggression. The sense that violence sat very close beneath polished manners.

Then Celeste exhaled sharply through her nose. “As you wish.” And just like that, she left. The girls behind her followed immediately. Mara watched them disappear through the cafeteria doors before turning slowly toward Alaric. “Did you just professionally dismiss your cousin?” One corner of his mouth shifted slightly. “She was irritating you.” “Yes,” Mara agreed. “But I was winning.”

Dave choked outright on laughter. Alaric’s gaze settled fully on her then. The amusement faded and the irritating focus returned. Mara’s stomach performed an unnecessary acrobatic maneuver. “Most people avoid conflict with Celeste,” he observed. “Most people sound exhausting.” There was a brief pause, then Alaric stated. “You don’t fear powerful people.”

Mara leaned back in her chair thoughtfully. “No,” she said after a second. “I fear bears. Financial instability. Deep water occasionally.” She shrugged lightly. “But rich teenagers? Not particularly.” Something flashed briefly across his face then. Not a surprise but maybe, admiration. The possibility unsettled her immediately.

Dave noticed too and his posture shifted almost invisibly beside her. And for the first time since meeting him…Something colder entered his expression when he looked at Alaric. Not hatred but competition. The realization arrived quietly but landed heavily. Ah. That complicated things. She mused internally.

“You know,” Mara said carefully into the strange silence, “normal colleges probably involve significantly fewer territorial staring contests.” Neither man answered. Which somehow answered everything. Around them, students pretended not to watch while absolutely watching. Mara suddenly felt tired again. Larkin exhausted her in uniquely creative ways.

She pushed back her chair abruptly. “I’m leaving before somebody starts growling metaphorically.” Dave stood immediately. “I’ll walk with you.” “No need.” “I enjoy surviving near you.” Alaric’s eyes shifted toward Dave instantly. A tiny movement that garnered a massive change. The temperature around the table seemed to drop several degrees. Mara noticed. So did Dave but neither acknowledged it.

“Thornton,” Alaric said quietly. Just a name. Yet Dave’s shoulders tightened almost imperceptibly. “Arden.” The reply sounded polite but the atmosphere absolutely was not. Mara looked between them slowly. Then sighed. “Nope.” Both men glanced toward her. “I refuse to become the center of whatever deeply concerning masculine energy this is.”

Dave snorted. Shockingly…Alaric almost smiled again. The expression transformed him briefly into something far more dangerous than coldness. Because warmth looked devastating on him. Mara immediately decided she disliked seeing it. For personal safety reasons.

She grabbed her bag quickly and pointed at both of them accusingly. “You’re both weird.” Then she walked away before her dignity could suffer further damage. Unfortunately…Halfway across the cafeteria, she realized something horrifying. She could still feel Alaric watching her leave. And somehow…Some traitorous part of her body liked it.