Everyone Knows Now
The problem with kissing Adrian Monteverde was that nothing stayed subtle afterward.
Not the tension.
Not the way he looked at her.
And definitely not the way Lia reacted to him now.
Because once a line had been crossed—
everything changed.
—
By Monday morning, Lia already knew she was doomed.
Not emotionally.
Publicly.
Because the second she walked onto Blackthorne's campus, people stared harder than usual.
Whispers followed immediately through the courtyard.
Students looked at her phones.
Then at Lia.
Then whispered again.
Sienna appeared beside her near the literature building looking like she'd just survived a national emergency.
"Oh my god."
Lia sighed instantly.
"What happened now?"
Sienna shoved her phone toward her dramatically.
Lia looked down—
and nearly stopped breathing.
A blurry photograph filled the screen.
Her apartment window.
Specifically—
Adrian kissing her on the couch Saturday night.
The curtains hadn't been fully closed.
Horror flooded through her entire body.
"No."
"Oh yes," Sienna whispered. "The gossip page posted it twenty minutes ago."
Lia stared at the image in disbelief.
Even blurry, it was obvious.
Adrian's hand against her waist.
Her fingers tangled in his shirt.
The intimacy impossible to misunderstand.
Comments exploded beneath the post.
THAT MAN LOOKS OBSESSED.
The way he's holding her???
Nah this isn't dating anymore this is possession.
I'm scared but also emotionally invested.
Lia physically covered her face.
"I'm deleting my existence."
Sienna looked deeply fascinated.
"You know what the worst part is?"
"What?"
"Everyone already thought he was obsessed with you."
Lia lowered her hands slowly.
"And now?"
Sienna grimaced.
"Now they think you're obsessed with him too."
Her heartbeat stumbled.
Because maybe—
they weren't entirely wrong anymore.
Before she could emotionally spiral further, a familiar black car pulled slowly toward the curb beside campus.
Students immediately noticed.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Of course Adrian would arrive right now.
The passenger window lowered smoothly.
And there he was.
Black coat.
Dark eyes already fixed entirely on her.
No surprise.
No panic.
Just calm.
Like the entire university discovering he kissed her didn't bother him at all.
Which honestly felt deeply unfair considering Lia was seconds away from collapse.
Sienna looked between them in disbelief.
"He looks pleased."
"He should not be pleased."
Unfortunately—
when Lia looked again—
Adrian absolutely looked pleased.
Not openly.
Subtly.
Like possession becoming public satisfied something dangerous inside him.
The realization sent warmth and panic colliding violently through her chest.
"Get in," Adrian said calmly.
Lia stared at him.
"People are literally watching us."
"Yes."
"You're concerningly unbothered right now."
"They already knew."
"That we kissed?"
"That you're mine."
The words hit so hard she physically forgot how to breathe.
Sienna made a tiny choking sound beside her.
"Oh my god."
Lia looked around quickly.
Students absolutely heard that.
Fantastic.
Her face burned violently as she slid into the passenger seat before her remaining dignity completely disintegrated.
The second the door closed, silence filled the car.
Heavy.
Private.
Adrian looked at her carefully.
"You're upset."
"My entire university saw us making out."
A pause.
Then Adrian asked quietly:
"Did you dislike it?"
Her breath caught instantly.
Because somehow—
despite everything—
that wasn't actually why she was overwhelmed.
The image replayed itself in her head immediately.
Adrian kissing her like restraint physically hurt him.
The way he held her afterward.
The look in his eyes.
God.
Lia looked away toward the rain-covered window quickly.
"You make everything complicated."
"No," Adrian murmured softly.
"I make things honest."
The words settled heavily into the car.
Because maybe that was true too.
Adrian never hid what he felt.
Never pretended indifference.
Everything involving him came raw and direct and terrifyingly sincere.
And maybe that was exactly why she kept falling deeper into this.
The car pulled away from campus slowly.
Rain blurred the city outside while silence stretched between them again.
Not awkward.
Different now.
Changed after the kiss.
Adrian's attention moved slowly over her face.
Careful.
Focused.
Like he still couldn't fully believe she let him touch her that way.
Then quietly—
"You avoided me yesterday."
Lia frowned slightly.
"I needed time to think."
"You spent four hours rereading old messages."
Her head snapped toward him immediately.
"How do you know that?"
"You were online."
"That does not explain FOUR HOURS."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"You opened our conversation twenty-three times."
Lia stared at him in horror.
"...Are you spying on my phone now?"
"No."
"Then HOW—"
"You stop replying to everyone else when you overthink."
Silence.
Because somehow—
that explanation felt believable.
Annoyingly believable.
Adrian reached toward her slowly.
Carefully.
Like he already knew she'd let him.
His fingers brushed lightly against her wrist before sliding into her hand naturally.
Warm.
Steady.
Possessive enough to make her pulse jump instantly.
Lia looked down at their hands quietly.
This felt dangerous too.
Not the touching itself.
How natural it felt.
Adrian noticed her expression soften.
Of course he did.
His thumb brushed once against her knuckles.
"You're quieter around me now."
"You make me think too much."
"No."
His eyes held hers steadily.
"You feel too much."
The truth of it settled painfully deep in her chest.
Because Adrian was right again.
Every moment with him felt too intense now.
Too close.
Too consuming.
And maybe the scariest part?
She still wanted more.
Adrian lifted her hand slowly toward his mouth.
Lia's breath caught instantly.
Then softly—
without breaking eye contact—
he kissed her knuckles once.
Gentle.
Possessive.
Intimate enough to destroy her remaining emotional stability.
His voice lowered afterward.
"Everyone knows now."
Her pulse stumbled violently.
"And?"
Adrian's gaze darkened slightly.
"And I don't have to pretend not to touch you anymore."