The library clock ticked steadily, its sound barely audible over the rustle of pages and the occasional click of laptop keys. Isabel sat tucked in the corner of the campus library, her fingers gripping a pen tightly, though she hadn't written anything in over fifteen minutes. Her eyes had long drifted away from her notes to the window where gray clouds gathered thickly. It matched her mood perfectly—tense, uncertain, and waiting for the inevitable.
It had been three days since she last saw Adrian.
Three days of unanswered texts.
Three days since their kiss in the lecture room where time seemed to have stood still, yet real life came crashing back down just as quickly.
He had pulled away after that—gently, respectfully—but he had still pulled away.
Jude plopped down beside her with a bottle of iced tea and a knowing look. "Still nothing?"
Isabel shook her head slowly.
Jude sighed. "Is he ghosting you or just trying not to ruin both your lives?"
"I honestly don't know," she murmured. "Maybe both."
Jude opened his laptop but didn't turn it on. "He's not an idiot, Iz. If anything, he's... too careful. You just caught him off guard. Maybe he's figuring out how to deal with this without hurting you."
Isabel looked up, her eyes soft but rimmed with fatigue. "But it's already hurting."
Before Jude could respond, a sharp vibration sounded from Isabel's phone. Her breath caught as she read the message.
Adrian:We need to talk. Please meet me tonight. Same place.
Isabel stared at it for several seconds before showing Jude.
Jude tilted his head. "So he's not running. That's... a start?"
Isabel nodded slowly. "Yeah. A start."
—
Later that Night
She wore a simple black sweater dress and boots—nothing too loud, but still something she felt confident in. When Isabel arrived at Adrian's office, the lights were low. He stood by the window, hands in his pockets, staring out at the darkened campus.
He turned when he heard the door click shut behind her.
"You came."
"You asked."
A beat passed. The silence between them felt heavier than words.
Adrian exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I shouldn't have kissed you."
Isabel's heart ached. She swallowed and stepped closer. "Then why did you?"
He paused. "Because I wanted to. Because you're not just some student I noticed one day. You... you make me feel things I haven't let myself feel in years."
His voice cracked slightly, and Isabel softened. "Then what's holding you back? My age?"
"Yes. And no." He looked at her, eyes tired. "You're young. You still have your whole life ahead of you. And me... I have a complicated one that you don't deserve to be tangled in."
Her brows furrowed. "Let me choose whether I want to be tangled in it or not."
Adrian walked toward her then, slowly, carefully, like he was stepping through a minefield. "I'm terrified, Isabel. Of hurting you. Of losing everything. But mostly... of how much I want you."
The air between them thickened. Isabel reached up and touched his jaw gently. "Then stop running."
This time, when he kissed her, it was deliberate, desperate, honest. Every part of it tasted like longing held too long beneath the surface. Adrian's arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her slightly as her hands tangled in his shirt. They didn't speak. There were no more explanations. Just breath and skin and the ache of restraint giving way.
But just as things started to ignite, a loud knock shattered the moment.
They broke apart quickly, hearts racing.
"Adrian Cole, open up. It's Mrs. Harper."
Adrian's face turned pale. Isabel froze.
Shadows. Closing in.
—
Elsewhere
Daniel stood in his car across the parking lot. He watched the window of Adrian's office go dark. He had followed Isabel here. He knew she had something going on.
And now he had proof.
He opened his phone and hit record.
—
Across Town
Vanessa Cole tugged her leather jacket tighter around herself as she waited outside a nondescript building downtown. A moment later, Zara stepped out, her long red braids tied up in a high ponytail, a paint-splattered apron still hanging loosely around her waist.
"You're late," Zara said with a smirk.
"You love it," Vanessa shot back, but her smile faded a little. "Z, we need to talk."
Zara's grin faded too. "About what?"
Vanessa hesitated. "I don't want to keep us a secret anymore."
Zara blinked. "Are you serious?"
Vanessa nodded. "If I can't be real about us, then what's the point?"
Zara leaned in and kissed her—right there on the sidewalk. A few people walked by, but Vanessa didn't care. For the first time in forever, she felt seen. Honest. Herself.
But across the street, someone was watching.
And taking photos.
—
Back at the Office
Mrs. Harper stepped in just as Adrian opened the door.
"Professor Cole," she said coldly, her eyes narrowing. "Why was your office light on after hours?"
"I was catching up on grading," he lied smoothly. "Is something wrong?"
She glanced around the room, and though she saw nothing, her suspicion lingered.
"I expect you to be cautious. Faculty are under review this semester, and inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated."
She turned and left, but the weight of her presence remained.
Isabel crept out from the storage closet minutes later, heart pounding.
Adrian looked at her and gave a shaky laugh. "Well... that was close."
She exhaled and chuckled softly. "Too close."
But she wasn't going to back down.
Neither was he.
Even if the shadows were creeping in.