Chapter 8 - Blushes and Bonds

Aria's POV

To be honest, I didn’t want to wake up, but college was the only place where I found a shred of happiness—away from all the chaos. I don’t know if my dad will ever agree to my project, but the submission deadline is at the end of this month, so I still have time to set things right.

Frankly, I don’t have much hope, but still, I have to get it done by hook or by crook.

I got ready and went downstairs, where Dad was sitting. I greeted him with a “Good morning.” He replied, but not warmly. Ugh, never mind. I had my breakfast quickly and headed off to college.

As soon as I reached campus, I spotted Ray. I called out, "Hey!" but he didn’t even glance my way.

Wait—who’s that girl he’s with? I’ve never seen her around before.

Ray's POV

I was talking to someone when Aria came over. “Hello,” she said.

“Heyyy, hii!” I replied, giving her a high five.

“Meet her,” I said, gesturing to the girl beside me. “This is Belli, my school friend. She just joined the college today. And this is Aria, Belli.”

“Oh, hi!” Aria greeted Belli, her enthusiasm sounding a bit...off. Belli returned the greeting with the same energy, though I couldn’t help but think there was a hint of awkwardness in the exchange. Girl things, probably. Who cares?

“You told her about that incident?” Belli asked, catching me completely off guard.

What? I didn’t want that brought up now—not in front of Aria, at least. I wanted her to know eventually, but not like this. She’s an overthinker, and if she gets wind of this now, she’ll spiral into a storm of unnecessary worry.

“What thing?” Aria asked, her eyes narrowing at me.

“N-nothing. She just rambles a lot. Don’t take her seriously,” I said quickly, trying to cover it up.

“Oh, okay,” Aria said, though I could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced.

Belli laughed, but the tension in the air didn’t dissipate.

Elio was absent today. Ugh! Why didn’t he inform me? Now I’ll have to sit alone.

I headed to class and noticed the seat in front of me was empty, meaning Ivy wasn’t here either. That left an open possibility—

Aria and I could sit together. If she agreed, that is.

When I saw her walking in, I waved her over.

“What happened?” she asked, her brow raised.

“Elio isn’t here today,” I said, making exaggerated expressions.

“So?”

“And Ivy’s absent too.”

“So what, Ray?”

“Can we sit together?” I blurted out in one breath, knowing rejection would sting.

“Is that even a question to ask, Ray?” she said, sounding incredulous. “It’s so obvious! You’re seriously unbelievable. And you took an eternity to ask this?”

“Well, I never know what mood you’re in. You’re so moody! That’s why I have to be careful,” I replied, sarcasm lacing my voice.

Before she could respond, someone interrupted.

“Can I sit here?” the voice asked.

We both answered simultaneously, “No!”

The girl, clearly taken aback, looked dejected. Realizing how harsh we’d sounded, I quickly tried to soften the blow.

“Sorry, Belli. Aria’s already sitting here,” I said, feigning sadness. Of course, I wasn’t actually sad—why would I be? Aria sitting with me was fantastic.

Aria looked pleased, almost proud. She’s the type of girl who gets happy over the smallest things. That’s what I like most about her. After Elio, she’s the person I’ve opened up to the most.

As soon as Aria settled beside me, she remarked, “Belli looked upset.”

“Yeah, I know, but she wasn’t even that good a friend in school. Why should I choose her over you?”

Aria smiled, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

“You look good when you blush,” I teased, grinning at her.

She turned her face away, trying to hide her growing blush. She’s such a cutie, I must say.

Aria's POV

Ray and his teasing! Sometimes I wish I could escape, but never mind. He’s my friend, so yeah.

The lecture began, and we diligently jotted down the important points. At one point, my left arm brushed against his right. I felt shivers—not from anxiety this time, but from something I couldn’t quite explain. It was...nice.

Ray immediately glanced at me, concerned. I blinked, silently reassuring him that I was fine. To show I was genuinely okay, I lightly grabbed his arm with my wrist, letting my fingers rest on the table. My eyes blinked again, conveying comfort and happiness.

He smiled back. Such a gentleman.

Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Belli had mentioned earlier. Ray told me not to overthink, but I knew he was hiding something. I didn’t press at the time, but I’d find out eventually.

Ray's POV

Now that Aria seems comfortable, I feel a sense of victory. Her touch sent a shiver through me, and my heart raced like crazy.

It was break time, and Belli joined us. I didn’t want her to, but I couldn’t be rude after... No, Ray, stop thinking about that incident. The past should stay in the past.

Aria, being the kind soul she is, didn’t seem to mind much.

When I asked Belli if she wanted something from the canteen, she replied, “You already know what I like, don’t you?”

I glanced at Aria, who was already staring at me with a mix of shock and something else—her eyes seemed to ask if I treated everyone the same way I treated her.

“Sorry, Belli, but I don’t remember. That was ages ago in school, and I only got you something once or twice.”

“Brownie,” she said with a sly smile.

“Okay, I’m coming. You two talk in the meantime,” I said, gesturing that I’d be back soon.

“Wait, ask Aria what she wants! It’s rude, Ray,” Belli added, her tone laced with something unpleasant. Was she trying to make Aria feel left out?

“He already knows what I want,” Aria shot back with a confident smile.

I nodded, signaling that I understood.

Belli’s stunned expression didn’t go unnoticed.

While buying the snacks, it hit me—Belli might have ulterior motives. Her interactions with Aria felt off. I need to stay alert.

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