4. Eli
CHAPTER 4
ELI
Friday night buzzed with energy, the kind that could only come from hundreds of college students crammed into one space, laughing too loudly and pretending they weren’t already behind on assignments after the first week. The Student Union was unrecognizable, its usual polished floors and sterile walls hidden under strings of fairy lights, colorful banners, and the constant blur of movement.
Music thumped through the air—not quite loud enough to drown out conversation, but enough to make everything feel alive. The smell of pizza, popcorn, and soda mingled together, and somewhere near the back, someone was juggling a tray of drinks like it was a circus act.
Gigi nudged me as we stepped through the doors. “Welcome to the madness.” She’d traded her hoodie for a bright crop top and ripped jeans, looking effortlessly cool.
“I didn’t expect it to be this crowded,” I admitted, scanning the room.
“You get used to it,” Asher said, his tone amused. He adjusted his denim jacket and waved to someone across the room. “It’s like this every year. First-years come for the free food, upperclassmen come for the chaos.”
We grabbed drinks from a refreshment table, where a harried-looking guy in a campus staff T-shirt was trying to keep up with the demand for soda. “Anything I should know about these parties?” I asked, half-joking as I took a sip.
“Don’t lose your drink, don’t challenge anyone to a dance-off unless you’re ready to be humiliated, and don’t trust anyone who says they can ‘handle’ the karaoke mic,” Gigi said.
“Got it.”
We drifted through the room, occasionally stopping to say hi to people Gigi and Asher knew. I was introduced a few times—“This is Eli, he’s new”—and every time, I gave a polite smile and hoped I looked like I belonged.
The conversation flowed easily between Gigi and Asher, their banter keeping me entertained as we found a spot near the edge of the room. But even as I laughed at Gigi’s sharp-witted comments, my thoughts kept drifting to Niall.
I’d tried all week to make some sort of progress with him—small comments, casual questions, the kind of effort that wouldn’t come off as pushy. Nothing worked. His responses were always clipped, his expressions unreadable. And for reasons I didn’t want to dwell on too much, it bothered me more than I cared to admit.
“Earth to Eli.” Gigi waved a hand in front of my face, snapping me back to the present. “Where’d you go just now?”
“Nowhere,” I said quickly. “Just people-watching.”
“Uh-huh.” She didn’t look convinced, but thankfully, she let it go.
We were in the middle of laughing about the professor from one of my classes—who had an uncanny ability to make business law sound like a bedtime story—when the door opened, letting in a gust of cooler air. I glanced over instinctively, and it felt like the whole room shifted.
It was him .
Niall didn’t even have to try. Just standing there, scanning the room with those piercing eyes, he commanded attention. His broad shoulders filled out a dark Henley, his jaw set like he wasn’t entirely sure why he’d come.
I expected him to move, to join someone, but he lingered near the entrance, hands shoved into his pockets. A few people glanced his way, but no one approached him. He wasn’t exactly giving off come talk to me vibes.
He must’ve felt my gaze because his head turned slightly in my direction. For a second—barely a heartbeat—our eyes met.
I looked away so fast, nearly spilling my Pepsi. My pulse raced, and I told myself it was from the caffeine. Definitely the caffeine.
Get it together, Eli.
I stole another look, pretending to take a sip of my drink. He wasn’t just standing there awkwardly—he was watching. Taking everything in. His gaze skimmed over the room like he was looking for someone or deciding if this whole thing was worth his time.
A couple of girls near the drinks table noticed him too. One nudged the other, murmuring something before tilting her head toward him. A moment later, they made their move. One, a tall brunette in a cropped sweater, approached first, her smile coy. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she leaned in slightly, clearly saying something meant just for him.
I felt something sharp and unfamiliar in my chest.
I ignored it.
Niall didn’t exactly encourage the attention, but he didn’t shut it down either. He answered, brief but polite, and she laughed at whatever he said, her hand grazing his arm.
I looked away. Not my business.
Turning back to my own night, I let myself sink into the familiar rhythm of meeting new people. It had always been easy for me—smiling, slipping into conversations, laughing at ridiculous things. I moved through the party like I belonged, because I did.
At one point, I found myself in a circle of students trading horror stories about the worst professors on campus. Then it was a debate over the best late-night food spots near campus. I met a guy from my accounting class, a girl who invited me to a game night later in the week. It was fun. Effortless.
Still, no matter how at ease I was, I couldn’t help but be aware of my roommate. Of where he stood, who he was talking to. I never sought him out, not really, but every so often, my gaze landed on him like a reflex I couldn’t shake.
I was in the middle of a conversation when a flicker of movement near the drink station caught my eye. Niall was talking to a couple of guys now. He stood out, even in a crowd, like he didn’t quite belong yet couldn’t be ignored.
I forced myself to focus on the group around me, on the laughter, on the moment. Because this was what I’d wanted—a fresh start, new connections.
And yet…
For a split second, an old ache crept in. A reminder of what I’d left behind. Back home, I’d had friends. Good friends. People I’d known for years, long before my ex. They made me laugh, had my back. But one by one, I let them slip away. It was easier that way—less complicated, less drama. Anything to keep the guy I thought I loved happy.
Not that it had worked.
I took a sip of my drink, pushing the thought aside.
“You down for trivia?” Asher asked, pulling me back to the moment.
“Trivia?” I echoed, glad for the excuse to focus on something else.
“Yeah,” Gigi said. “They’ve got a game going in the side room. We’re going. Are you coming?”
I hesitated, stealing one more glance toward the door where Niall stood. He’d stepped inside now, blending into the edges of the crowd. No one approached him, and he didn’t seem to want them to.
“Eli?” Gigi prompted, raising a brow.
“Yeah, sure,” I said quickly. “I’m in.”
The trivia room was quieter but no less lively. Tables were scattered across the space, and small groups of students were already buzzing with anticipation. The host, a guy with a booming voice and an over-the-top energy, was hyping up the crowd with promises of university merch for the winners.
We grabbed a table near the middle. Gigi wasted no time declaring herself team captain, while Asher rolled his eyes and claimed he was only here for moral support.
The first few rounds passed in a blur of pop culture, geography, and random campus trivia. Gigi dominated, rattling off answers before anyone else could blink. I got a couple right, but mostly, I just enjoyed the back-and-forth, the easy camaraderie.
Still, in the moments between questions, my mind wandered.
I couldn’t see Niall from here, but I kept thinking about him. About the way people eventually gravitated toward him, drawn in even when he didn’t ask them to be. About the way that girl had touched his arm, effortless, like she belonged there.
The thought unsettled me for reasons I couldn’t quite name.
When the host called for a break, Asher and Gigi immediately launched into a debate about which actor played the most iconic Batman. I took the opportunity to slip away, pretending I needed a drink.
Back in the main hall, I spotted Niall again.
Still there. Still brooding. But no longer alone.
A few guys had gathered now, hockey players from the way they carried themselves. They clapped him on the back, cracked jokes, and while he wasn’t exactly lively, he didn’t push them away either.
I should’ve just grabbed my drink and gone back to my table, but instead, I lingered.
I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for.
Maybe for him to look up.
To notice me the way I’d been noticing him.
But he didn’t.
And I told myself it didn’t matter.
I headed back to the room. Gigi and Asher were in an animated discussion with a couple of people. Rather than join them, I veered toward the refreshment station at the back.
Near the drink setup, two guys lounged on a low couch. One had his feet propped up on the coffee table, a soda can balanced precariously near the edge. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but in the relatively quieter space, their voices carried.
“Didn’t think he would actually show up,” the other guy said.
“Yeah, me neither,” soda guy replied. “He never comes to these anymore.”
The first guy shook his head, his expression somewhere between casual observation and something softer—sympathy, maybe. “Beginning of freshman year, Caldwell was the life of the party—orientation week activities, frat parties, campus social events—made friends with everyone. Before everything happened.”
I froze, my hand tightening around my cup.
Caldwell?
“Yeah… after his parents’ accident, dude just disappeared off the social radar,” the first guy scoffed.
Were they talking about… my roommate? Or, was it possible they meant someone else? Another Caldwell on campus?
“Crazy to think about now, but he used to be the guy who brought the energy to every room,” soda can guy said.
“Still, Iron Wall or not, that’s a lot to deal with,” the other guy added, his tone softening slightly.
Iron Wall.
My stomach dipped. Asher had mentioned that before—Niall’s hockey nickname.
There was no question now. No coincidence. They were talking about him.
About my roommate.
I didn’t realize I was staring at them until Gigi’s voice startled me. “Eli! Break’s over,” she called from across the room.
I grabbed a bottle of water and hurried back to my table, but my thoughts were spinning.
Niall made friends with everyone? That didn’t fit the guy who’d barely acknowledged my existence all week. But if what they said was true… something changed after his parents’ accident. Something big enough to make him shut everyone out.
I still didn’t know the whole story. But now, at least, I knew there was a story.
Back at the table, Gigi nudged me with her elbow. “What took you so long? Don’t leave us hanging when we’re about to win!” she teased, pointing at the trivia host, who was reading the question.
I forced a grin, but my mind wasn’t on the game anymore.
I fumbled for an answer when it was my turn, barely managing to string something coherent together.
I couldn’t help it; I kept thinking about what I’d overheard.
As the game continued, I found myself stealing glances at the door, wondering if Niall had stayed in the main hall or slipped out entirely. The questions blurred together after that, with my focus split between the game and the puzzle Niall had become in my mind.
By the end of the round, I knew one thing for sure—I wanted to understand him, even if he didn’t want to be understood.