After five days of the accident, I finally decided to return to college.

 Alax had been discharged from the hospital. He was fine now, well, mostly. His hand was still in a cast, and some wounds would take longer to heal. Maybe another week, the doctor had said.

  I walked into college with guilt written all over my face. I hadn’t spoken to any of my friends in the past five days. I hadn’t even thought about Rowan. My mind was completely consumed by Alax, by the sight of him in pain, by the sound of him crying out, by the helplessness I’d felt.

  There was no room in my heart for anything else during those days.

  But something unexpected was about to happen,

  Something I wasn’t ready for.

  Not even close.

  As I stepped into the classroom, the first thing I noticed was Rowan, already seated at his bench, eyes fixed on the doorway.

  The moment I entered, he rushed over to me.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low, eyes filled with worry.

  I simply nodded. I wasn’t in the mood to think about love or feelings. My heart was still heavy with guilt, with thoughts of Alax.

  I walked toward my bench, but then I felt a gentle grip on my hand from behind. I turned.

  It was Rowan, holding my hand.

  If this had happened before the accident, I would’ve melted with excitement. But now, all I could feel was sadness for Alax.

  “Are you sure?” he asked again, softer this time.

  I nodded once more. He let go of my hand, and I continued toward my seat, where Nora and David were already sitting.

  As soon as I reached them, Nora stood and pulled me into a hug.

  That was it, I broke down, holding her tightly.

  “It was all my fault,” I sobbed.

  “No, it wasn’t your fault… and he’s okay now,” she whispered, gently rubbing my back.

  “I just feel so guilty.”

  “You should stop feeling guilty,” she said. “And… look at the class door.”

  I pulled away from her slowly and turned toward the door.

  There stood Alax, with a small bandage on his forehead and his left arm still in a cast.

  I walked up to him slowly. “Why are you here? You should be resting.”

  “I was getting bored,” he replied with a tired but playful smile.

  “I told him to stay home, but he wouldn’t listen,” Jake said from behind.

  I helped Alax to his seat and sat beside him, as I had promised to take care of him until he fully recovered. He took the window side, and I sat next to him. Behind us sat Rowan and Jake.

  On the bench to our left, Sophia sat, glaring at me, but today, I didn’t care.

  When class ended and the professor left, Alax turned to me.

  “I need water,” he said.

  I grabbed my bottle and brought it to his lips, but he leaned back slightly.

  “No… I need a straw,” he said with a smirk.

  “I don’t have one,” I replied, a little amused.

  Just as I finished my sentence, Rowan leaned forward from the seat behind and handed me a straw.

  “Here,” he said.

  There was something different about Rowan today, he was more present, more… attentive.

  Even now, Rowan’s eyes lingered on me, watching every little moment between Alax and me.

  I couldn’t understand his behavior, it felt different, almost intense.

  But I wasn’t in a place to think about him right now. Not until Alax recovered.

  “I want to go to the washroom,” Alax said suddenly.

  My eyes widened. “How can I… I mean…” I hesitated, unsure.

  He gave me a look and said, “I’m not asking you to take me there.”

  Then he turned his head slightly.

  “Rowan, help me out?”

  Rowan nodded silently and stood up. He came around and stopped right next to me, his eyes briefly meeting mine. I looked at him. I was still confused, unsure of what he was thinking, or why he was looking at me with those eyes.  

Then I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

  “I need to go. Give me way,” Alax said, since he was seated by the window.

  I stood up, letting both of them pass. As they left the room together, I sat back down and turned to Jake, who was playing a game on his phone.

“Hey, Jake… what’s going on with Rowan? He seems different,” I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. I kept my eyes on the desk, not sure if I even wanted to know the answer.

  Jake paused his game mid-swipe, the soft sound of digital explosions fading away as he locked his phone and tucked it into his pocket. He turned to me, his expression shifting from casual to serious.

  “Yeah, he’s been different,” Jake said after a beat. “Since Alax’s accident, he’s been… off. Like, really off. Lost, kind of sad. I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but… it was like his spark went out for a bit.”

  He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice.

  “And when neither of you showed up to class for days, we were all worried. But Rowan? He was something else. Restless. Kept asking if anyone had heard from you. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but... he seemed more than just concerned.”

  I blinked slowly, trying to absorb his words. My heart thudded a little harder. More than just concerned?

  “Rowan was a lot worried,” Jake repeated with emphasis, as if to make sure I didn’t miss it.

  Was he… worried about me? Or was I just overthinking it?

  Or maybe… maybe he was worried for Alax.

  Before I could spiral too deep into that thought, I heard a familiar voice.

  “Hey Aria, how’s he doing?” David asked, walking over with Nora by his side. The two slid into the seats next to me, their eyes warm with concern.

  “He’s okay,” I said, managing a faint smile. It was true, Alax was out of the hospital now, but something inside me still ached.

  “So, you’re officially playing his PA now?” Nora asked with a playful grin, nudging me lightly with her elbow.

  I let out a small laugh. “Apparently.”

  It felt good to laugh, even if just for a second. The weight in my chest didn’t vanish, but it shifted, just a little.

  “Hey, why don’t we all have lunch together today?” Jake suggested, glancing around the group. “Like old times. It’s been forever.”

  The classroom door creaked open at that exact moment, and we all turned toward it.

  “Good idea,” Alax said.

  He stepped into the room. Beside him stood Rowan.

  Rowan’s eyes immediately found mine. For a second, the air around me felt heavier. He didn’t smile, he just watched me, his gaze quiet but sharp, like he was trying to figure something out.

  I quickly looked away.

  Alax walked over to our bench and slid into the empty seat beside me. I stood up automatically to help him adjust his sling......