Maya's POV
I didn't expect things with Kade to change so quickly. One moment, he was the friendly block rep who said hi whenever we crossed paths. The next, it felt like he was looking for me everywhere.
It started with small things.
Whenever I stepped into the hallway, he somehow appeared a few seconds later, asking where I was going or if I'd eaten.
When I passed his door, he always came out like he'd been waiting.
And when I sat outside on the steps one evening just to get fresh air, he came and sat beside me, like it was the most natural thing.
I wasn't used to someone paying that much attention to me.
Not in high school.
Not ever.
So part of me liked it - the feeling of being chosen, noticed, seen. But another part of me felt like everything was moving too fast, like the ground was shifting before I found my balance.
Lily noticed immediately.
The first time she saw Kade walk me back to our door, she gasped so loudly I almost dropped my water bottle.
"Maya!" she whisper-shouted the moment we stepped inside. "He likes you. He so likes you."
I rolled my eyes, even though my heart was racing. "He's just being friendly."
"Friendly?" She pointed at the door dramatically. "Friendly guys do not look at people like that. And he talks to you way more than anyone else."
I sat on my bed, pretending not to think too deeply about it.
But I was thinking deeply about it.
Maybe too deeply.
The next day, he asked if we could walk to the cafeteria together.
The day after, he wanted to study with me.
Then he asked if we could "get closer" and "see where things go."
It felt fast.
Not bad... just fast.
I'd never been in a real relationship before. I didn't even know what I was supposed to feel, or how quickly things were supposed to move. And suddenly having someone so sure about me - someone who looked at me like I was already his choice - it was overwhelming.
When I told Lily about it, she squealed so loudly that people in the hallway probably heard.
"Oh my God, Maya, this is big! I'm so happy for you."
But I didn't know if I was happy yet.
I was curious, flattered, confused, and a little scared.
Like standing at the edge of something I'd never experienced.
Kade liked me - that much was obvious.
But I still needed to figure out if I was ready for how fast he wanted things to go.