The Enemy She Decide To Avoid

ARIA

The next few days should have been easier. I had decided to ignore Kael. I tried to ignore the bond between us. I ignored the strange way my heart reacted whenever he walked into the same room. Most importantly, I decided to ignore my wolf especially when it burst down to the fact that I lied to Derek. I felt bad and I wasn't ready to start carrying any guilt again.

Unfortunately, none of that worked as I soon discovered that the girl who was always beside Kael was named Selena. And yes, she was his girlfriend. She was everywhere with him. Every time I saw Kael, Selena was somehow there too.

In the cafeteria, she sat beside him. Outside the lecture hall, she would hold his arm. Sometimes she laughed at something he said and touched his shoulder like they shared some private joke.

Yet, I kept telling myself it didn't matter until one afternoon, I saw her kiss his cheek.

I stopped walking and my heart dropped. For a moment, everything around me seemed to disappear. Selena smiled at him before wrapping her arm around him and something hot and ugly twisted inside my chest. It knew it was jealousy but why on earth do I care? I tightened my grip around the books in my arms as I started to remind myself again. Kael has a girlfriend. He isn't mine. He hadn't been mine for five years. And after everything he had done, he had no right to be.

I reminded myself of the past. Kael had hurt me and I had spent years learning how to live without him. So why did seeing another woman touch him hurt me?

“Aria?” I heard the familiar voice that made me turn quickly. Lily stood behind me, looking confused. “You okay?”

My response was quick. “I'm fine.” My eyes moved back toward Kael for just a second. He was now looking at me and that was how it had always been and I would immediately look away which was exactly what I did. “Don't you dare,” I warned my wolf as she started to growl softly. “You know you want him.” “No.” I snapped. “You are jealous.” “I'm not.” “You are lying.” She said and I blocked her instantly.

Lily waved goodbye at me and went away as I drowned myself in thoughts again.

I had Derek. Derek was kind to me. He chose me. He was the person I was supposed to care about. So why should I care for Kael? Why did seeing Selena with him feel like someone was taking something away from me? I shook my head. “Kael is not mine,” I whispered. And I needed to remember that. He had chosen his life. I had chosen mine. The mate bond might connect our wolves, but it wouldn't erase five years of pain.

It couldn't change what happened. And it certainly couldn't make me forget Derek. I took a deep breath and continued walking. I wasn't ready to go through any hurt again.

Just then, I heard another familiar voice call out to me and I turned smiling, sheepishly. Derek was walking toward me. “There you are,” he said, pulling me into a quick hug. “I've been looking for you.”

I laughed. “Why? Did you miss me that much?”

“Of course.” His playful answer made me smile. For the first time that day, I felt relaxed. We walked together, talking about our classes and laughing over something silly that had happened earlier. But it only lasted for a moment as my smile faded when I saw Kael walking down the hallway with Selena. His eyes immediately landed on us. More specifically, on Derek. I saw him slow slightly with Selena who continued talking beside him.

I watched his expression hardened. Through the mate bond, I felt something strong and bitter and I knew it could be jealousy. My heart skipped for a bit. “He's jealous.” My wolf sounded almost pleased. I quickly pushed the thought away. “

It doesn't matter.

I ignored him and continued listening to Derek and the moment he disappeared around the corner, the strange pressure in my chest returned. Why was he jealous? He had Selena and he could see I had Derek so that just meant only one thing. We had both moved on. At least, that was what I wanted to believe.

---

By the time lectures ended for the day, most students had already left the building. I groaned as I closed the page of the book I was working on. Then, I raised myself from my seat as I arranged my bags ready to return back to my dorm.

It hadn’t taken a step before I sensed Kael. I growled within me, hoping he wasn't closer but I was wrong. The moment I looked through the end of the hallway, he was standing all alone, leaning his back against the wall as his gaze was fixed on me. My heart immediately began pounding knowing what to expect. Another time to pretend not to know him. Another time to flinch when I pass through him. And as if that wasn't all, I saw him slowly walking toward me. The breath that came out of me was heavy as we both came closer. Trust me, I wasn't going to say anything but… but I never knew when I spoke. “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to hide my look by forming a stern one..

“I could ask you the same thing.” He said and I arched my brows. Wasn't he the one standing in the hallway like he was waiting for me?

I sighed and decided to be calm. Maybe, truly, he was just by himself which I knew wasn't true. “This is a college hallway, Kael.” I told him.

“I know.” His eyes then searched mine and something about his expression made me uncomfortable. Then he asked quietly, “Do you hate me?”

The question caught me off guard as I swallowed to answer him, finding the right words. “I stopped caring about you a long time ago.”

There was silence. Kael stared at me. His face was calm, but the look on his eyes told me a different story. It told me he didn't believe me and I was right. “You're lying,” he muttered softly.

My fingers tightened around my books, not ready to admit to his truth. “Why would I lie?”

“Because I know you.”

I threw my face away. “You don't know me anymore.”

He shrugged. “Maybe not,” he said. “But I know when you're pretending.”

My heart pounded as I forced myself to meet his eyes. “You have Selena.”

“And you have Derek.” He said to my amazement. Was he supposed to attack me just because I did?

“Exactly.” I let out feeling timid.

He stepped closer. The mate bond immediately came alive between us. I almost pushed him away but he was quick to move backward which amused me. He turned around and before he walked away, he uttered. “I still respect your decision.”