Ava spent the next day pretending nothing happened in the library, but her body refused to forget. Every time she blinked, she could still feel Nicholas's fingers under her chin…the way his breath brushed her cheek…the way he said sweetheart like she belonged to him.
She walked into class, praying he wouldn't be there.
He was.
Of course he was.
Nicholas sat two rows behind her, hood down, head slightly tilted like he was looking at his notes—but his eyes kept drifting up. Every time she moved, she could feel it, like a pull. A tension. A gravity.
Ava kept her focus locked on her notebook, even though she didn't know a single thing the lecturer said.
When class finally ended, Maya bounced beside her, practically vibrating.
"Tonight's the party!" Maya squealed. "You're coming. No excuses."
"I don't know…" Ava mumbled.
"Yes, you do know. You're coming."
Ava sighed. "I'm not really in a party mood."
Maya gave her a look. "Girl, you have been acting weird since Monday. You need to go out. Shake your ass. Forget Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody."
Ava's stomach twisted. "I'm not thinking about him."
Maya snorted. "Lies. Anyway, you're coming. I already picked an outfit for you."
Ava almost protested—but then she thought of the library. Of how close he'd gotten. Of the way he looked at her like he could read every heartbeat she had.
Maybe getting out of her head would help.
"Fine," Ava muttered. "I'll go."
Maya cheered like they'd won a championship.
Behind them, Ava didn't notice Nicholas standing in the hallway, watching.
He heard every word.
And his jaw flexed when she said she was going.
THE PARTY
The dorm common room was packed—lights flashing, music thumping, bodies moving everywhere. The heat, the smell of sweat, the pulsing bass…it felt like the whole building was alive.
Maya dragged Ava in.
Ava's outfit—courtesy of Maya—was short, tight, and way more revealing than she would ever pick for herself. A fitted top, a skirt that moved every time she breathed, and her hair down around her shoulders.
She felt exposed.
But…powerful.
"Come on," Maya yelled over the music. "Let's dance!"
Ava tried to relax as they joined the crowd. The music made it easier, pushing her hips into motion, letting the beat drown her thoughts.
Ten minutes in, Maya disappeared with someone she knew.
Ava kept dancing, letting herself enjoy the moment—
Until a tall guy with a charming smile appeared in front of her.
"Mind if I join?" he asked.
Ava hesitated. "I—"
"It's just dancing," he said with a grin.
And honestly? She was tired of thinking. Tired of running.
So she nodded.
He stepped closer, hands loose at his sides, not touching her—just dancing with her. He was respectful, easygoing, fun. She actually smiled.
For the first time all week, she felt normal.
Then she felt it.
That shift.
That drop in temperature.
That sensation she knew too well—like someone was staring at her hard enough to freeze the air around her.
She turned.
Nicholas stood at the edge of the crowd.
And he didn't look jealous.
He looked furious.
His jaw was clenched. His eyes were sharp and dark and locked on the guy dancing with her like the music offended him personally.
Ava's heart slammed into her ribs.
Before she could step back, before she could even inhale—
Nicholas moved.
Fast.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
He forced his way through the dancers, grabbed Ava's wrist, and pulled her away so suddenly the guy froze mid-step.
"Hey, man—" the guy started.
Nicholas didn't even spare him a look.
Ava stumbled after him. "Nicholas! Let go!"
He didn't.
He dragged her through the hallway, away from the lights, away from the music, away from everyone—until they were alone near the back stairwell, dim and quiet.
"Are you insane?" Ava snapped, yanking her hand free. "You can't just drag me—"
Nicholas spun around, eyes burning.
"Ava, what the hell were you doing?"
"Dancing!" she shot back. "What does it look like?"
"With him?" His voice dropped, deep and sharp. "You let him put his hands on you?"
"He didn't touch me!"
"He wanted to."
"So what?!"
Nicholas stepped closer. "So I didn't like it."
Ava's breath hitched. "That's not my problem."
"It is," he said, voice low and dangerous, "when you look at him like you don't see me anymore."
Ava froze.
Because she hadn't been looking at the other guy like that.
But Nicholas had been watching. Reading. Misreading.
"You can't do this," Ava whispered. "You can't get angry every time someone talks to me."
Nicholas moved closer. Close enough that his chest almost brushed hers.
"You think I'm angry because someone talked to you?" he whispered.
Ava swallowed. "Then why?"
He leaned in until his breath ghosted across her cheek.
"Because you were letting him have something that isn't his."
Her heartbeat tripped. "Nicholas—"
His hand slammed against the wall beside her head—not hurting her, but caging her in. His other hand slid to her waist, gripping it, pulling her a fraction closer.
"Nicholas, stop—"
"No," he breathed. "Not this time."
Before she could blink, before she could run, before she could form a single thought—
He pinned her fully against the wall.
And kissed her.
Hard.
There was no hesitation, no pause, no space between them. His mouth crashed into hers like he'd been holding back for weeks and finally snapped. His hand came up to her jaw, tilting her face up, deepening the kiss until she had no air, no thoughts, nothing but him.
His body pressed against hers, leaving no space at all.
Ava's gasp melted into his mouth.
She meant to push him away.
She really did.
But the second her hands touched his hoodie—
She pulled him closer.
Nicholas groaned, low and rough, like her kissing him back was the last thing he expected and the only thing he wanted. His fingers slid into her hair, gripping, angling her head as he devoured her like he'd been starving.
The kiss went from heated to desperate.
From desperate to consuming.
From consuming to dangerous.
Ava didn't know who moved first—him or her—but suddenly she wasn't pinned helplessly.
She was kissing him back.
Kissing him like she needed him.
Like she'd been pretending too long.
They only broke apart when the need for air forced it.
Nicholas didn't back away.
Their foreheads touched, breaths mixing, bodies still pressed tightly together.
His voice was wrecked when he spoke.
"Say you didn't feel that," he whispered. "I dare you."
Ava's chest trembled.
She couldn't say it.
She couldn't lie.
Not when her lips were still burning.
Not when her hands were still clutching his hoodie.
Not when her heart was still tripping against her ribs like it wanted to run straight into him.
She opened her mouth—
Before she could speak, footsteps echoed at the end of the hallway.
Maya's voice called out: "Ava? Ava, are you back here?"
Nicholas's jaw tightened.
Ava's heart stopped.
The moment shattered.
She slipped out from under him, breathless and shaken.
"Ava—" he started.
But she didn't let him finish.
She ran back toward the music—toward the noise—toward anywhere that wasn't him.
Nicholas stayed in the hallway, chest rising and falling too fast, hands still trembling from the kiss he'd been dying to give her.
And from the way she kissed him back.