~~ Chapter Fifteen ~~
624 Words
Enzo couldn’t focus.
The words on the page blurred together, meaningless no matter how many times he reread them.
Formulas. Definitions. Notes.
None of it stayed.
All he could see was the library.
Janessa.
Daniel.
Too close.
Too comfortable.
Too… easy.
Enzo shut his book, exhaling sharply. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.
It didn’t mean anything.
That’s what he told himself.
But his mind kept replaying it anyway.
The way Daniel leaned in.
The way Janessa didn’t pull away immediately.
The way it looked like something that shouldn’t be happening was about to happen.
Enzo stood up abruptly, pacing his room.
“This is stupid,” he muttered.
He had bigger problems.
Daniel being here.
The past catching up.
The risk to Janessa.
That’s what mattered.
Not… whatever that moment was.
Still
it stayed.
Hours passed.
Midnight crept in quietly.
Enzo sat at his desk again, trying to force himself to study.
His phone buzzed.
He froze.
Slowly, he picked it up.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
Still pretending everything’s normal?
Enzo’s jaw tightened.
Another message came.
Do something.
His eyes narrowed.
Another.
Anything.
Silence filled the room.
Enzo stared at the screen.
“What do you want from me?” he muttered.
No reply.
Just those words lingering.
Do something.
His grip tightened around the phone.
A part of him wanted to ignore it.
Walk away.
Stay out.
But another part, the part he had tried to bury understood exactly what that message meant.
The next morning, Enzo was late.
Not by much.
But enough to notice.
The exam hall was already half-filled when he walked in.
Students were seated, flipping through last-minute notes.
Janessa sat near the middle.
Daniel beside her.
Enzo’s gaze lingered for half a second then he looked away.
He took a seat a few rows behind.
The room settled.
The exam papers were handed out.
“Begin.”
For the first few minutes, everything was quiet.
Pens moving.
Pages turning.
Controlled tension.
Then, Daniel leaned back slightly in his chair.
Just enough to glance behind.
At Enzo.
A small smile played on his lips.
“Did you enjoy that?” he whispered under his breath.
Enzo’s hand froze on the paper.
His eyes lifted slowly.
Met Daniel’s.
The meaning was clear.
The message.
The library.
Everything.
Enzo said nothing.
But the look he gave him was enough.
Cold.
Warning.
The rest of the exam passed in silence.
But not in peace.
Outside the hall, students spilled out, talking loudly, comparing answers.
Janessa stepped out beside Daniel.
“That wasn’t as bad as I thought,” she said.
Daniel shrugged. “You were overthinking it.”
She smiled slightly. “I always do.”
A pause.
Then she glanced back toward the hall.
“Hey… what did you mean earlier?” she asked.
Daniel tilted his head. “When?”
“In the exam,” she said. “You said something to Enzo.”
Daniel let out a soft laugh.
“Oh...that?” he said casually. “Just a joke.”
Janessa frowned slightly. “About what?”
“About him being late,” Daniel replied easily. “I was like, ‘Did you enjoy your morning?’ or whatever.”
Janessa studied his face for a second.
Trying to read him.
But he looked relaxed.
Normal.
Unbothered.
So she nodded slowly. “Okay…”
“Don’t overthink it,” he added.
She gave a small smile. “I won’t.”
But something about it didn’t sit right.
A few steps away, Enzo stood alone.
Watching.
Thinking.
Because that message last night
and what Daniel said this morning
weren’t coincidences.
And whatever “do something” meant
he had a feeling this was only the beginning.
- Writer
