A Different World
Adrian didn't answer her question immediately.
Why me?
The silence inside the car stretched softly beneath the sound of rain hitting the roof.
Lia watched him carefully.
Most people rushed to fill silence.
Adrian seemed comfortable living inside it.
His fingers rested loosely against the steering wheel while the city lights flickered across his face through the windshield.
Then finally—
"You looked lonely."
The answer caught her completely off guard.
Lia blinked slowly.
"That's your explanation?"
"Yes."
She almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because somehow she expected something darker.
Something sharper.
Instead, Adrian said it so simply it felt honest.
Too honest.
"You noticed that from one lecture?"
"I noticed it before the lecture."
Her stomach tightened.
"What does that mean?"
Adrian's eyes settled on her calmly.
"I saw you on campus weeks ago."
Something cold slid quietly down her spine.
Weeks.
Not days.
Weeks.
Before she could ask anything else, Adrian glanced toward her apartment building.
"You should go upstairs."
The conversation was over.
Just like that.
Lia frowned slightly, frustrated by how easily he controlled conversations when he wanted to.
"You do this on purpose."
"What?"
"You answer enough to confuse people, then stop talking."
A faint flicker touched his expression.
"Does it bother you?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Her mouth opened slightly.
Then closed again.
Because honestly—
what was she even supposed to say to someone like him?
Eventually, Lia pushed the door open carefully.
Cold rain immediately swept into the car.
She stepped out onto the sidewalk before leaning down slightly toward the open window.
"...Thank you for the ride."
Adrian looked up at her from inside the car.
Dark eyes.
Calm expression.
Dangerous stillness.
"You'll text me when you're upstairs."
Lia stared at him.
"You cannot be serious."
"I am."
"You gave yourself my number without permission."
"And yet you still saved it."
That shut her up instantly.
Because unfortunately—
he was right.
Somewhere between confusion and exhaustion, she had saved his number earlier.
Adrian noticed the exact moment realization crossed her face.
Again.
Always noticing.
A small, knowing look appeared briefly in his eyes.
"Goodnight, Lia."
The sound of her first name in his voice did something strange to her heartbeat.
She hated that.
Without another word, Lia turned and hurried toward her apartment building through the rain.
But halfway up the stairs—
she looked back.
The black car still sat there.
Waiting.
And through the rain-covered windshield—
Adrian was still watching her.
—
Lia did text him after reaching her apartment.
Mostly because she had a horrible feeling he actually would stay there until she did.
Message
Lia: I'm upstairs now.
Adrian: I know.
She stared at the message for a full ten seconds.
Then immediately locked her phone.
Absolutely not.
Nope.
Psychotic behavior.
And yet—
her face still felt warm afterward.
Which was somehow even more concerning.
—
The next morning, Lia woke up late.
Sunlight slipped weakly through thin curtains while her phone buzzed repeatedly across the nightstand.
Sienna: ANSWER YOUR PHONE
Sienna: DID YOU SURVIVE
Sienna: DID HE KIDNAP YOU
Lia groaned softly and buried her face into the pillow before finally calling her back.
Sienna answered instantly.
"You're alive."
"Unfortunately."
"Tell me EVERYTHING."
Lia sat up slowly, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"There's nothing to tell."
"He drove you home."
"Yes."
"You were alone together."
"Yes."
"And?"
"And nothing."
Silence.
Then:
"You're blushing."
"I am literally on the phone."
"I can hear it in your voice."
Lia threw a pillow across the room dramatically.
Sienna laughed loudly.
"Oh my god. You like him."
"No, I don't."
"You totally do."
"I think he's insane."
"That doesn't answer my statement."
Lia sighed heavily and stood from bed.
Her tiny apartment felt colder than usual this morning.
Or maybe Adrian's world had simply made hers feel smaller somehow.
She hated that thought.
"I don't like him," she insisted again while walking toward the kitchen. "I'm just... curious."
"Mhm."
"And uncomfortable."
"Mhm."
"And slightly concerned for my safety."
"That one I believe."
Lia rolled her eyes.
But after hanging up, she stood quietly near the sink for several moments.
Curious.
That was the problem.
Adrian Monteverde made curiosity feel dangerous.
Like the deeper you looked into him—
the harder it became to look away.
—
Blackthorne University buzzed with gossip by noon.
Apparently someone had photographed Adrian arriving at the gala.
And unfortunately—
Lia appeared in the background beside him.
Wonderful.
She walked through campus pretending not to notice people whispering.
A group of girls near the fountain glanced toward her openly.
"That's her."
"She's pretty, but like... normal pretty."
"What does he even see in her?"
Lia kept walking.
She'd learned years ago that reacting only made people crueler.
Still—
the comments lingered unpleasantly beneath her skin.
By afternoon, she escaped toward the library just to avoid everyone.
The quiet immediately relaxed her.
Bookshelves stretched endlessly around warm lighting and soft silence.
Safe.
Familiar.
Normal.
Lia settled near the back corner with her literature notes and finally exhaled.
For the first time all day, her mind felt still.
Until someone sat across from her.
Her eyes lifted immediately.
Adrian.
Of course.
No sound.
No warning.
Just suddenly there.
Lia stared at him over the top of her book.
"You are genuinely becoming a problem in my life."
"You're dramatic."
"I think that's ironic coming from the man who watches apartment buildings."
Adrian ignored that smoothly.
His gaze drifted briefly across the stack of books beside her.
"You skip lunch often."
Lia froze.
Slowly lowering the book, she stared at him carefully.
"...How do you know that?"
"You get headaches around this time every day."
"That is not a normal observation."
"You've said that before."
"Because you keep proving it."
The corner of his mouth lifted faintly again.
Then, without another word, Adrian slid a paper bag across the table toward her.
Lia frowned.
"What's this?"
"Eat."
She stared at the bag suspiciously.
"You can't just command people around."
"I can if they're forgetting to take care of themselves."
Her chest tightened unexpectedly at the quietness in his voice.
Not pity.
Not arrogance.
Something else.
Something careful.
Reluctantly, Lia opened the bag.
Inside sat a warm sandwich and bottled water.
Simple.
Nothing extravagant.
Which somehow made it worse.
Because it felt thoughtful.
"You bought me lunch?"
"You hadn't eaten."
Lia looked up slowly.
"Do you always pay this much attention to people?"
Adrian held her gaze steadily.
"No."
The library suddenly felt too quiet.
Too small.
Lia looked down quickly before he could notice the way her pulse reacted.
Unfortunately—
he probably already had.