The room was quieter than she expected.
Just the sound of pages turning and Adrian tapping his pen lightly against the table.
"You're actually good at this," he said.
Teresa glanced up. "It's just math."
"Still counts."
She didn't respond, focusing on the notebook in front of her.
But she could feel him watching her.
And that made it harder to concentrate.
After a moment, he leaned back slightly in his chair.
"You know something?"
She hesitated. "What?"
"You don't talk much."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the pen. "I talk."
"Not really."
A small pause.
Then
"But it suits you."
That caught her off guard.
She looked up again.
He was already looking at her.
"You're different," Adrian added.
Teresa frowned slightly. "Different how?"
He shrugged lightly, like it wasn't a big deal.
"Most people try too hard."
Another pause.
Then, quieter
"You don't."
Her heart started beating faster now, and she hated that he could probably tell.
She looked back down at the notebook.
"You're distracting me," she said softly.
That made him smile.
"Didn't know I had that effect."
She didn't answer.
And somehow
That made the moment feel heavier.
After a second, Adrian leaned forward again, pointing at the problem in her notebook.
"Here," he said.
As she moved the page closer
His hand brushed against hers.
Just slightly.
But neither of them pulled away immediately.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Quieter.
And a lot more complicated.
—
Later
The room was quiet again.
Teresa stood near the edge of the bed, fixing her clothes with slightly unsteady hands.
Her movements were small. Careful.
She didn't look at him.
Not because she didn't want to
But because she didn't trust what her face might show.
"I can drop you," Adrian said.
She paused, then nodded. "…Okay."
The drive back was quiet.
But this time
It didn't feel awkward.
It felt… different.
When the car stopped in front of her house, she turned slightly.
"…Thank you."
"Yeah."
A small pause.
"Goodnight, Teresa."
Her heart skipped.
"…Goodnight."
She stepped out of the car.
Closed the door.
And as she walked inside
She couldn't stop the smile that slowly spread across her face.
Because something had changed.
She knew it.
Upstairs, she dropped her bag and sat on her bed.
Then lay back.
Staring at the ceiling.
Replaying everything.
The way he looked at her.
The way he said her name.
The way he didn't pull away.
She turned onto her side, grabbing her pillow slightly.
What was she even supposed to say tomorrow?
Would he talk to her first?
Should she say hi?
Or act normal?
Would that make it obvious?
Her thoughts wouldn't stop.
And somehow
That made her smile more.
Because for the first time
She didn't feel invisible to him.
—
Adrian
He didn't think about it on the drive back.
Didn't need to.
The second he got inside
He pulled out his phone.
Opened the chat.
A short clip.
Sent.
A few seconds passed.
Then
He typed.
done.
The message delivered instantly.
No hesitation.
Because that's what this was.
Simple.
Finished.
Or at least
That's what he told himself.