Chapter Eight: Between Silence and Sparks
The next morning on campus felt different, though nothing around me had changed. Students still hurried past with backpacks slung over their shoulders, laughter still floated from the café near the faculty building, and the air still carried that familiar mix of dust and fresh rain. Yet inside me, something had shifted—quietly, uneasily.
Bella's presence lingered in my thoughts more than I cared to admit. Not because she had been unkind—she hadn't—but because she fit too easily into Lucas's world. Where I was careful and reserved, she was calm and confident. Where I weighed every word, she spoke with effortless ease. And Lucas… Lucas looked at her like someone he understood.
I tried to push the thoughts away and focus on what mattered—our industrial training project. Still, no matter how hard I tried to stay buried in my notes, my eyes kept drifting to the far end of the training hall where Lucas usually sat.
He wasn't there yet.
For reasons I didn't want to analyze, his absence unsettled me more than his presence ever did.
I was arranging my documents when footsteps sounded beside me. I didn't need to look up to know who it was.
"You start work early for someone who pretends not to care," Lucas's familiar voice teased.
I glanced up slowly. He stood there with that same relaxed posture, one hand in his pocket, eyes studying me with quiet amusement. No Bella in sight.
"I care about my grades, not about pretending," I replied evenly. "There's a difference."
He laughed softly and pulled out a chair, sitting opposite me. "Still sharp. Good. I'd be disappointed if you changed overnight."
I hesitated before speaking. "Is Bella joining us today?"
For a brief second, something unreadable flickered across his face. Then the smirk returned. "Straight to the point, hm? No, she's not part of this session. Different schedule."
"Oh," I said quietly, surprised at the faint relief that washed over me.
He tilted his head slightly, studying me. "Why? Were you hoping she would?"
"I was only asking for planning purposes," I said quickly. "This is a group project."
Lucas's eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than necessary before he leaned back in his chair. "Relax, planner girl. You're safe from distractions today."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the small smile that escaped me.
As the session went on, the familiar rhythm between us returned—heated debates over ideas, quick exchanges of sarcasm, moments where our thoughts aligned so perfectly it was almost unsettling. Every time our hands brushed while reaching for the same document, a quiet jolt ran through me, sharp and unexpected.
I didn't look at him when it happened, but I felt it.
He noticed it too.
Later, as we stepped out of the hall into the open courtyard, the breeze stirred the trees above us. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The chatter of other students filled the space between our silence.
"You've been quieter since yesterday," Lucas said at last.
I shrugged. "Just tired."
"That's not it."
I stopped walking and turned to him. "Why does everything have to mean something with you?"
His expression softened, just a little. "Because people usually hide behind their silence."
My heart skipped, unsteady. "You talk like you understand people."
"I understand reactions," he said. "And yours changed."
Before I could respond, a familiar voice called his name.
"Lucas!"
Bella approached us, smiling as always, her presence instantly shifting the air between us. "I was looking for you," she said.
Lucas straightened and returned her smile. "What's up?"
She glanced at me politely. "Hope I'm not interrupting."
"No," I replied quickly, stepping back. "We're done for the day anyway."
Lucas's gaze followed me for a moment longer than necessary. "See you tomorrow, Rose."
I nodded and turned away before my emotions could betray me.
As I walked back toward the hostel, I realized how fragile the balance had become—how easy it was for a simple glance, a simple presence, to tilt everything. I didn't know what I was feeling exactly. It wasn't love. It wasn't jealousy. It was something far more confusing… something that lingered in silence and sparked without warning.
And Lucas—playful, unreadable Lucas—was at the center of it all.