The walk back across campus felt longer than usual. Every step seemed to echo Gideon's careless joke in Racheal's mind. Girlfriend. The word clung to her like a stubborn shadow, refusing to fade even as the chatter of other students surrounded her.
Declan walked beside her in silence, hands tucked into his pockets, his stride calm and unhurried. It was as though he hadn't even heard Gideon. Or maybe he had, and he was simply choosing not to acknowledge it.
That unsettled Racheal even more.
She finally found the courage to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your friends… they shouldn't say things like that."
Declan glanced at her, his eyes sharp but unreadable. "Why not?"
Her steps faltered. "Because… because it's not true."
For the first time since leaving the lecture hall, a faint smile touched his lips. He didn't argue. He didn't agree either. He just let the silence stretch between them, his lack of denial saying more than words ever could.
By the time they reached the courtyard, Michael had already disappeared, but Gideon was lingering near the fountain, waiting with a grin plastered across his face.
"There you are," he called, raising an eyebrow as his gaze flicked between them. "Took your sweet time, didn't you?"
Declan's jaw tightened. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"Not really," Gideon said with a shrug. Then his grin widened. "Besides, watching you two walk together is entertainment enough."
Racheal groaned inwardly, hugging her books tighter. She wanted to vanish, to melt into the ground and escape his teasing. But Gideon's words only made Declan take a deliberate step closer to her, closing the space between them until she could feel the heat of his presence.
"Keep talking," Declan said coolly, his gaze fixed on Gideon. "And maybe I'll give you something real to gossip about."
The meaning behind his words wasn't lost on anyone. Racheal's heart thudded wildly, her face warming as Gideon let out a dramatic whistle.
"Ohhh, so our dear Declan does have a soft spot." Gideon chuckled, shaking his head. "This is better than I thought."
Before Racheal could protest, Declan tilted his head toward her and murmured, "Ignore him. He lives for this."
Still, his nearness, his voice, his calm confidence—it all left her speechless.
Gideon finally stretched, clearly satisfied with the chaos he'd stirred. "Fine, fine. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone… for now." With a wink, he strolled away, hands in his pockets, humming to himself.
Racheal let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Why do you let him tease like that?"
Declan turned his eyes back to her, his voice low, almost amused. "Because… sometimes, he's not entirely wrong."
Her pulse stuttered, the words lodging deep in her chest. She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.
And Declan, with that faint smirk that both irritated and unsettled her, walked ahead, leaving her stunned in the middle of the courtyard.
The word still lingered.
Girlfriend.
But now, it didn't feel like just a tease anymore.