Drip... drip...
Drops of blood landed on the classroom floor, trailing from the corner of Heath's mouth.
Solace hadn't held back.
Heath wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, wincing as he sat down on a nearby chair.
His eyes stayed locked on the door—on the space where Solace had stood just moments ago.
The smirk was gone.
Replaced by silence. And something colder.
"Tch... damn bastard," Heath muttered under his breath.
He glanced at his phone, fingers hovering over the screen.
For a moment, it looked like he might call someone.
But then...
He stopped.
Lowered the phone.
After a few seconds, he let out a breath and leaned back in the chair, head tilting toward the ceiling.
"He's not worth it," he muttered to himself, eyes closing. "None of this is."
And just like that, the fire in him faded.
He sat in silence.
Beaten—yes.
But something deeper had been knocked loose.
And it was over.
.....
"Don't you think we should've beaten him a little more?" Ryan asked from the side.
Honestly, I thought the same.
But going too far with violence—especially in college—is risky. If the administration catches wind of it, we'll both be in trouble.
Heath won't report me. I know the kind of guy he is, and how he operates.
What I gave him today—it wasn't just a fight. It was a warning.
I hope he got the message.
"No need," I told Ryan. "That should be enough."
"Besides, too much violence on campus is bound to get noticed."
"Then what about off-campus?" he said. "We could take him somewhere else and beat the crap out of him there."
I gave a small smile. Typical Ryan.
"Let it go, buddy. I don't think he'll come at me again."
Ryan sighed. "Fine. If that's what you want."
We parted ways after that.
When I got home, I dropped onto my bed. The ceiling fan spun lazily overhead, doing its best to cool the room.
But my chest?
It wasn't calm at all.
I thought I had deleted her from my life. Thought I'd moved on.
But the way I reacted to Heath today—it made me realize something.
She's still there.
Maybe I don't feel the same way as before. Maybe those emotions have dulled over time.
But she's claimed a part of me.
Even if it's just a small part.
What is this feeling?
Love?
No. That can't be it.
Then what?
...Guilt?
Yeah.
That must be it.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated.
Not a call—just a notification.
I picked it up.
"Did you miss me?"
A message from her.
I smiled.
One thing I've come to realize lately—talking to Lily calms me down.
She brings me peace, like still water after a storm.
"Yeah, I did," I replied.
Normally, I would've said something like "Why should I?" just to tease.
But today... I didn't feel like teasing.
Today, I wanted her calm to reach me.
She read the message instantly.
"So why did you miss me?" she asked.
I didn't feel like typing. My fingers felt too heavy.
So I sent a voice message instead.
Our first voice message.
"I don't know."
My voice was quiet, honest.
We've only ever exchanged texts since we started talking.
Unlike before, she didn't open it right away.
I got up and went to the bathroom—still sweaty from earlier.
The cool water was a welcome relief.
When I came back, there was a message waiting for me.
A voice message.
From her.
I froze for a moment.
Her voice... I get to hear her voice?
What does it sound like? I wondered.
Curious, a little nervous, I pressed play.
A soft, serene voice came through the speaker.
"You seem to be in a bad mood. Is something the matter?"
My heart skipped a beat.
Her voice was so gentle.
So sweet.
Like warm sunlight through a window..
____
He read the message.
But... why wasn't he replying?
My cheeks burned. My ears felt hot. That only ever happened when I got really shy—and right now, I was nervous on top of that.
Out of nowhere, Solace had sent me a voice message.
I froze.
I didn't play it immediately.
But when I finally did, his voice—deep and calm—wrapped around me like velvet.
It made me feel... something.
I don't know what.
But it felt different. His voice didn't sound like his usual teasing self. There was something quieter in it. Something weighed down.
Was he upset?
I wanted to ask. I wanted to know what was bothering him.
So I replied.
But not with a text—no, I didn't even think about it.
I sent a voice message back.
Just... on instinct.
And now I was regretting it.
To me, my voice always sounds like a crow's caw. Flat. Weird. Too soft and awkward.
What if he thinks it's annoying?
What if he laughs?
I covered my face with both hands, cringing.
Why did I do that?
Why?!
Just then—ping—a message.
My heart jumped. I opened it nervously.
"Your voice pierced my heart, ma'am. You have such a sweet, gentle voice."
Wait.
What?
I blinked. Re-read it.
He... praised me?
My face went red. I couldn't see myself, but I knew I was blushing like crazy.
He praised me...
But was he serious?
Or was he just trying to flirt again?
I quickly replied:
"You don't need to flatter me, sir. I know my voice isn't that good."
He read it instantly. A few seconds later:
"No, ma'am. I was being honest. When I praise someone, I mean it."
I smiled.
I don't know why, but... I wanted to hear his voice again.
And maybe—I wanted him to hear mine, too.