EYES ON ME
1297 Words
Aria’s POV
If there was one thing I learned overnight—
It was how to pretend.
Pretend everything was fine.
Pretend nothing had changed.
Pretend I wasn’t falling apart inside.
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By the time I got to school the next morning, I had already built my walls back up.
Or at least… I tried to.
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“Okay, that’s it,” Nina said the moment I sat down beside her. “You’re officially acting weird.”
I sighed, dropping my bag on the table. “Good morning to you too.”
“No, don’t ‘good morning’ me,” she shot back. “You’ve been off since yesterday, and now you look like you didn’t sleep at all.”
I looked away.
Because she wasn’t wrong.
I didn’t sleep.
Not after last night.
Not after him.
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“I’m just tired,” I said again.
Same excuse.
Same lie.
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Nina narrowed her eyes. “You keep saying that like I’m supposed to believe you.”
I forced a small smile. “Maybe you should.”
“Or maybe,” she leaned closer, lowering her voice, “you’re hiding something.”
My heart skipped.
“Like what?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “But whatever it is… it’s big.”
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She wasn’t wrong.
It was big.
Too big.
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“I promise, there’s nothing,” I said.
She studied me for a few seconds, then sighed.
“Fine. But I’m watching you.”
I let out a quiet breath.
“Noted.”
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“Aria.”
A new voice.
Male.
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I turned slightly.
And that’s when I saw him.
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Ethan.
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He was leaning against the desk behind me, hands casually in his pockets, a small smile playing on his lips.
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“Hey,” he said.
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Ethan had always been… noticeable.
Not just because of his looks.
But because of the way he carried himself.
Confident.
Relaxed.
Like the world naturally made space for him.
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“Hey,” I replied.
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Nina’s expression immediately changed.
“Oh, look who finally decided to show up,” she teased.
Ethan chuckled. “I’ve been around.”
“Not around her,” Nina said, nodding toward me.
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I frowned slightly. “What does that mean?”
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Ethan shrugged. “It means I’ve been trying to talk to you for days, but you keep disappearing.”
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My chest tightened.
Because that sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
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“I’ve just been busy,” I said.
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“With what?” Nina cut in quickly.
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I shot her a look.
She ignored it.
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Ethan smiled slightly. “Whatever it is, you should take a break.”
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“A break?” I echoed.
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“Yeah,” he said. “Come out with us later.”
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My stomach twisted.
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“I don’t know…”
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“Come on,” Nina jumped in. “You clearly need it.”
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I hesitated.
Because part of me wanted to say yes.
Wanted to escape.
Wanted to be anywhere but home.
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Anywhere but near him.
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“Fine,” I said finally.
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Nina grinned. “That’s more like it.”
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Ethan’s smile widened slightly.
“Good. I’ll text you the details.”
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I nodded.
Trying to ignore the strange feeling building in my chest.
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Because for a second…
It almost felt normal.
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Like I could still have a normal life.
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But deep down…
I knew better.
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Because no matter where I went—
No matter what I did—
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I couldn’t escape what was waiting for me at home.
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And I was right.
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The moment I stepped into the house that evening—
I felt it.
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That presence.
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“You’re late.”
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My breath caught.
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I froze.
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His voice.
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Low.
Calm.
Waiting.
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Slowly, I turned.
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Damien was standing in the living room.
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Watching me.
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My heart started racing again.
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“I had school,” I said quickly.
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“And after school?” he asked.
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My fingers tightened around my bag.
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“Why does it matter?” I shot back.
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A mistake.
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Because his expression changed slightly.
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“You tell me,” he said.
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The tension between us snapped tight.
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“I went out with friends,” I said.
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Something flickered in his eyes.
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“Friends,” he repeated.
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“Yes.”
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Silence.
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Heavy.
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Then—
“Was he one of them?”
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My heart skipped.
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“What?”
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“The guy,” he said calmly. “The one who was looking at you.”
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My breath caught.
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“How do you—”
I stopped.
Too late.
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His gaze sharpened.
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“So there was someone.”
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I shook my head quickly. “It’s not like that.”
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“Then what is it like?” he asked.
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His voice dropped.
Lower.
Colder.
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“There’s nothing going on,” I said.
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“Really?”
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He stepped closer.
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Too close.
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My heart pounded.
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“Because from where I stand,” he continued, “it didn’t look like nothing.”
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“It’s none of your business,” I snapped.
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The moment the words left my mouth—
I knew I had crossed a line.
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Because everything about him changed.
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His expression.
His posture.
The air around him.
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“You think it’s not my business?” he asked quietly.
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A dangerous quiet.
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“Yes,” I said, even though my voice shook.
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A step closer.
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“You’re wrong.”
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My breath hitched.
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“You don’t get to do whatever you want and expect me to ignore it,” he continued.
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“Why not?” I challenged.
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A mistake.
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Because the next second—
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He was right in front of me.
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Too close.
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“You really want to know why?” he asked.
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My heart pounded so loud I was sure he could hear it.
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“Yes,” I whispered.
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He leaned closer.
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“So you can run into someone else’s arms?”
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My breath caught.
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“That’s not what I’m doing,” I said.
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“Isn’t it?”
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His voice dropped again.
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“Because it looked a lot like it.”
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“It wasn’t like that,” I repeated.
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“Then what was it like?” he pressed.
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I didn’t answer.
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Because I didn’t have one.
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And that silence said everything.
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A faint, almost bitter smile crossed his face.
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“Exactly.”
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My chest tightened.
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“Stay away from him,” he said.
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The words hit hard.
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“What?” I said.
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“You heard me.”
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“You don’t get to tell me who I can or can’t talk to,” I snapped.
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“Watch me.”
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The confidence in his voice sent a chill down my spine.
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“This isn’t your life,” I said.
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“No,” he replied.
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“It’s ours now.”
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My breath caught.
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And in that moment…
I realized something terrifying.
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This wasn’t just about the past anymore.
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It wasn’t just about revenge.
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It was becoming something else.
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Something more dangerous.
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Something personal.
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And I was right in the middle of it.
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With no way out.
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