Chapter Thirty-Four: Morning After the Study Session
(Ria's POV)
Sunlight poured through my curtains again, but this time it felt different — heavier, sharper, almost like it was judging me. My head throbbed faintly from lack of sleep, my cheeks still warm from… last night.
I rolled onto my side and froze.
The memories of the study session — the long looks, the teasing, his knee brushing mine, the impossibly close moments — came rushing back. And then… that look. That look when he leaned in, whispered my nickname, and my heart had jumped so hard I thought it might break.
I sat up, hugging my knees. Okay, Ria. Deep breath. It's fine. Just… one of those moments. Nothing crazy happened. Right?
I peeked at my phone. No messages. I sighed, trying to convince myself I wasn't thinking too much. But of course I was.
One time can't… I whispered to myself, pressing my face into my hands. It's just… one moment. Nothing changes. Nothing can. I'm fine.
And yet my stomach fluttered nervously, my pulse skipping every time I imagined how close we'd been.
A knock on the door jolted me upright.
"Ria?" It was his voice, calm, soft. "You awake?"
I scrambled for my robe. "Yeah! Uh… come in?"
He stepped inside, holding a bag in one hand — probably coffee — and that half-grin that made me forget how to breathe. "Thought I'd make sure my favorite girl survived the night."
"Survived? Miles…" I buried my face in my hands. "I'm fine."
"Mm-hmm," he said, sitting across from me on the couch. "You're shaking. Totally fine, huh?"
I groaned. "Don't tease me."
He leaned closer, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on mine. "I'm not teasing. I just… care. Wanted to make sure you got home okay last night. You're safe. That's what matters."
I blinked at him. "You… drove me home?"
He nodded. "Of course. That's what responsible people do. And I asked first. Don't worry."
Somehow, my stomach flipped again. "Miles…"
He reached across the coffee table, fingers brushing mine. "You're mine, Threads. Not in a weird way. Just… you know. You're mine."
I wanted to protest, but my throat felt tight. My brain refused to catch up with my heart.
"And," he added softly, "you're not going to get me in trouble, or… you know, panic over nothing. Okay?"
I blinked at him, the nervous warmth pooling in my chest. "Okay. I… yeah. I just… I just really think nothing crazy could happen. One time can't—"
"Nothing crazy will happen," he interrupted gently, thumb stroking the back of my hand. "I promise. You don't need to worry. Not now, not ever."
We sat in silence after that. Not awkward silence — the kind that hums, that makes your chest ache and your stomach flip all at once. His presence was grounding, and yet my heart refused to calm down.
I laughed nervously. "I sound ridiculous, don't I?"
"No," he said, quiet but firm. "You sound like you care about the right things. You sound like… you."
My chest tightened at that. "I… like you, Miles. More than I thought I would."
He smiled, leaning just a little closer, making the world shrink down to this small apartment, to us, to the way our fingers brushed. "I like you too. A lot. More than I can say."
And for a long moment, we just sat there. The sunlight streaming in, textbooks still scattered, final exams looming, the world outside moving on without us.
It felt like the perfect kind of chaos.
And deep down, I knew that whatever happened next, it wouldn't just be a study session anymore. Not after last night, not after this morning.