three
Aaliyah's POV
I barely make it five steps out of the building before Zaria appears out of absolutely nowhere.
She jumps in front of me like she teleported.
Eyes wide.
Braids swinging.
Vibrating with gossip.
"SO?" she shrieks.
"So... what?" I blink, clutching my bag like a guilty toddler.
She grabs my shoulders dramatically. "You SAT next to him!"
I snort. "Okay? It was the only seat left."
"You sat next to LEO," she repeats slowly, like I'm slow. "LEO RAMIREZ. Brooding demon of the engineering department. Human thunderstorm. Mouth-of-few-words-but-voice-of-God."
I stare at her. "girl...who gave him that title?"
"The girls' group chat," she says proudly.
Before I can respond, Caleb jogs up behind us, out of breath like he literally ran here.
"DID HE TOUCH YOU?" he demands.
Oh for the love of—
"No!" I snap. "Why would he—? Caleb, please."
Zaria folds her arms. "Start from the beginning."
"I sat," I say.
"And?" she pushes.
"He glared at me," I say.
Caleb: "SEE?"
Zaria: "And??"
"...He wasn't glaring at me," I admit, cheeks heating.
Zaria's grin turns feral. "He was CHECKING YOU OUT."
I refuse to confirm or deny that.
"Well??" she pushes. "Did he look??"
"He looked," I mumble.
"How??" she demands.
I sigh. "Like he was trying to figure out if I'm real or a hallucination."
Zaria screams. Caleb groans like his soul left his body.
"Oh my God..." I rub my forehead. "Can we not do this in public?"
"No," Zaria says. "We absolutely CAN."
Caleb shakes his head violently. "I don't trust him."
"You don't trust ANYONE around me," I remind him.
"That's because men are trash," he says.
Zaria slips her arm through mine and starts walking us toward the dining hall.
"Okay, listen," she says. "What EXACTLY happened?"
I exhale. "He stared. A lot. And he wasn't rude. And he... smiled at something I said."
They both freeze mid-step.
Caleb's jaw drops. "HE SMILED?"
Zaria gasps. "HE SMILED???"
"Oh my God," I whisper. "Why is that such a big deal?"
Zaria puts a hand over her heart. "Because Leo Ramirez doesn't smile, babe. He broods. Professionally."
Caleb adds, "He stay looking like he wanna kill someone every practice."
I blink. "...he looked fine to me."
Zaria and Caleb share a look.
Then a slow, conspiratorial grin spreads across Zaria's face.
"You like him."
"I DO NOT," I say instantly.
Caleb snorts. "Your voice went up."
"It did NOT."
"You're blushing," Zaria says.
"I'm BLACK," I argue. "I do not blush."
"You're glowing in a suspicious way," she counters.
Before I can scream, someone passes behind us—close enough that I smell cedar and warm cologne.
Like instinct, the three of us turn.
Leo is walking across the quad, hands in his pockets, headphones around his neck, curls messy like he ran a hand through them.
He doesn't see us.
Until he does.
His eyes flick to me.
Just me.
Not Zaria.
Not Caleb.
Me.
His gaze lingers. One second. Two. Three.
My breath catches.
And then he does something that sends my soul flying out of my body:
He dips his head in a tiny nod.
Just a small acknowledgement.
A soft, deliberate: I see you.
Then he keeps walking, jaw tense, shoulders broad, hoodie hanging low.
Zaria grips my wrist. "OH—MY—GOD—"
Caleb puts his hands on his hips like a disappointed father. "You're grounded."
I stare after Leo, stunned.
"What was that?" I whisper.
Zaria smirks. "That, sweetheart..."
"...was your scary boyfriend acknowledging you in public."
"I do NOT have a scary boyfriend!" I squeak.
"Yet," she says.
I open my mouth to protest—
And stop.
Because Leo?
Leo is glancing back over his shoulder.
At me.
Again.
My heart trips over itself.
Zaria sees it. "He's into you."
"No he's not."
Caleb: "He is."
I bury my face in my hands. "This is a nightmare."
Zaria: "This is a ROMANCE ARC."
Caleb: "This is a cry for help."
I peek through my fingers one last time.
Leo's already far away...
but I swear he slows just a little, like he's making sure I got inside safely.
Something warm spreads in my chest.
Zaria squeals. "OH YOU LIKE HIM."
I groan. Loudly. "I don't even KNOW him."
"Then get ready, babe," she sings, looping her arm with mine again. "Because I think you're about to."
And for the first time...
My stomach doesn't fight it.
It flips.