Chapter 8 The rain
791 Words
The rain hadn’t stopped since evening, washing the campus streets in a silver blur. It fell steadily, tapping against the windows like impatient fingers. Olivia sat by the window, her fingers wrapped around a mug of lukewarm tea, barely tasting it. Her gaze drifted between the streaking droplets and the empty chair across the room.
Ethan’s chair.
It had been empty all day.
He’d been distant lately. Not just quiet, but unreachable—cold in a way that made her wonder if she had imagined their closeness in the first place. Every time she felt like she was finally close enough to understand him, he built another wall, higher than the last.
“Hey… you okay?” Mia asked softly, leaning over her desk. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, strands falling into her eyes. She watched Olivia with concern she didn’t bother hiding.
Olivia nodded, forcing a small smile. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
But the word felt hollow.
Tasha glanced up from her phone, studying Olivia for a moment before sighing. “You’ve been staring at the rain for almost an hour. That’s not ‘fine,’ Liv.”
“I’m just tired,” Olivia said, turning away from the window.
They exchanged a look but didn’t push. Lately, they rarely did. Everyone had noticed how Olivia’s mood shifted whenever Ethan’s name came up, how she went quiet in a way that felt heavier than words.
After a moment, Olivia stood, pulling on her hoodie. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Now?” Mia asked. “It’s still raining.”
“I won’t be long.”
The campus paths were nearly empty, washed clean by the rain and glowing faintly under the streetlamps. Water splashed beneath Olivia’s sneakers as she walked past the garden near the library. The air smelled fresh, sharp, and cold—almost comforting.
That was when she saw him.
A figure stood beneath a wide oak tree, just at the edge of the path. Calm. Still. Unbothered by the storm.
Ryan.
He turned as she passed, his voice smooth and steady. “You shouldn’t be walking alone at night.”
She slowed, surprised. “I could say the same about you.”
He chuckled quietly, stepping closer. Rain pattered against the umbrella he held. “Maybe I was waiting for someone.”
Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten—not fear, exactly, but a strange awareness. His eyes were dark, observant, as if he saw more than he let on.
“You look like you’ve had a long day,” Ryan said, extending the umbrella toward her.
“I’m fine,” Olivia replied automatically.
He tilted his head, studying her. “You always say that, don’t you?”
She froze. “How would you know that?”
A faint smile curved his lips—subtle, unreadable. “I pay attention.”
For a moment, the rain felt louder. Closer. And when she finally walked away, she carried the sound of his voice with her all the way back to the dorm.
The next morning, she hated herself for thinking about him.
His voice. The way his words lingered. The calm confidence that didn’t demand anything from her.
By the time she reached class, Ethan was already there, seated with his arms folded, eyes fixed on the door like he’d been waiting.
Their gazes met for a second too long.
Then he looked away.
“Hey,” Olivia said quietly as she sat beside him.
No response.
“Ethan?” she tried again.
He exhaled, jaw tightening. “I’ve just got things on my mind.”
“You always do,” she said gently. “But you never let anyone in.”
For a moment, something cracked. He turned toward her, eyes softening, lips parting like he was about to say everything he’d been holding back—
Then the door opened.
Ryan walked in.
The air shifted instantly.
Ryan’s eyes found Olivia, and he smiled as if seeing her was the most natural thing in the world. He took the seat on her other side. “Didn’t expect to see you here so early.”
Ethan leaned back slowly, his stare fixed on Ryan—sharp, assessing.
“Do you two know each other?” he asked.
Olivia hesitated. “We… met last night.”
Ryan’s grin widened. “Small world, huh?”
Ethan’s fingers curled into a fist beneath the desk. “Yeah,” he said coolly. “Small world.”
The tension between them crackled, silent but unmistakable. Olivia sat frozen between them, her heart pounding as the realization settled deep in her chest.
This wasn’t just awkward.
This was the beginning of something complicated.
- Writer
