Chapter 11
744 Words
By Monday morning, the rain had stopped, leaving the campus washed clean and glittering under pale sunlight. Ivy McCall felt lighter than she had in weeks. The air smelled of wet pavement and coffee from the café near the quad.
But the peace didn’t last long.
Asher found her on the steps outside the lecture hall, flashing that familiar grin that made her pulse skip. “You’re up early. Didn’t think you did mornings.”
“Maybe I’m trying to impress my project partner,” she replied, smiling before she could stop herself.
He raised a brow. “Careful, McCall. Someone might think you actually like me.”
She rolled her eyes, though warmth crept up her neck. “In your dreams, Reid.”
“Already there,” he shot back easily.
⸻
They sat together in their media psychology lecture, trying to focus on the professor’s voice instead of each other. Every time Asher leaned over to whisper a joke, Ivy’s resolve melted a little more. By the end of class, she could barely remember what the topic was.
As they walked out, she said quietly, “We should probably cool it a bit. People are starting to notice.”
“Notice what?” he teased. “That we make a good team?”
“Asher, I’m serious,” she said, pausing at the bottom of the steps. “If people start thinking there’s… something going on, it could get awkward. For us. For our parents.”
He studied her face for a long moment, then nodded. “You’re right. We’ll be careful.”
She exhaled, relieved—and a little disappointed at how easily he agreed.
⸻
That afternoon, Ivy was working in the apartment kitchen when the door swung open and a familiar voice called, “Surprise!”
She froze. “Mom?”
Her mother, radiant as always, stepped inside, followed closely by Asher’s dad, Mr. Reid, carrying a grocery bag.
Asher came out of his room, equally stunned. “Dad? You didn’t say you were visiting!”
“We wanted to surprise you two,” Ivy’s mom said, smiling. “Check on how our favorite college kids are doing.”
Ivy’s heart raced. She and Asher exchanged a quick, nervous glance that said everything words couldn’t.
⸻
The visit was harmless enough — dinner, small talk, updates about classes and work. But to Ivy, every second felt like walking a tightrope. She was acutely aware of Asher’s every move, every time his hand brushed hers when passing a plate or when his gaze lingered too long.
Her mom noticed none of it, thankfully, but Ivy couldn’t relax.
“So,” Mr. Reid said cheerfully, “you two seem to be getting along better than we hoped.”
Asher smiled tightly. “Yeah. She hasn’t tried to kill me all semester. Progress.”
Ivy kicked him lightly under the table. “Only because I’d go to jail.”
Their parents laughed. To anyone else, they looked like normal siblings joking around. But to Ivy, the laughter only made the lie feel heavier.
⸻
After their parents left later that night, the apartment felt too quiet. Ivy leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “That was… stressful.”
“You were perfect,” Asher said, leaning beside her. “Totally convincing. Nobody suspects a thing.”
“Good,” she said, though her chest felt tight.
He studied her for a moment. “You don’t have to look so guilty, you know.”
“I just…” She sighed. “It feels like we’re hiding something wrong.”
Asher’s voice softened. “It’s not wrong to feel something real, Ivy.”
She looked up at him, eyes wide. “And what is this, exactly?”
He hesitated, searching for words. “I don’t know yet. But I know it’s real.”
She stared at him for a long second, her heart thudding in her chest. “You make everything complicated.”
“Maybe,” he said with a small smile. “But you make everything worth it.”
⸻
Later, as Ivy sat alone in her room, she thought about the night—her mother’s laugh, Asher’s eyes across the table, the guilt and longing twisting together in her chest.
For the first time, she realized just how deep she’d fallen.
And no matter how much she tried to draw new lines between them, she knew they were already long past them.
- Writer
