Morning crept slowly into the room, pale light slipping through the half-drawn curtains. Luiz blinked awake, the unfamiliar ceiling above him reminding him he wasn't in his dorm.Beside him, the girl stirred, her braids falling across her face as she rolled toward him. Her eyes, still heavy with sleep, caught him staring.
"Morning, stranger," she whispered with a lazy grin.Luiz froze for a heartbeat before forcing a smile. "Morning."The silence stretched, filled only by the muffled laughter of students outside and the hum of a fan overhead.
She sat up, the sheet slipping slightly from her shoulder, and studied him. "You're… not the type, are you?"
"The type?"
Her expression softened. "The kind that sneaks out before I wake up."
Luiz shifted, the weight in his chest heavier than before. He wanted to be honest—to tell her last night was a blur of heat and escape, nothing more. But the vulnerability in her eyes made his throat tighten."I'm just… not good at this," he said quietly.She tilted her head. "Not good at what?""People. Staying. Letting anyone close."
For a moment, she only looked at him, as though trying to read the story behind his words. Then, instead of pushing, she simply smiled—a small, almost sad smile. "Then maybe you should practice."He didn't know how to respond. So he dressed quickly, muttering something about class. She let him go, though her gaze lingered as he slipped out the door.
The campus was already buzzing when Luiz stepped outside, the sunlight too bright, the voices too loud. His mind churned.Why did I let it happen? Why do I keep running into things that make me feel heavier instead of lighter?"Yo, Romeo!"
Kevin's voice broke through his thoughts. Luiz turned to see his roommate grinning like a fool, balancing two cups of coffee.
"You were missing all night, man. Don't tell me you actually—" Kevin wiggled his eyebrows—"got lucky?"
Luiz groaned. "It's not like that."
"Not like that? Please. You're walking around with the guilty face of a man who just discovered sin."
Kevin shoved a coffee into his hand. "Don't even try to lie to me. Spill it later."
They walked together across the quad, Kevin humming, Luiz quiet.
But inside, Luiz's thoughts weren't on Kevin's jokes. They weren't even on the girl from last night.
They were on the truth he could never tell anyone: that no matter how many distractions came his way, his life was tied to something much bigger, much heavier, and far more dangerous.
For now, though, he'd keep pretending. Pretending he was just another student, chasing laughter and late nights.
Because pretending was easier than facing what waited in the shadows.