Casey
"So," I said, breaking the silence first, "do you come up here often?" Edward huffed a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "Not really. I didn't even know it was unlocked most days."
"Figures," I muttered. "I thought it was just me being dramatic."
He tilted his head slightly. "You're not." I looked at him. "You say that way too easily."
"I mean it," he replied. "Most people don't stop to feel things. You do."
When he says that, something shifts inside me. Those words echoed louder than they should, settling somewhere uncomfortable and warm at the same time. I find myself wondering how he even noticed—when he noticed. We've never really spoken before this. That made my chest tighten. "That's not always a good thing."
"Maybe not," he said. "But it's honest."
I glanced back at the city. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"How do you always seem… calm?" I hesitated. "Even when things are clearly not?"
He thought for a second. "I'm not calm. I'm just quiet."
"That's worse," I said. "At least when I talk, people know what I'm thinking."
He smiled faintly. "That's exactly why I don't."
I studied his face, then asked, "Did you see what happened downstairs?"
"Yes."
"How bad was it?"
Edward exhaled. "Bad enough that people are already talking."
I winced. "Great."
"They'll move on," he said. "They always do."
"And Jack?" I asked, softer now.
Edward didn't answer right away. "He looked… not himself."
"That doesn't excuse it," I said quickly.
"I know," he replied. "I'm not defending him."
We fell quiet again, the wind threading through the space between us.
"Thank you," I said suddenly.
He looked at me. "For what?"
"For coming here," I said. "And not asking me to explain everything all at once."
He nodded. "You don't owe anyone that."
Our eyes met again, just briefly this time.
Then the distant bell rang.
"I guess break's almost over," I said.
"Yeah," he replied. "But… if you need a place to breathe again, you know where to find me."
I didn't miss the way he said me, not the roof.
"I'll remember that," I said.
And as we turned to leave, neither of us mentioned how different the air felt compared to when we'd arrived.
We had barely stepped away from the rooftop door when his voice reached us.
"Casey."
It came from the staircase below. Jack stood there, one hand gripping the railing, like he'd been on his way up and stopped the second he saw us together. His eyes moved from Edward to me, then lingered, sharp and searching.
For a moment, the space between us held nothing but silence. "So this is where you went," he said. I didn't answer.
My throat closed around every possible word. I stood there, still, staring at him, my body slow to react, my thoughts scattered and distant.
Edward shifted slightly beside me. "We were just heading back," he said calmly. Jack's gaze snapped to him. "I wasn't talking to you."
He looked at me again. "Casey." I felt the weight of it then. The pressure of being seen too clearly, too suddenly. My hands stayed at my sides. I didn't move. I didn't speak. "Say something," Jack said, his voice tightening. Nothing came.
Edward stepped forward, just enough to place himself between us. "Don't," he said. "She doesn't have to answer you right now." Jack scoffed softly. "And you think you get to decide that?"
"I think you're making it worse," Edward replied, steady. Jack's jaw clenched. His eyes flicked back to me. "Is this why you walked away? Because of him?" The words landed, heavy and sharp.
My vision blurred. Tears welled up, spilling over before I could stop them. I didn't wipe them away. I didn't shake. I didn't move.
I stayed frozen, staring somewhere past him, like my body had shut down before my mind could catch up.
Jack's expression shifted, something unreadable crossing his face. "This isn't how it was supposed to go," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Edward didn't raise his voice. "You should leave." Jack hesitated, then laughed under his breath, hollow. "Fine."
He turned and walked down the stairs, his footsteps fading quickly, leaving the stairwell unnervingly quiet.I was still there when the sound disappeared.
Tears slipped down silently, my chest tight, my body locked in place. Edward stayed beside me, not touching, not speaking, just present, as if waiting for the moment I could move again.
Edward's presence lingered beside me even after Jack's voice faded. I was grateful he had stepped in, that he hadn't let things spiral further, but the gratitude came with a quiet sting. Standing behind him, silent and exposed, I felt smaller than I ever had.
"Hey," Edward said softly as we walked. "You don't have to say anything."
"I know," I managed, my voice thin. He slowed near my classroom. "Just… take care, okay?"
"Thank you," I said, meaning more than the word could hold.
Jack was already inside. I felt his eyes lift briefly when we entered. I didn't meet them. I took the longer path, sliding into my seat by the window, my safer place. Classes dragged on until four, the final bell sharp and unforgiving. Jack stood immediately and left without a glance back.