Later that day, Adrian and Dante went to lunch together at the dining hall—their first public appearance as an actual couple.
The moment they walked through the double doors, Adrian felt the shift in energy.
Conversations stuttered. Heads turned. Eyes tracked their movement from the entrance to the food line.
The viral video from weeks ago meant everyone on campus knew their story—the fight, the humiliation, the dramatic breakdown of whatever they'd been pretending to be. But seeing them together voluntarily, clearly together, hands almost touching as they navigated the buffet line, was different.
They were aware of the stares. The whispers that weren't quite whispered enough. The phones being surreptitiously pointed in their direction, probably taking photos or videos that would end up on someone's Instagram story with commentary about drama and reconciliation.
