Chapter 18: The One Who Stays
(Mia Anderson POV)
"Did you sleep?"
I looked up.
Evan stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, eyes careful—like closeness was something he had to measure first.
"A little," I said.
"That's good."
He nodded once. Conversation complete.
Students flowed around us. Laughter. Footsteps. Someone brushed past my arm. Evan didn't move closer.
"You heading to class?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Same."
We walked.
Not together. Just aligned.
I matched his pace without thinking. Realized it. Slowed.
He slowed too.
The silence stretched until it felt intentional.
At the stairs, I stopped. "You don't have to walk me."
"I wasn't—"
"I know." I forced a small smile. "I just mean… you don't have to."
His jaw tightened. "Okay."
That word again.
"I'll see you later," I said.
"Later."
I waited.
He didn't add anything.
I turned and went up the stairs without looking back.
The lecture hall smelled like paper and caffeine. I took a seat near the aisle and opened my notebook.
Blank page.
"You can move if you want."
I looked up.
He wasn't familiar. Tall,Calm, slightly good-looking with light brown hair and dark chocolate brown eyes, he gave off that feeling of a friendly neighborhood nextdoor. Like he hadn't rehearsed standing there.
"I'm fine," I said.
"Cool."
He sat anyway.
Didn't crowd me. Didn't rush.
"I'm Liam," he said after a moment.
"Mia."
"Nice to meet you."
"Yeah."
Silence again.
He pulled out his laptop. Typed. Stopped.
"Does this professor actually care about attendance?" he asked.
"I think he pretends to."
"Respectable."
I smiled before I meant to.
He noticed. Didn't react.
The lecture started. My pen moved. My thoughts didn't.
When the professor asked a question, the room froze.
Liam leaned slightly toward me. "You know the answer."
"I don't."
"You do."
"I really don't."
He smiled. "Then we'll fail quietly."
The professor sighed and moved on.
I exhaled. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"For not volunteering me."
"Anytime."
At the library, he let me choose the table. Sat across from me, not beside.
After a while, he said, "You underline twice."
I glanced down.
"I guess I do."
"Means it matters."
"Or that I'm distracted."
"Usually both."
I looked at him. "You sound like you pay attention."
"I do."
That unsettled me more than it should've.
My phone buzzed.
Evan: You okay?
I stared at it.
Liam glanced up. "Everything good?"
"Yeah."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
He went back to his screen.
No pressure. No follow-up.
I typed back: Yeah.
Three dots appeared.
Then vanished.
I turned my phone face down.
"You want coffee?" Liam asked.
"I already had one."
"That didn't sound convincing."
"I'll live."
"Okay." He stood. "I won't."
He came back and placed a cup beside me.
"I didn't order this," I said.
"I know."
"I didn't ask."
"I know."
I stared at him. "You're confident."
"Only about caffeine."
I laughed quietly.
"That's the first time," he said.
I looked up. "First time what?"
"I've heard you laugh."
I didn't answer. Took a sip instead.
It was perfect.
"How did you—"
"Guess."
I didn't believe him.
Outside, the sun was low. Campus softened.
"You waiting for someone?" he asked.
"Kind of."
"Want company while you wait?"
I hesitated. "You don't have to."
"I know." He shrugged. "I don't mind."
We sat on a bench facing the walkway.
People passed. None of them Evan.
"Can I ask something?" he said.
"You already are."
He smiled. "Fair. You always think before answering?"
"I didn't know I did."
"You do."
"Is that bad?"
"No." A pause. "It means you care."
That landed too close.
"Do you like him?" he asked quietly.
My throat tightened. "Who?"
"The one you're waiting for."
"I don't know."
"That's still an answer."
I shook my head. "You're bold for someone I just met."
"I'm not trying to take anything," he said. "Just asking."
I believed him.
We sat.
My phone buzzed again.
Nothing.
I turned it off.
At my dorm, I stopped. "This is me."
"Cool."
He didn't rush away.
"I'll see you around?" he asked.
"Probably."
He smiled. "Good."
Then—
"If you ever need someone to wait with you," he said, casual as breathing, "I'm usually around."
Something twisted in my chest.
"Okay," I said.
He left.
That night, my phone stayed dark.
I didn't check it.
The next morning, Evan didn't sit near me.
I noticed.
He noticed that I noticed.
We didn't speak.
After class—
"Morning."
I turned.
Liam.
"You look tired," he said.
"I am."
"Coffee?"
I smiled despite myself. "You say that like it fixes things."
"It fixes enough."
We walked.
I didn't look back.
Across the courtyard, Evan stood still.
I felt it—the place where I used to wait
Where I'd stop.
This time, I kept walking.
didn't wait.
. . .
I was halfway down the steps when someone said my name.
"Mia."
I turned.
"Yeah?"
Liam held up my notebook between two fingers, like it had surprised him.
"You dropped this."
"Oh." I took it. "Thanks. I'd have panicked later."
"Most people do."
I slid it into my bag.
Neither of us moved.
"You write your name inside," he said.
I hesitated. "You saw that?"
"It was open."
"Habit," I said.
"Good one."
"For when I forget things."
"Or lose them."
I smiled. He didn't.
Students passed behind us. Noise. Life. A door slammed somewhere down the hall.
"You heading back?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"I'll walk you."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
We took a few steps.
Then he stopped.
"Oh—" he said lightly, like he'd almost forgotten.
"If anyone asks, we met in class."
I frowned. "Why would anyone ask?"
He shrugged. "They probably won't. I just like things… simple."
Simple wasn't the word that stayed with me.
"See you around, Mia."
"See you."
He walked away like nothing had happened.
Later, in my room, I opened my notebook.
Something slipped out.
A folded piece of paper.
I didn't remember putting it there.
I opened it.
Be careful who you wait for.
No name.
No explanation.
I folded it once. Then again. Slid it back between the pages.
I told myself it was nothing.
That felt easier.
I closed the notebook.
Didn't check my messages.
Didn't check the time.
I lay back and stared at the ceiling, thinking about how long I'd been waiting.
My phone buzzed.
Evan: Sorry. Got busy.
I stared at it for a long moment.
Then I typed:
Mia: It's okay. I didn't wait.
I set the phone face down.
It buzzed again.
I didn't look.
The phone kept vibrating...
and then....