Tuesday mornings always start the same—Josh ranting about everything under the sun as we make our way to class. Today, the topic of choice was our mutual disdain for Professor Walsh and her never-ending quizzes.
"She's a literal monster," Josh declared, waving his iced coffee dramatically. "Like, does she wake up every morning and thinks, 'Hmm, how can I ruin my students' lives today?'"
"Probably," I said, smirking as I adjusted the straps of my backpack. His eyes were wide with exaggerated horror, and his free hand gestured wildly to emphasise each point. Despite his complaints, there was a certain lightness in his voice, as if he relished the performance of it all.
Josh took a long sip of his coffee and sighed. "You know, some of us need weekends to recover. Not to spend them memorising the GDP of every country since 2005."
I laughed. "Maybe if you actually paid attention in class, it wouldn't be so hard."
"Oh, sure," he said, rolling his eyes. "And maybe if you weren't so busy making heart eyes at Rain Guy"
"Josh!" I hissed, elbowing him to the side.
"What?" he said, grinning wickedly. "It's not my fault you've been all doe-eyed since yesterday. Spill. What happened after I left?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, avoiding his gaze.
"Liar," he sang, leaning closer. "Come on, Evangeline. You can't just drop a mysterious bad boy into the mix and not give me details. Did he confess to his undying love? Did you kiss? Were there tongues?"
"Josh!" I nearly choked on my laugh, swatting at his arm. "You're insane."
"I'm invested," he corrected. "And you're clearly hiding something. Spill, or I'll start making up my own version."
I opened my mouth to retort, but before I could, someone bumped into me from behind, sending my books tumbling to the floor.
"Hey!" I exclaimed, turning around, only to come face-to-face with Ryker.
My breath hitched. He was standing there, looking as calm and unbothered as ever, his dark eyes locking onto mine with that same intensity that always seemed to unnerve me.
"Careful," he said, his voice low and smooth. "You're rushing around like you're trying to break something."
"Maybe I am," I shot back, my heart pounding for reasons I didn't fully understand.
Josh let out a low whistle behind me. "Well, this just got interesting."
Ryker ignored him, his focus entirely on me. He bent down, picking up my books with surprising gentleness, before handing them back to me.
"You should be more careful," he said again, his tone softer this time.
I blinked, caught off guard by the concern in his voice. "Thanks, I guess."
Josh cleared his throat loudly, clearly enjoying the awkward tension. "Well, this is fun, but we've got class. Right? Evangeline?
"Right," I said quickly, stepping back. But as I turned to leave, Ryker reached out, his hand brushing against mine.
"Wait," he said, his voice dropping even lower.
I froze, looking up at him. "What?"
He leaned in slightly, his presence overwhelming. "Be careful, Evangeline. Not just in the hallways."
My stomach twisted at his words, the weight of his gaze pressing down on me. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He didn't answer, his eyes searching for mine instead. The silence stretched between us, charged and electric.
"Come to my house after class," I blurted, the words spilling out before I could stop them.
Josh audibly gasped behind me, and I could feel the heat rushing to my face.
Ryker raised an eyebrow, and a slow smile crept onto his lips. "Your house?"
"Yes," I said, trying to sound confident despite the way my heart was racing. "It's… um, on Maple Street." Number 12."
He nodded, his expression unreadable. "I'll be there."
I turned and practically dragged Josh away before I could embarrass myself further.
"What the hell was that?" Josh whisper-yelled once we were out of earshot. "Are you inviting him over for tea and cookies, or is this the start of your bad-boy romance arc?"
"Shut up," I muttered, my cheeks burning.
But even as I tried to brush it off, I couldn't ignore the way my chest felt tight, like I was teetering on the edge of something I couldn't quite name.