Not because something was wrong…
But because he was still looking at me.
Out of everyone standing there—out of all the people he could have noticed—it was me.
My heart pounded so loudly it felt unreal, like it didn't belong in my chest anymore.
Say something.
Move.
Look away.
Do anything.
But I couldn't.
His eyes held mine in a way that made the world fade out completely. Cold, unreadable… yet somehow searching. Like he was trying to figure me out.
And that terrified me.
Because I had spent so long making sure he never noticed me.
"Uh…" Amara suddenly stepped forward, her voice slightly shaky. "Can we help you?"
The moment broke.
Just like that.
He shifted his gaze away from me, turning to her instead, and I felt something strange—something sharp—twist inside my chest.
Relief.
And disappointment.
"Move."
His voice was low. Calm. Controlled.
Not loud.
Not angry.
But it didn't need to be.
It was the kind of voice people listened to without questioning.
Without thinking.
Without breathing.
Amara immediately stepped aside, pulling me with her.
I stumbled slightly, my eyes dropping to the ground as he walked past us.
Don't look at him.
Don't look at him.
Don't—
I looked.
Of course I did.
And just for a second—just one small, dangerous second—his head tilted ever so slightly.
Like he knew.
Like he could feel my gaze.
My breath caught again.
Then he was gone.
"What. Was. That?!"
Amara's voice exploded beside me the second he disappeared into the building.
I blinked, still trying to process what had just happened.
"I—I don't know…"
"You don't know?!" she whisper-yelled. "He literally stopped in front of you!"
"He stopped in front of us," I corrected quickly.
But even I didn't believe that.
Amara crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at me. "No. That was not 'us.' That was you."
I shook my head, forcing a small laugh. "You're overthinking it."
"I'm not overthinking anything," she said. "I saw the way he looked at you."
My stomach tightened.
"You're imagining things."
But she wasn't.
And that scared me more than anything.
The rest of the day felt… off.
Like something had shifted.
Every hallway I walked through, every classroom I sat in—it all felt different.
Like I was being watched.
Like something had started that I couldn't stop.
By the time school ended, I just wanted to go home, lock my door, and forget everything.
Forget him.
Forget that moment.
Forget the way my heart reacted like it belonged to him.
I was halfway down the empty corridor when I heard it.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Steady.
Behind me.
My grip tightened around my bag, my pace quickening slightly.
Don't turn around.
It's nothing.
You're just overthinking—
"Hey."
My entire body froze.
That voice.
There was no way I wouldn't recognize it.
Slowly—hesitantly—I turned around.
And there he was.
Standing a few steps behind me.
Closer than he had ever been before.
Too close.
My heart started racing all over again.
"Y-you're talking to me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
His expression didn't change.
Did it ever?
"Yes."
Just one word.
Simple.
Direct.
Dangerous.
I swallowed hard. "Why?"
A pause.
A small one.
But enough to make my thoughts spiral.
Then—
"I've seen you before."
My breath hitched.
Of course he had.
I was always there.
Always watching.
Always—
"Watching me."
My heart stopped.
Oh no.
Oh no no no—
"I—what? No! I wasn't—" I started, panicking instantly.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
Not angry.
Just… focused.
Like he was enjoying this.
Like he already knew the truth.
"Relax," he said calmly. "I didn't say it was a problem."
That didn't make it better.
That made it worse.
Way worse.
"I don't—" I tried again, but my words failed me.
Why was this happening?
Why was he talking to me?
He took a step closer.
And I swear the air disappeared completely.
"Do you always stare," he said quietly, "or am I just special?"
Heat rushed to my face so fast it was embarrassing.
"I don't stare!" I blurted out.
A lie.
A terrible one.
And he knew it.
I could see it in the slight tilt of his head… the almost invisible hint of amusement in his eyes.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
The silence stretched.
Tight.
Electric.
Dangerous.
Then—
"Be careful."
My brows furrowed slightly. "What?"
His expression darkened just a little.
"People who look too closely…" he said, his voice dropping, "tend to see things they shouldn't."
A chill ran down my spine.
And yet… I didn't look away.
I couldn't.
Because beneath the warning…
There was something else.
Something unspoken.
Something that felt like the beginning of everything.
He turned and walked away.
Just like that.
Leaving me standing there, heart racing, thoughts spinning, completely lost in something I didn't understand anymore.
Something I couldn't control.
Something dangerous.
And somehow…
I knew this wasn't the end.
It was only the beginning.