Chapter 10 - Unexpected Move

Ivy’s POV

I’m absolutely loving college—or should I say, my friend circle. The four of us fit perfectly together, like puzzle pieces.

I do admire Elio. A lot. If only he knew. But honestly, what fascinates me even more is Ray and Aria. They may not have realized it yet, but there’s something more between them than just friendship. And the day they figure it out, I’ll probably be the happiest person on Earth. They think all their little gestures are just friendly, but trust me, they do things for each other that friends simply don’t.

I’ve come to know both Ray and Aria well. They’re so similar, yet so different. They’re like two sides of the same coin, constantly in opposition. If one says this, the other will undoubtedly say that. The funny part is, they both have valid reasons for their arguments—it’s just a matter of perspective.

“Hello, Elio!” I called out, waving as soon as I spotted him. As usual, Ray and Aria hadn’t arrived yet. It’s a weird pattern they’ve fallen into, but never mind.

Elio grinned and ran toward me, a little out of breath by the time he reached.

“Hi,” he said, catching his breath.

“Who asked you to run, huh?” I teased.

“I’ll run from anywhere to wherever you call,” he said with a wink.

That caught me off guard. My cheeks flushed, and I couldn’t think of a reply. Elio is such a flirt!

“Okay, now sit down,” I managed to say, trying to hide my blush.

He shook his head mischievously and raised an eyebrow, gesturing that he was going to sit beside me.

I was confused but moved over to give him space. He settled in, making himself comfortable.

“Aria’s going to kill me for this,” I thought to myself. But then again, how could I say no to Elio? I’d just have to deal with Aria later.

When Aria arrived, she smiled at me and—surprisingly—sat behind me. Wait, what? Was she serious? I turned to look at her, and she smiled again. Suspicious.

I glanced at Elio, who was smirking. He leaned in and whispered, “I met Aria outside. She told me to sit with you.”

Ohhh. Brave move, Aria. I didn’t see that coming.

I murmured to myself, “Didn’t expect that.”

And then Ray arrived. He walked past us like usual, heading toward Aria to sit with—

“Wait…what?” I almost said out loud.

Ray walked past Aria and sat with some new girl. Who even was she? I didn’t think she existed until now.

I shot Elio a questioning look, but he seemed just as shocked. No—actually, he looked more shocked at the sight of the girl than at Ray’s unexpected move.

“Do you know her?” I asked.

“Yeah, she’s Ray’s…friend. That’s all I know. Nothing more…trust me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t ask for her life history. I just asked if you know her. Why are you acting so weird?”

“N-no, it’s just that Ray’s move surprised me…that’s all…”

“Okay, okay.”

Elio’s POV

I tried to play it cool, but inside, I was panicking. I hate lying to Ivy, but what choice did I have?

What the hell is wrong with Ray? Why didn’t he tell me Belli was in our college? And why on earth did he sit with her?

Is he out of his mind? Why is he dragging his past back into the present? It took him so much—both of us so much—to move on from that chapter, and now here we are again.

And what about Aria? How could he hurt her like this? She’s so kind, man! She doesn’t deserve this. She was so excited to sit with him today. She even mentioned she wanted to have a serious talk. And now he’s pulled this stunt.

Honestly, I’m fuming. He’s changed the whole vibe with this one move. I wanted to spend time with Ivy, to get to know her better, her likes and dislikes, everything. But thanks to Ray, that’s gone out the window.

I gently suggested to Ivy that she sit with Aria. Aria must have been feeling awful. Ivy agreed and moved to sit beside her.

Aria was on her phone, but something she saw made her suddenly get up and run out of the classroom.

Her sudden move left me completely stunned. I knew what Ray did was hurtful, but to see her bolt out of the classroom like that? Was it really such a big deal? Or is she just... too emotional?

I couldn’t wrap my head around it. The whole scene replayed in my mind on a loop, but no matter how I dissected it, I couldn’t process what had just happened. Her reaction felt so abrupt, so charged. It left an unsettling weight in the air, one I couldn’t shake off.

I glared at Ray, making it clear he was in deep trouble. If he tried talking to me or Aria or Ivy, he’d regret it. But if he didn’t try to explain himself, it’d be even worse.

And then Ivy and I exchanged a quick glance before rushing out to follow her, but it seemed we were too slow to process what had just happened. By the time we made it outside, she was nowhere to be found.

It was almost like she’d vanished into thin air. Either we were too late, or she was secretly an athlete, running faster than we could ever imagine. Her sudden disappearance left us standing there, confused and concerned, wondering where she could have gone.

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