We Were Never Strangers

CHAPTER 3

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CHAPTER 3

ISLA

By seven thirty, the university campus looked completely different from the chaos of daytime.

Pathways glowed beneath warm lights.

Music drifted faintly from distant dorm buildings.

Groups of students wandered across campus dressed for parties, dinners, and the beginning of whatever social disaster university life apparently encouraged.

Isla stepped out of Dormitory C quietly, adjusting the sleeve of her black dress once before heading toward the main university gate.

For the third time in under a minute, she glanced behind herself.

Just to make sure none of the girls saw her leaving.

Especially Maya.

Because explaining why Midnight Echo’s lead singer was picking her up for a “family dinner” sounded deeply exhausting.

The black car waiting a little further from the gate immediately caught her attention.

Of course it did.

It looked expensive enough to pay someone’s tuition for three years.

The headlights flashed once.

Subtle.

Annoying.

Typical Adrian behavior.

Isla walked toward the passenger side quickly before opening the door and sliding inside without hesitation.

The car smelled faintly like coffee, leather, and his cologne.

Also typical.

“You’re late,” Adrian said calmly from the driver’s seat.

Isla glanced at the dashboard clock.

“I’m three minutes late.”

“Still late.”

She shut the door harder than necessary.

“Good evening to you too.”

Adrian finally looked toward her properly.

Dark suit.

Black tie slightly loosened already.

Hair still slightly messy despite clearly attempting to look formal.

He looked unfairly good.

Unfortunately.

“Nice dress,” he said casually before starting the car again.

Isla narrowed her eyes immediately.

“Are you dying?”

“Possibly.”

“Because you complimented me voluntarily.”

A smirk appeared briefly at the corner of his mouth before disappearing again.

The car pulled smoothly away from campus.

For the first few minutes, silence settled comfortably between them.

Not awkward.

Just familiar.

Outside the windows, city lights blurred softly against the night while music played quietly through the speakers.

Then Isla noticed the song.

And immediately frowned.

“You still listen to this?”

Adrian glanced at her briefly. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It sounds like emotional damage.”

“It’s jazz.”

“It sounds expensive and emotionally unavailable.”

“That coming from someone who listens to sad acoustic playlists voluntarily is interesting.”

Isla gasped softly in mock offense. “You went through my playlists?”

“You sent them to me.”

“That was two years ago.”

“You still listen to the same artists.”

She looked personally attacked by how accurate that was.

Adrian looked vaguely pleased with himself.

Disgusting behavior.

Five minutes later, they were arguing about the car temperature.

“You’re freezing the entire vehicle.”

“You said it was warm.”

“I meant normal human warm, not Antarctica.”

“You’re dramatic.”

“You’re literally emotionally incapable of using a normal AC setting.”

Adrian sighed like she was exhausting him spiritually before adjusting the temperature slightly warmer.

Victory.

The restaurant came into view nearly thirty minutes later.

Tall glass walls overlooked the city skyline while warm golden lights reflected against polished marble and dark wood interiors.

Elegant.

Quiet.

Very rich-people coded.

A valet immediately approached the car as Adrian parked near the entrance.

“Stay inside,” he said while removing the keys.

Isla raised one eyebrow. “Why?”

“So you don’t walk into traffic while distracted.”

“I hate talking to you.”

“I know.”

He stepped out before she could answer again.

A second later, the passenger door opened.

Adrian stood there holding one hand toward her casually.

Like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Isla stared at him for exactly one second before placing her hand in his.

Warm fingers.

Steady grip.

Dangerously familiar.

She stepped out carefully while the valet took the car keys from Adrian.

The entrance staff greeted them almost immediately.

“Good evening, Mr. Blake.”

Adrian nodded once.

“Reservation under Blake.”

The hostess checked quickly before smiling politely.

“Of course. Your family has already arrived.”

Naturally.

The woman gestured for them to follow her through the restaurant.

Soft piano music echoed quietly through the elegant space while low conversations blended beneath warm lighting and the clinking of glasses.

As they approached the private terrace area reserved for dinner, Isla suddenly stopped walking.

Adrian looked down at her.

“What?”

Without answering, Isla reached up and grabbed the edge of his tie.

Adrian blinked once.

His collar had folded slightly beneath the blazer, tie sitting unevenly against it.

Messy.

Very unlike the polished image his family preferred.

“You look disorganized,” Isla muttered while fixing the collar properly.

Adrian looked down at her hands quietly.

“You say that like you’re surprised.”

“Your standards are embarrassing.”

She adjusted the tie once more before smoothing the collar flat against his suit.

For a second, neither of them spoke.

Too close.

Again.

Then Adrian leaned slightly closer.

“You know,” he said calmly, “this almost looks affectionate.”

Isla immediately stepped back.

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Dangerous thing to say while fixing my tie.”

“You looked wrinkled.”

“I’m devastated.”

She rolled her eyes instantly, but Adrian was already smirking slightly as he pushed open the private terrace doors for her.

And just like that, the performance began.

The moment Adrian pushed open the terrace doors, warmth and noise immediately surrounded them.

Conversation overlapped across the long private dining space while soft golden lights reflected against glass walls overlooking the city skyline.

And almost instantly—

“There they are.”

Isla barely had time to breathe before her mother stood up first.

Then chaos began.

Her mother pulled her into a tight hug immediately, already complaining about how thin she looked despite seeing her barely two weeks ago.

One of her aunts followed right after.

Then another.

Her grandmother kissed both her cheeks dramatically while holding her face like Isla had returned from war instead of university orientation.

“Look at you,” her grandmother sighed emotionally. “Already tired.”

“I’m surviving,” Isla laughed softly.

Across from her, Adrian was enduring the exact same treatment.

His father gave him a firm pat on the shoulder while one of his grandfathers immediately started asking about university and music schedules at the same time.

His grandmother hugged him tightly enough to wrinkle his blazer.

“Eat properly,” she warned him.

“I do eat properly.”

“Lies.”

Typical family dinner energy.

The younger cousins approached next.

And unlike the adults, they were significantly less composed.

“ISLAAA!”

Before she could react, two smaller bodies nearly crashed into her at once.

The twin cousins from her uncle’s side wrapped themselves around her dramatically while the youngest girl immediately claimed her arm possessively.

Adrian’s younger brother walked over slower, grinning slightly.

“You survived day one.”

“Barely.”

Meanwhile, Adrian was getting equally attacked by the younger boys.

One of them had already stolen his phone.

Another was asking about guitars.

Chaos.

Absolute chaos.

And strangely enough—

comfortable.

Like slipping back into something familiar without realizing how much she’d missed it.

Eventually, after enough greetings, teasing, hugs, and unnecessary emotional attacks from grandparents, everyone finally settled around the long dining table.

Isla ended up seated beside Adrian naturally.

Like she always somehow did during family gatherings.

Across from them sat her elder brother Ryan beside his wife, Lyla , who already looked dangerously observant.

The youngest cousin, Anya, immediately chose the seat beside Isla instead of Adrian.

“I like her more,” the little girl announced proudly.

Adrian looked deeply betrayed.

“I bought you ice cream last week.”

“And she lets me steal her skincare.”

“Traitor.”

Dinner started soon after.

The conversation around the table flowed easily between business updates, university stories, investments, family gossip, and occasional arguments between the middle-school cousins.

Waiters moved quietly around the table serving dishes one after another.

Isla had barely lifted her spoon toward the soup when she froze slightly.

Mushroom.

Her eyes immediately shifted sideways toward Adrian.

At the exact wrong moment, he was already lifting a spoonful toward his mouth absentmindedly while listening to his father speak.

Everything happened instinctively after that.

“Adrian—”

Her hand shot toward his wrist quickly, jerking the spoon sideways before it reached him.

Soup splattered across his plate and tablecloth.

The entire table went silent.

Every conversation stopped immediately.

Adrian looked down at the mess on his plate first.

Then slowly toward Isla.

Mildly pissed.

Mostly confused.

“What was—”

“Isla.” Her mother’s sharp voice cut in instantly. “What kind of beha—”

“The soup has mushroom in it.”

She said it quickly.

Directly.

The silence shifted immediately.

Understanding crossed several faces at once.

Adrian’s mother visibly stiffened.

One of the grandmothers gasped softly.

And Adrian himself blinked once before finally looking properly at the soup.

Right.

Mushroom.

His allergy.

The irritation faded from his expression almost instantly.

One of the staff members hurried forward apologizing repeatedly while removing the dish immediately.

“We sincerely apologize, sir—”

“It’s fine,” Adrian said calmly before glancing once toward Isla again.

Different this time.

Quieter.

His soup and plate were quickly replaced while conversation slowly resumed around the table again.

Beside Aarav, Naina hid a smile behind her water glass.

A deeply suspicious smile.

Isla ignored her completely.

Absolutely not encouraging whatever thoughts were forming there.

Dinner continued after that with noticeably more careful checking of ingredients from everyone involved.

Eventually the main dishes were cleared away and dessert arrived next.

Isla looked down at the plate placed in front of her.

And immediately lost interest.

Too sweet.

Not her favorite.

Before she could say anything, Adrian glanced toward her dessert once.

Then toward her expression.

That was enough.

He quietly stopped one of the waiters.

“Can you switch this with the caramel custard instead?”

The waiter nodded immediately.

No hesitation.

Like this wasn’t unusual at all.

Across the table, both grandmothers exchanged looks instantly.

Dangerous looks.

“Oh, they still take care of each other so naturally,” one whispered softly.

“Just like when they were younger,” the other sighed happily.

“If things go well, they’d make such a perfect couple.”

Isla nearly choked on her water.

Beside her, Adrian calmly continued eating his dessert like he hadn’t heard a single word.

Coward.

The conversation eventually shifted toward university life instead.

“How was the first day?” Isla’s father asked.

“Chaotic,” Isla answered honestly.

“The dorms are nice though,” she added. “My roommates are insane, but manageable.”

“Insane?” Adrian repeated mildly.

“You’d fit in perfectly.”

“I’ll take that as an insult.”

“It was intended as one.”

Her father laughed quietly while Adrian’s younger brother looked deeply entertained by the entire interaction.

For the next half hour, the discussion moved between classes, professors, campus life, and repeated warnings from every adult present about “focusing on studies.”

As if any of them had a choice.

Eventually, the dinner finally came to an end.

Chairs shifted back.

Goodbyes started.

Grandparents distributed unnecessary reminders about sleep schedules and healthy eating.

As Adrian and Isla prepared to leave first, her mother immediately turned toward Adrian.

“Take care of her,” she said warmly.

Then her expression changed into playful annoyance as she looked at Isla.

“And you—try not to cause trouble. Listen to Adrian for once.”

Isla rolled her eyes instantly.

“Why does everyone act like I’m irresponsible?”

“Because you are sometimes,” her mother replied.

Before Isla could defend herself, her father stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders briefly.

“My daughter is far more responsible than people think,” he said calmly.

Isla smiled softly at that.

Across from her, Adrian glanced toward her father once.

Then quietly opened the restaurant doors for her again without a word.

And somehow—

that tiny gesture felt strangely more intimate than half the conversation tonight.

The drive back to campus was noticeably quieter than before.

Maybe because the dinner had exhausted both of them.

Maybe because pretending around family for hours straight was emotionally draining in ways neither of them ever admitted aloud.

Or maybe because the city outside had already softened into late-night stillness, leaving only the low hum of the engine and quiet music filling the space between them.

For once, neither Isla nor Adrian argued about the playlist.

The silence settled naturally.

Comfortably.

Streetlights blurred past the windows while Isla rested her head lightly against the seat.

Her heels were killing her.

Her social battery had died approximately two hours ago.

And somewhere between one traffic signal and another, her eyes slowly drifted shut.

Adrian noticed almost immediately.

Of course he did.

At first, he ignored it.

Then, five minutes later, he glanced sideways again—

And frowned.

The seatbelt hung loosely across Isla’s shoulder completely wrong, barely clipped properly.

How someone managed to wear a seatbelt incorrectly genuinely confused him.

“You’re unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath.

With a quiet sigh, Adrian slowed the car before pulling over briefly near the side of the road.

The city lights reflected faintly across the windshield as he leaned slightly toward her side carefully.

One hand reached toward the seatbelt.

Then paused.

Because asleep—

she looked different.

Softer somehow.

Less guarded.

Strands of dark hair had fallen loosely beside her face while the warm streetlights outside painted soft gold across her skin.

And annoyingly enough—

she looked gorgeous tonight.

Adrian stared one second too long before mentally insulting himself for it.

Then he reached for the seatbelt again.

At the exact same moment, Isla’s eyes snapped open.

And immediately widened.

Adrian was inches away from her.

Close enough for her to feel his breath briefly against her skin.

She jerked back instantly against the seat.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Adrian blinked once before pointing toward her seatbelt flatly.

“You were wearing it wrong.”

Isla looked down.

Realized.

And immediately felt stupid.

“Oh.”

“Impressive survival instincts.”

“Oh my God, shut up.”

A faint smirk tugged briefly at the corner of his mouth as he leaned back into his own seat again.

Isla quickly fixed the seatbelt properly while trying very hard to ignore how fast her heartbeat had suddenly become.

Adrian restarted the car without another comment.

Coward.

The university gates finally came into view nearly twenty minutes later.

Campus lights glowed softly in the distance while the roads remained mostly empty this late at night.

“Stop here,” Isla said quickly as they approached the entrance.

Adrian didn’t slow down.

“Adrian.”

“No one’s awake.”

“That’s not the point.”

“You think people are hiding in bushes waiting to expose you?”

“You’re literally recognizable from across campus.”

“That sounds like a you problem.”

She glared at him immediately. “Drop me here.”

“No.”

“Adrian.”

“You’re walking alone at midnight because you’re dramatic about appearances?”

“I am NOT dramatic.”

He finally looked at her briefly.

The expression on his face clearly said: you absolutely are.

Rude.

“You survived exactly three days at university before becoming paranoid,” he added calmly.

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet here you are.”

Unfortunately true.

By the time Isla realized she’d lost the argument, Adrian was already driving through the university gates.

The campus was quiet now.

Most dorm lights glowed dimly while distant music still echoed faintly somewhere from the direction of the party.

Adrian stopped directly outside Dormitory C.

Isla sighed dramatically while unbuckling her seatbelt.

“I hate you.”

“See you tomorrow.”

She paused halfway through opening the door.

Then glanced toward him once.

“Thanks for dinner.”

The words came out quieter than expected.

Adrian looked mildly surprised for approximately half a second before recovering instantly.

“Don’t sound emotional. It’s disturbing.”

“There’s the ego again.”

“Goodnight, Isla.”

She rolled her eyes one last time before stepping out of the car and heading toward the dorm building.

Behind her, the car remained parked for exactly two extra seconds before finally pulling away.

---

The dorm room was quiet when Isla entered.

Suspiciously quiet.

No lights except the small lamp near Olivia’s desk.

No dramatic screaming from Maya.

No music.

Nothing.

For a brief moment, Isla genuinely thought they might already be asleep.

Impossible.

She quietly changed into soft satin pajama shorts and an oversized shirt before starting her skincare routine at the bathroom mirror.

Cleanser.

Moisturizer.

Lip balm.

The usual.

By the time she finally climbed onto her bed, exhaustion had settled properly into her bones.

Then—

The dorm door slammed open.

Chaos entered immediately.

“Oh my GOD—”

“MAYA SHUT UP.”

“I’M WHISPERING.”

“You are literally yelling.”

The girls stumbled into the room in a mixture of laughter, tangled handbags, ruined makeup, and obvious exhaustion.

Chloe looked the least drunk.

Which wasn’t saying much.

Maya immediately collapsed onto Isla’s bed dramatically.

“You missed EVERYTHING.”

Isla barely reacted. “I survived peacefully without it.”

“No,” Serena corrected while kicking off her heels, “you missed Chloe having main character development.”

Chloe froze halfway through drinking water.

“Traitors.”

That got Isla’s attention.

Slowly, she looked toward Chloe.

Maya gasped dramatically. “OH NOW she’s interested.”

“What happened?” Isla asked carefully.

Chloe looked seconds away from betrayal-induced homicide.

Then olivia calmly dropped onto her own bed and answered first.

“She made out with Mason in the kitchen.”

Silence.

One second.

Then—

“YOU WHAT?”

Maya nearly fell off the bed screaming.

Chloe buried her face in her hands immediately.

“It wasn’t even that serious—”

“NOT THAT SERIOUS?” Maya shrieked. “You disappeared for TEN MINUTES.”

“He was helping me get drinks.”

Serena looked deeply unconvinced. “And accidentally kissed you?”

Chloe looked personally attacked.

“He’s cute,” she admitted weakly.

Maya grabbed her own chest dramatically like she’d been shot.

“SOMEONE HOLD ME.”

Olivia looked amused for the first time all night.

“I told you the football player was interested.”

“He looked SO good together with her,” Serena added excitedly.

“Careful though,” Olivia said more seriously after a second. “Guys like that usually flirt professionally.”

“Wow,” Maya muttered. “Way to destroy romance.”

Chloe threw a pillow at her.

The room immediately dissolved into overlapping conversations again.

Party gossip.

Who flirted with who.

Who got too drunk.

Which seniors were secretly dating.

Which couples fought publicly.

Which professor apparently attended university parties years ago and still got mentioned like a campus legend.

Then came the next bomb.

“He asked Chloe out,” Serena announced.

Maya froze.

Slowly turned.

“When?”

Chloe looked guilty.

“Two days later.”

Maya let out the loudest offended noise Isla had ever heard.

“WHY WOULD YOU DROP INFORMATION LIKE THAT CASUALLY?”

“I forgot!”

“You almost gave me cardiac arrest.”

While the chaos continued around her, Isla quietly leaned back against the headboard.

Half-listening.

Half somewhere else entirely.

Because despite everything—

her mind kept drifting back to the car.

To Adrian leaning toward her.

To the way his green eyes had looked darker beneath the city lights.

To the tiny gestures throughout dinner nobody else seemed to notice anymore because they had become so normal between them.

The dessert.

The door.

The seatbelt.

The look he gave her before leaving the restaurant.

It was annoying.

Deeply annoying.

“Earth to Isla.”

A hand snapped in front of her face suddenly.

Isla blinked.

Maya stared at her suspiciously.

“Where did you go?”

“Nowhere.”

“Liar. You completely missed the best gossip.”

“I’m tired.”

Maya narrowed her eyes dramatically. “Suspicious behavior.”

“Ignore her,” Chloe muttered.

Eventually, after several more minutes of chaos, complaints, skincare routines, and Maya emotionally reliving Chloe's kitchen incident for the fifteenth time, everyone slowly started settling into bed.

The lights turned off one by one.

The room finally quieted.

But long after everyone else had fallen asleep—

Isla still stared quietly at the ceiling.

And somewhere across campus, Adrian probably was too.