Tell Me To Leave
After Adrian admitted he dreamed about her, Lia spent the next three days emotionally unstable.
Not visibly.
Externally, she still attended lectures.
Still pretended to care about assignments.
Still survived Sienna's nonstop commentary about her "cinematic psychological romance."
But internally?
Internally, she was losing a war.
Because Adrian Monteverde had become impossible to separate from her thoughts.
And worse—
he seemed completely aware of that.
—
Thursday night arrived colder than usual.
Rain hammered softly against apartment windows while the city glowed silver beneath streetlights.
Lia sat curled beneath a blanket attempting to finish a literature essay she'd been procrastinating for two hours.
Her laptop remained open.
Blank document.
Zero progress.
Because unfortunately—
she kept rereading old messages instead.
Especially this one...
Message:
Adrian: I didn't like waking up afterward.
God.
She hated him.
Not really.
But maybe a little.
Her phone buzzed suddenly.
And because her survival instincts had completely deteriorated—
her pulse jumped instantly.
Message:
Adrian: You're awake.
Lia physically stared at the screen.
Then toward the curtains.
Again.
No visible black car.
Still unsettling.
Message:
Lia: You say that like you're monitoring my consciousness.
Adrian: You've been online for forty minutes.
Lia: That's still concerning behavior.
Adrian: You're avoiding sleep again.
She sighed softly and leaned her head back against the couch.
Message:
Lia: I have an essay due tomorrow.
Adrian: You've written three sentences in an hour.
Lia: Okay actually how do you know that?
Adrian: Because you type differently when frustrated.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Lia genuinely considered throwing her phone across the room.
Instead—
she typed...
Message:
Lia: Adrian.
Adrian: Yes?
Lia: Do you ever stop thinking about me?
The typing bubble appeared immediately.
No hesitation.
Message:
Adrian: No.
Her breath caught softly.
Because of course it did.
Adrian always answered honestly when it mattered most.
And maybe that was why every conversation with him felt too intimate too quickly.
Another message appeared.
Message:
Adrian: Do you want me to?
Lia froze.
The question settled heavily into the room.
Rain echoed softly outside while her heartbeat turned uneven beneath her ribs.
Because this—
this was dangerous.
Not obsession anymore.
Choice.
Adrian was asking if she wanted distance.
Space.
Freedom from him.
And somehow—
the thought made her chest tighten painfully.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard for too long.
Long enough that Adrian sent another message.
Message:
Adrian: That hesitation answered for you.
God.
He noticed everything.
Message:
Lia: You're arrogant.
Adrian: You're attached to me.
Lia: That was confident.
Adrian: Was it inaccurate?
Lia closed her eyes briefly.
Because once again—
he was right.
And she hated how easily Adrian could read through her defenses now.
Before she could respond, another message appeared.
Message:
Adrian: Open your door.
Her entire body went still.
Slowly—
very slowly—
Lia looked toward the apartment entrance.
Her pulse hammered violently.
Message:
Lia: Adrian.
Adrian: Open it.
She stood too quickly, blanket falling to the floor.
Rain thundered softly outside while her heartbeat turned chaotic beneath her ribs.
Because she already knew.
She crossed the apartment quietly before stopping near the door.
Then slowly—
carefully—
she opened it.
Adrian stood in the hallway.
Black coat damp from rain.
Dark hair slightly wet.
One hand resting loosely inside his pocket while the other held a paper bag from the small bakery near campus.
The sight of him standing there at midnight should've terrified her.
Instead—
relief flooded through her so fast it almost embarrassed her.
Adrian noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
His eyes softened slightly.
"You looked exhausted."
Lia stared at him silently for several seconds.
Then finally:
"You came here because I couldn't write an essay?"
"I came here because you haven't slept properly in four days."
The honesty hit hard.
Always hard.
Lia stepped aside slowly.
Adrian entered the apartment like he belonged there now.
Which honestly felt dangerous considering how natural it looked.
Rainwater glistened faintly against his coat while he placed the bakery bag carefully on the kitchen counter.
"You bought food again."
"You forget to eat when stressed."
"You make that sound like a personal insult."
"It is."
A faint smile tugged unexpectedly at her mouth.
Adrian noticed immediately.
His gaze darkened slightly.
"You smile more around me lately."
Lia looked away quickly.
"That's your ego talking."
"No," Adrian murmured quietly.
"This is."
The apartment suddenly felt smaller.
Warmer.
He removed his coat slowly, draping it over the chair near the kitchen while Lia stood frozen beside the counter.
Because seeing Adrian inside her apartment always affected her differently.
Less polished here.
Less untouchable.
More real.
And somehow—
more dangerous because of it.
His eyes moved toward the unfinished essay glowing on her laptop screen.
"You're overthinking the introduction."
Lia blinked.
"You read it from over there?"
"Yes."
"That's annoying."
"You use complicated sentences when nervous."
She stared at him.
"You analyze me like a science experiment."
Adrian stepped closer slowly.
Not touching her.
Not yet.
"But you let me."
The quietness of it wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because he was right.
Again.
Lia should've stopped this weeks ago.
Should've pulled away the first time he watched her apartment in the rain.
Instead—
she let him become part of her life slowly.
Intentionally.
And now he stood inside her apartment at midnight looking at her like he already belonged there.
Adrian's gaze settled carefully on her face.
"You're tired."
"So are you."
"I can function tired."
"That sounds unhealthy."
A faint flicker crossed his mouth.
"Most things involving you are."
The honesty nearly made her laugh again.
But before she could answer—
Adrian lifted his hand slowly.
Carefully.
Like he was giving her time to stop him.
Then his fingers brushed softly beneath her jaw.
Warm.
Gentle.
Lia's breath caught immediately.
Adrian watched her reaction closely.
Always closely.
"You still react like that."
His voice had lowered now.
Quieter.
More intimate.
Lia's pulse turned violent beneath her skin.
"You notice too much."
"I think about touching you afterward."
The confession destroyed every coherent thought in her brain instantly.
Adrian stepped closer.
Close enough now that she could feel warmth radiating from him completely.
Her apartment suddenly felt far too small for this much tension.
His thumb moved lightly against her jaw.
Slow.
Careful.
Like restraint physically hurt him.
"Tell me to leave," Adrian murmured softly.
The words wrapped tightly around her throat.
Not because he sounded angry.
Because he sounded serious.
Like he actually would go if she asked.
And maybe Adrian noticed the exact moment she realized something terrifying:
She didn't want him to.