The campus halls had never felt more dangerous—or more irresistible.
Jay moved quickly, backpack slung over one shoulder, scanning the hallway as though she were on some covert mission. And in a way, she was. Every glance over her shoulder, every step, had to be measured. Because Keifer, her boyfriend, her senior, her constant, was somewhere nearby, and she wanted to be found—but also wanted no one else to see.
She rounded the corner and froze, her heart skipping. There he was. Keifer. Leaning casually against the lockers, arms crossed, that familiar teasing smirk lighting up his face. And oh, that smile—she melted every time, even after months of being together.
"Late again?" he asked, voice low, just for her.
"Maybe," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant, though the flutter in her chest betrayed her.
He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from her face, thumb lingering near her cheek. Jay leaned in slightly, and he leaned in closer, until their lips met in a quick, almost secretive kiss. A brush of lips, soft but heated, and then they pulled back just enough to look around, ensuring no one was watching.
"College rules," he whispered, smirk in place but heat in his gaze.
Jay rolled her eyes playfully but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips. "And yet, you keep breaking them," she murmured.
"I like breaking them with you," he said simply, and kissed her again—this time longer, more daring, before finally stepping back to grin.
Living together had changed everything. The quiet apartment above the library's side street, small and cluttered, had become theirs—a private world. Every morning, she woke to him reaching over to pull her close; every night, she fell asleep to his steady breathing beside her. And now, college felt like an extension of that intimacy, a playground for stolen touches and daring glances.
The problem—or complication—was Ella.
Ella had been hovering around Keifer for months, subtle but persistent. And now, watching him with Jay—their ease, the kisses hidden behind lockers, the way they laughed at private jokes she couldn't hear—made something inside her twist. She had liked him first, sure, but this… this was something else.
Ella lingered just around the corner as Jay and Keifer stepped into the hallway, talking quietly. Jay's hand brushed against Keifer's, almost casually, and Ella's stomach clenched. Not just because she liked him, but because there was no doubt: Keifer adored Jay.
Jay laughed at something he said, a full, warm laugh that made him lean in closer, dropping his head to brush his lips against her temple. Ella flinched, backing away, biting her lip.
She had to get out. She had to. But part of her didn't want to. Watching them, seeing how easy and natural they were together, was infuriating and… intoxicating.
Meanwhile, Jay felt a thrill in every stolen moment with Keifer. Even walking across campus, every brush of hands, every whispered word in the quiet corners, felt electric. She adored him, yes, but she loved the way he made her feel—seen, wanted, untouchably close. Every kiss they snuck, every touch they shared in the crowded college hallways, deepened their connection. It wasn't just romance—it was a claim, a declaration, a way of saying I'm yours, and no one else matters.
And in the background, Ella seethed quietly, tension coiling in her chest like a storm about to break. She knew she was outmatched. She knew she couldn't compete with the intimacy Jay and Keifer shared, both in the apartment and now spilling into the public spaces of college. And yet… the jealousy burned, sharp and insistent, a bitter reminder of what she wanted but couldn't have.