The week moved with a strange, buzzing energy. Maybe it was because I had promised myself I'd start doing things differently — focus on myself a little more, breathe a little more, stop clinging to anything that didn't want to stay. So I kept my days busy. I tried new outfits instead of my usual staples, switched up my skincare routine, even forced myself to walk with a little more confidence down the halls.
Everyone noticed, in their own quiet ways.
But then came the twist I didn't expect.
Kade and his new girl.
I didn't even see them at first — it was Lily's sharp gasp beside me that made me look up. And there he was, leaning back against a pillar, arms folded, face relaxed in a way that looked almost performed. And next to him, the girl. Pretty, confident, definitely aware of the attention she was getting.
They weren't holding hands, but the message was loud enough.
At first the shock hit me like cold water — not because I wanted him back, but because I could suddenly see everything with clarity. The distance, the cold calls, the way he only reached for me when he wanted something, the way he ignored anything happening in my life.
Back then, I thought it was love. But now, looking at him play this quiet game of "see me, be jealous," it made something fall into place.
He didn't choose me because he loved me.
He chose me because of who I was — the pretty girl, the girl everyone looked at, the girl he wanted to claim, the attention he got by being with me. And maybe… maybe he liked the idea of me wanting him, needing him.
Lust dressed up as care. Attention dressed up as connection.
I blinked and looked away, refusing to give him whatever reaction he was waiting for.
---
Later that day, Rav saw me outside the cafeteria. He didn't rush to me, just walked up with that calm, quiet presence he always carried. His eyes softened when he saw the tension I was trying to hide.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low, steady.
And the way he asked — not assuming, not pitying — just genuine… it made me feel seen.
"I'm fine," I said, even though my voice dipped a little.
Rav nodded slowly, like he could hear everything I wasn't saying. "You look… different today," he added quietly.
My breath caught because it wasn't admiration that filled his eyes — it was something softer, deeper. A kind of quiet yearning, like he noticed me in ways he hadn't said aloud yet. Like he was waiting for the right time to exist in my world, not force himself into it.
I tucked my hair behind my ear, suddenly shy.
Before either of us could say anything else, Denzel appeared down the hall, hands in his pockets, his calm confidence making his presence immediately known. His eyes found mine instantly, softening the moment they met. He gave me this small, easy smile — the kind that didn't demand anything, didn't force anything… just offered comfort.
"You good?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. Just… a lot happening."
He hummed in agreement. "If it gets too much, you can talk to me."
Simple. Gentle. No pressure.
The complete opposite of the chaos Kade always carried around me.
And standing between Rav's quiet longing and Denzel's calm reassurance… I suddenly realized something important:
I wasn't empty anymore.
Kade didn't have that power over me. Not the way he thought he did.
I was learning myself again — slowly, clumsily, but honestly.
And this time, I was paying attention to the people who actually saw me.
---