Chapter Thirty-Two: Almost Crossing the Line
The day was full, but my mind kept drifting back to Xavier.
Every laugh from him.
Every glance that lingered a second too long.
Every moment that felt like it could tip into something more—but didn't.
During a break, we sat on opposite ends of a bench, not touching.
"So," I said, breaking the silence, "are you enjoying the trip?"
He nodded. "Yeah. More than I expected."
"Same."
A pause settled between us—not uncomfortable, just heavy.
"You've been different," he said carefully.
I looked at him. "Different how?"
"Stronger," he replied. "More… sure of yourself."
I thought about it. "Maybe I'm just tired of pretending I'm fine when I'm not."
He nodded like he understood.
"I like that you're honest," he added.
My heart skipped—but I didn't let myself read into it.
That night, back at the dorm, Calvin and Mira were whispering and laughing again. Xavier stood by the window, arms crossed, looking outside.
I joined him, keeping a small distance.
The silence stretched.
"I'm glad we're friends," I said finally.
He turned to me, expression unreadable. "Yeah. Me too."
For a moment, it felt like something almost happened—like the air tightened, like one step forward would change everything.
But neither of us moved.
And maybe that was the point.
Because whatever this was between us, it wasn't ready for words yet.
It was still growing.