Chapter Eight: Subtle Shifts
The morning sunlight streamed through the dorm window, casting soft gold across the floor and the edges of my scattered books. Somehow, everything looked warmer than usual. I wasn't sure if it was the light, the scarf, or… the flowers on my desk.
I picked up the pale blue petals again, inhaling their faint, clean scent. Something inside me tugged, a strange mixture of comfort and… excitement.
I wasn't supposed to feel this way. Not about someone I barely knew, someone who had appeared in my life like a storm and left a scar that still throbbed. And yet…
A soft knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts.
"Aira! Open up before I explode!"
Sophia's voice always seemed louder than it should, carrying that energy that could fill a room twice the size of our dorm.
I opened the door, squinting at her. She grinned, one hand on her hip. "Seriously, you've been staring at those flowers for twenty minutes straight. Are you… falling for him?"
I blinked, nearly choking. "What? No! I'm… not…"
Her laugh cut me off. "Please. I can read you like an open book. You're smiling at a bouquet from some mysterious man who shows up out of nowhere? Yeah. That's definitely falling. Slowly, but surely."
I groaned, closing the door partially to hide my blush. "He's not… I mean, I don't even—"
"Stop." Sophia wagged a finger at me. "Stop pretending you're not thinking about him. Your hands are shaking, your cheeks are warm, and you've been writing his name in your notebook like a secret code."
My heart jumped. I hadn't done that. Not… consciously. But now, thinking back, maybe I had.
"What's his name?" Sophia pressed, leaning closer with that teasing sparkle in her hazel eyes. "I need details. Height? Voice? Mysterious factor? Smile danger level?"
I hesitated, feeling a small thrill at the thought. "I… don't know him well," I said carefully. "I… met him at... He… um…"
"Rowan Royce?" Sophia's voice dropped to a dramatic whisper, though her eyes shone with amusement. "Let me guess. Dark hair, cold eyes, intimidating as hell, and yet somehow… makes your heart skip?"
My stomach tightened. How did she know?
"Yes," I admitted, barely above a whisper.
Her grin widened. "Finally! Something I suspected! There's something fishy going on there. And I'm going to find out exactly what it is. You can't just—oh, no—you can't just smile at someone like that and act like it's normal. That's dangerous, Aira Grace."
"I'm not smiling at him," I protested. "Not… deliberately."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure. Tell yourself that. But you're sneaky. And subtle. And he… he's watching, isn't he?"
I froze. "What do you mean?"
Her grin softened slightly, but suspicion still lingered. "I don't know. You two… there's something off. Something… secret. I can't see him, but I feel it. The air changes when you mention his name. I notice it."
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice calm. "He… he's not dangerous. I mean… not like he seems."
Sophia tilted her head. "That's exactly why I'm worried. You're falling, and he's… well, Rowan Royce doesn't do casual. He doesn't… mess around. And yet… you keep smiling like a fool whenever I say his name."
I bit my lip, feeling a warmth creep into my cheeks. I couldn't deny it. Not anymore.
A sudden ping from my phone broke the moment. A new message. Unknown number.
I hesitated… then opened it.
Rowan: "Good morning, Aira. Did the flowers survive the night?"
I blinked, heart skipping. I typed quickly.
Aira: "Yes… they're beautiful. I… like them. You were right, they were necessary."
The response was almost immediate.
Rowan: "Good. Necessary things must reach the right hands. You mustn't forget that, Aira."
I laughed softly to myself, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. Something about his words, so measured, so watchful, made my chest tighten.
I typed back, teasingly.
Aira: "So… do you send all your 'necessary' gifts to random girls, or is this… special?"
The pause was short this time.
Rowan: "Not special. Just… watched closely."
I raised an eyebrow. Watched closely? My fingers hovered over the keyboard, smiling at the thought, yet feeling an odd flutter.
Aira: "Ah… watched closely. That sounds… comforting… and a little terrifying."
His reply came instantly.
Rowan: "Terrifying is subjective. For some, it is protection. For others… a warning. You will learn the difference soon."
My pulse quickened. I could practically hear him saying it, low, controlled, like he did last night. Protective. Commanding. Dark.
I set the phone down, leaning back against my pillows. Sophia's words replayed in my mind: "Something fishy is going on. He's watching."
The thought made a strange thrill run through me. Watching. He was watching me. Me. Aira Grace.
"Are you seriously sitting there, staring at your phone again?" Sophia's voice jolted me.
I looked up to find her leaning over the bed,
eyes sharp and teasing. "You've been giggling alone for the past five minutes. Who's making you smile like that?"
I flushed and glanced down. "No one… just… messages."
"Messages," she repeated, eyebrows raised. "Unknown number? Oh, I see. This is dangerous territory, my friend. Secret admirers, mysterious men… are you insane?"
"I… it's complicated," I admitted.
"Of course it is," Sophia said with a smirk.
"Anything involving Rowan Royce is complicated. Mark my words. There's more to him than you see, and I promise… something about this will not end normally."
I shook my head, smiling despite myself. "You worry too much."
"Maybe," she said, still smiling. "But I also know you. And something is shifting. Your smile is different these days. Lighter, maybe… happier. But careful. Watch him. Watch everything. Secrets are dangerous with people like him."
I didn't answer, my mind already drifting back to the phone and the dark, compelling man who had sent flowers, silk scarves, and words that seemed… impossibly precise.
He watched. He was protective. And maybe, somewhere deep, he cared.
I leaned back, letting the scarf slip around my shoulders. The silk was soft against my skin, and the scent—the faint memory of leather, night air, and something distinctly him—made me shiver.
I typed back quickly.
Aira: "Do you always check on people this closely?"
The reply was almost immediate, but brief.
Rowan: "Only the ones worth watching."
I set the phone down, heart racing.
Worth watching.
The words pulsed in my mind. I couldn't explain why, but it felt like a small fire had been lit inside me. One that made me acutely aware of the empty spaces of the dorm room, of the quiet corners, and… of him.
Outside, I couldn't see him. But I felt him.
Watching. Waiting.
And slowly, painfully, unwillingly… I realized something dangerous.
I was falling.
For him.