Casey
By the time I reached school, my chest already felt tight.
It wasn't nerves exactly, it was more like that quiet pressure that comes when you know you're about to do something you've been putting off for too long. The corridors were louder than usual, footsteps echoing, lockers slamming, voices overlapping. I spotted Emily and Preeti near the stairs, but I didn't stop. If I hesitated now, I wouldn't do it at all.
Jack was near the vending machines, backpack slung over one shoulder, staring at his phone like it held all the answers he didn't want to say out loud.
"Jack."
He looked up. For just a second, his face changed. The tiredness was still there, but something softened. His lips curved faintly, not his usual bright smile, just a small, restrained one, like he was relieved and afraid at the same time. It made my chest warm in a way I hated noticing.
"Hey," he said. That single word almost undid me. "You've been avoiding me," I said before I could talk myself out of it. His shoulders stiffened. "I haven't." "You have," I said, quieter now. "You barely even look at me."
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. For a moment, it seemed like he was about to laugh, like he was going to brush it off and tell me something honest. His mouth opened, then closed again.
"I've just been tired," he said. "Can we not do this right now?"
"Not do what?" My voice cracked despite myself. "Talk?"
His jaw tightened. "You're reading into things that aren't there."
That hurt more than I expected.
"I just wanted to know if I did something wrong," I said. "We used to talk. And now you don't even—"
"Casey," he interrupted, sharper now. "You're making this bigger than it is." The warmth drained out of me, replaced by something cold and embarrassed. "So that's it?" I asked. "I imagined everything?" "I didn't say that," he snapped. "Why do you always assume it's about you?"
The words landed hard.
People were starting to look. I could feel it, the shift in the air, the attention pulling toward us. My face burned.
"I just wanted you to be honest with me," I said. "That's all." His expression changed then. Not anger exactly—frustration, maybe. Or something worse. He took a step closer, then stopped himself, hands clenched at his sides. "I don't owe you explanations," he said. "And I don't want to deal with this right now."
"Then why did you smile at me just now?" I asked quietly. "Why do you look like you want to say something and then don't?"
That was when he lost it.
"Because you won't let things be," he said, voice low and sharp. "You keep pushing."
"I'm not pushing—"
"Enough."
He reached out, not thinking, and shoved my shoulder—not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to shock me. I stumbled back, breath catching in my throat.
Before I could even react, a hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me back.
"Don't touch her."
Edward.
He stepped between us, his grip firm but careful, placing himself squarely in front of me like a wall. His presence was sudden and grounding, his expression unreadable behind his rectangular glasses.
Jack froze.
"What are you doing?" Jack said, voice strained. Edward didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. "You're done," he said. "Walk away."
For a moment, I thought Jack might argue. His eyes flicked to me, then back to Edward. Whatever he saw there made his shoulders drop. "Whatever," Jack muttered, turning away. He left without looking back.
I stood there, heart racing, my arm still warm where Edward's hand had been. He didn't let go immediately. When he did, it was slow, deliberate. "Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded, even though I wasn't sure it was true. "Thank you," I said.
Edward didn't respond right away. He just looked down the hall Jack had disappeared into, jaw tight, eyes dark with something I couldn't name.
And for the first time, I realized this wasn't just about Jack anymore.
The hallway didn't slow down after that. People glanced over, whispers passing quickly from one group to another, phones already coming out as if this was something they'd talk about later—especially because it involved Jack. I could feel Emily's eyes on me from across the corridor, sharp with concern, but I couldn't bring myself to look back yet.
Edward stayed where he was, his presence beside me wasn't loud or comforting in an obvious way—it was steady. Protective without asking permission. It made my throat ache in a way I didn't understand.
I pressed my fingers together, grounding myself, pretending I wasn't replaying Jack's words over and over. Pretending I hadn't seen that brief smile before everything shattered. Pretending it didn't hurt as much as it did.