Crossing Lines

Aiden had tried to focus on his classes, on the tasks ahead, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Aria. It was maddening how she seemed to haunt him. Even when she wasn’t physically around, he could almost feel her presence, like an itch he couldn’t scratch. Every time he saw her—those glances, that brief meeting of eyes—he couldn’t help but feel drawn to her, like gravity pulling him in.

But Aria? She remained distant, lost in her world. She seemed to go out of her way to avoid him, like she could sense his desire to get closer. And yet, when she wasn’t looking at him, when she was just out of his reach, he couldn’t help but notice the way her lips would tremble ever so slightly when she laughed, or how she absentmindedly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear when she was focused. It drove him insane.

Sienna wasn’t any better off.

She’d spent the entire morning trying to avoid Damon’s presence. It was becoming increasingly difficult, especially when he seemed to show up everywhere. Whether it was in the hallways between classes, or during lunch, he was always there—smirking, leaning against a wall, acting like he was the king of the world.

But it wasn’t the smirk that bothered her. No, it was the way he looked at her. Like he knew something she didn’t. Like he could see right through the tough exterior she’d built. Every time their eyes locked, it felt like a challenge, like he was daring her to let her guard down.

And it pissed her off.

At lunch, Aiden had his usual seat by the window. He always sat alone, his mind too consumed with thoughts of Aria to focus on anyone else. But today, as he sat there, he felt like someone was watching him. His gaze snapped up and, sure enough, there she was—sitting at a table across the room, looking at him. But it wasn’t a casual glance. No, her eyes were intense, as if she was trying to read him, trying to figure him out.

He felt his heart rate spike, his palms going clammy. He had to be imagining things. He couldn’t know for sure if she was really looking at him like that, could he? And yet, it felt like she was.

Just as he was about to stand and walk over, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey."

He turned, startled. It was Damon, standing at his shoulder with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You okay, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost," Damon teased, sliding into the chair opposite Aiden.

Aiden didn’t respond right away. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Aria, who was now looking away as if she’d never made eye contact in the first place.

"Aria, huh?" Damon followed Aiden’s gaze, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You can’t stop thinking about her, can you?"

Aiden tensed, a flash of annoyance bubbling up inside him. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Damon leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Yeah, right. Keep pretending like you don’t care, but we both know it’s killing you."

Aiden shot him a glare. "Stay out of it, Damon."

Damon chuckled, not phased by Aiden’s harsh tone. "You know, I’ve never seen you like this before. You’re obsessed. Obsessed, man." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low, almost teasing whisper. "And she doesn’t even know you exist, does she?"

That hit a little too close to home.

Aiden’s jaw clenched. "Shut up."

Damon smirked. "You think she doesn’t notice? Trust me, she does. She’s just playing hard to get. You want to know how I know that?" He leaned even closer, as if sharing a secret. "Because I’ve seen it before. And let me tell you, the harder you try, the more she’ll pull away. You’ve got to be smarter than that, man."

Aiden didn’t respond. He was too busy watching Aria, too consumed with the way her lips were curling into a faint smile as she chatted with her friends. His heart beat faster, but not from excitement. It was frustration.

Sienna, for once, couldn’t avoid Damon.

He sat down beside her, his casual demeanor as infuriating as ever. "You look like you’ve got something on your mind," he said, eyeing her closely.

Sienna didn’t look at him. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. "None of your business," she muttered, taking a sip of her drink.

Damon didn’t take the hint. He was relentless, like always. "Come on, Sienna. I can tell when something’s bugging you. You’re not fooling me."

She glared at him now, her eyes sharp. "Why do you care?"

Damon smirked, unbothered by her sharp tone. "I just do. But you’re not making it easy for me, are you?"

Sienna crossed her arms over her chest, trying to push down the unexpected flutter of heat that rushed through her at his words. "I’m not interested in playing games with you, Damon."

He didn’t back down. "That’s a lie."

She blinked, taken aback. "What?"

"You are interested," Damon said, his voice a low rumble. "You just don’t want to admit it."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she refused to show him that she was affected. "Whatever you think, Damon," she said, standing up quickly. "I’m done here."

But as she walked away, she felt his eyes on her, burning into her back. She didn’t know what was worse—the heat of his gaze or the cold, tingling feeling running through her veins.

Later that day, Aiden was still lost in his thoughts. He couldn’t get Aria out of his mind. The way her eyes held that vulnerability, that fear of letting someone in. But why?

He had to know.

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