When Heart Collide

~~ Chapter Thirteen ~~

~~ Chapter Thirteen ~~

The lecture hall felt smaller than usual.

Janessa sat beside Riley, flipping through her notes, but not really reading them. Her mind kept drifting, too many things happening at once.

Enzo.

Daniel.

Winter.

Nothing felt simple anymore.

“Okay,” Riley whispered, leaning closer, “why is Enzo staring like that?”

Janessa didn’t look up. “Like what?”

“Like he’s trying to solve a crime.”

That made her glance up.

Across the room, Enzo sat a few rows behind.

His eyes weren’t on the board.

They were on Daniel.

And Daniel was sitting right beside Janessa.

Talking to her like nothing was wrong.

Like everything was normal.

“...and then the professor just walked out mid-sentence,” Daniel was saying, smiling slightly.

Janessa laughed softly. “That sounds about right.”

Riley wasn’t laughing.

She was watching Enzo.

“This is not good,” she muttered.

Enzo’s jaw tightened.

Every instinct in him was screaming.

Too close.

Daniel was too close.

Too comfortable.

Too calm.

Like he belonged there.

Like he had already settled into Janessa’s space without resistance.

Enzo stood up.

“I’ll be back,” he muttered to no one in particular.

“Hey,” Daniel said suddenly, turning slightly toward Janessa. “You mind if I step out for a second?”

Janessa frowned. “Class is about to start.”

“I won’t be long.”

Before she could respond, he stood and walked toward the exit.

Enzo was already there.

Waiting.

The hallway outside was quiet.

The moment Daniel stepped out, Enzo spoke.

“You need to stay away from her.”

Daniel smiled.

No surprise.

No confusion.

Just… amusement.

“There it is,” he said. “I was wondering how long it would take.”

Enzo stepped closer. “This isn’t a game.”

Daniel tilted his head. “Everything’s a game. You should know that.”

“Not this,” Enzo said sharply.

Daniel’s expression shifted slightly.

“Relax,” he said. “I’m just talking to her.”

“You’re using her.”

Daniel let out a soft laugh. “You think too highly of yourself.”

Enzo’s eyes darkened.

“You followed me here,” he said. “You got close to her on purpose.”

Daniel didn’t deny it.

Instead, he stepped closer.

“Maybe I was curious,” he said quietly. “You disappear, build a whole new life… I wanted to see what was worth it.”

Enzo’s voice dropped. “She’s not part of this.”

Daniel’s smile faded just a little.

“That depends,” he said.

Silence.

Tense.

Heavy.

“Walk away,” Enzo said.

Daniel held his gaze.

“Or what?” he asked softly.

For a second, it felt like everything might snap.

“Hey....what’s going on?”

Janessa’s voice cut through the tension.

Both of them turned.

She stood at the doorway, confused.

“Class is starting,” she said. “Are you guys coming?”

A pause.

Then Daniel smiled again, easy, relaxed, like nothing had happened.

“Yeah,” he said. “We were just catching up.”

Janessa looked between them. “You two really do know each other.”

Enzo didn’t answer.

Daniel walked past him, back into the classroom.

Janessa followed, still slightly confused.

Enzo stayed in the hallway for a second longer.

Breathing.

Trying to calm the storm building inside him.

When he finally walked back in, everything looked normal again.

Too normal.

Daniel was back in his seat.

Janessa was listening to the professor.

Riley glanced at Enzo, then at Daniel.

She could feel it too.

Something wasn’t right.

As the lecture continued, Janessa felt it.

The tension.

Unspoken.

Unexplained.

She didn’t understand it, but she was right in the middle of it.

And this time, it wasn’t just awkward.

It was dangerous.