Ava walked through the quiet campus, the evening air cool and damp from the earlier rain. The streets were almost empty, but she could still feel it—the ghost of Nicholas Wolfe's presence clinging to her even though he wasn't there. Her chest ached, a strange mix of longing and frustration she refused to name.
She had tried to avoid him. She had tried to ignore the way her thoughts kept returning to the warmth of his hand, the intensity of his gaze, the way he made the world shrink until it was just the two of them.
And yet… she couldn't.
Somehow, inexplicably, he had embedded himself into every corner of her mind. Every heartbeat seemed synced to his presence, even when he wasn't around.
She sighed, pressing her fingers against her temples, trying to calm the storm inside her. She wasn't going to fall. Not fully. Not yet.
Yet the universe had other plans.
"Hey," a voice said, cutting through her thoughts.
Ava froze, her chest tightening. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but she did anyway.
Nicholas stood a few steps away, leaning casually against the railing of the small courtyard. His hoodie was dry now, but his hair still had a few damp strands clinging to his forehead. His dark eyes, usually so unreadable, softened slightly as they landed on her.
"Hi," she whispered, careful not to let her voice betray the quickening of her pulse.
"Mind if I walk with you?" he asked.
Ava hesitated. Every part of her mind screamed to run, to keep her distance. But the rest—the part of her that had grown used to his presence, that had tasted the intensity of his attention—was curious. And maybe, just maybe… she wanted to see him.
"Okay," she said finally, keeping her voice neutral.
They walked side by side in silence, the crunch of wet leaves under their feet the only sound for several minutes. Ava refused to glance at him. She couldn't. She didn't want to.
"You're quiet," Nicholas said finally.
"I'm… thinking," she replied.
He hummed softly, the sound low and contemplative. "About what?"
"About… nothing," she said, too quickly.
Nicholas smirked, a small, dangerous curve of his lips that made her stomach twist. "Nothing, huh?"
Ava remained silent, her eyes fixed on the ground. She could feel his gaze on her, like a tangible weight pressing against her shoulder.
"You know," he continued softly, "you have no idea how tempting it is to just… reach for you right now."
Ava's breath hitched. She tried to swallow the sudden lump in her throat.
"You shouldn't say things like that," she whispered.
"Why not?" he countered, stepping a fraction closer. His voice was barely above a whisper, intimate enough to make her shiver. "It's the truth."
Ava's steps faltered. Her heart thumped in her chest, loud enough she feared he could hear it.
"Even if it's dangerous?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Nicholas's eyes darkened, sharp and intense. "The most dangerous things… are always the most tempting."
For a moment, the world seemed to shrink around them. The distant lights of the campus, the rustle of leaves, the empty paths—all faded until it was just the two of them. Her pulse raced, her breaths coming shallow and fast. She wanted to turn, to run, but she couldn't.
Nicholas noticed.
Slowly, deliberately, he stopped walking. Ava's steps faltered too, bringing them to an unspoken standstill in the middle of the courtyard.
He leaned closer, just slightly, and Ava felt the warmth radiate from him. His dark eyes held hers, unblinking, intense.
"You don't have to say it," he murmured. "I can feel everything you're not telling me."
Ava swallowed hard, heart hammering. She couldn't look away. And she didn't.
For a moment, the air between them thickened. His presence was overwhelming—magnetic, intoxicating, terrifying. She wanted to pull away, yet a part of her wanted to lean into it.
"You're… close," she whispered, barely audible.
"And you like it," he countered softly. His lips were almost brushing against her ear. "Admit it."
"No," she said quickly, forcing her voice to be steady, but her words were weak.
Nicholas chuckled low and soft, the sound vibrating through her chest. "Try again," he murmured, letting his hand hover near hers. Not touching. Just close enough to make her pulse spike.
Ava's throat was dry. "I—"
Before she could finish, a sudden clap of thunder rolled across the sky, startling her. She jumped slightly, and Nicholas laughed softly. "See? Even the weather knows when it's dangerous."
"You're ridiculous," she said, trying to push a smile onto her face, but it faltered.
"Maybe," he admitted. "But that's the problem with me—I'm hard to resist."
Her stomach twisted. And she realized, painfully, that resisting him wasn't the issue. It was ignoring him. That was impossible.
He stepped just a little closer, and her back pressed against the railing. Their faces were inches apart now. The space between them was electric.
"You're trembling," he said quietly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"I'm… fine," she whispered, though she wasn't.
Nicholas's hand rested just barely at her side, almost touching her arm. The heat from his body was searing. His lips hovered near hers, not moving, just close enough to make her heart skip a beat.
"Don't," she said softly, though her voice betrayed her desire.
"Don't what?" he asked, voice low, teasing.
"Don't… tempt me."
Nicholas's smirk deepened. "I'm not tempting you. I'm… reminding you how it feels."
Her pulse raced uncontrollably. She wanted to look away, to step back, but she couldn't. Her entire body was frozen, suspended between fear, anticipation, and an aching longing she refused to name.
A heavy silence settled over them, charged with unspoken words. They were so close that Ava could feel the faint brush of his breath. Her chest tightened. She wanted to push away, to breathe, to think—but every instinct told her not to.
"Eventually," Nicholas whispered, voice barely audible, "you're going to give in."
Ava's heart skipped, and she wanted to argue, to deny it, to flee—but she didn't. She couldn't.
And just like that, the tension hung there, thick and suffocating, neither willing to break it… not yet.
Because some lines, some moments, were meant to tease the heart before they broke it.
And both of them knew this was one of those moments.