Chapter Seven - Cracks in the Glass
1016 Words
The dorm room was unusually quiet.
Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across Vincent's neatly arranged desk.
His timetable was pinned to the wall.
His textbooks were stacked by subject.
His shoes sat perfectly aligned beneath the bed.
Everything was exactly where it belonged.
Everything except the cream-coloured envelope lying in the middle of his desk.
Vincent hadn't opened it.
He didn't need to.
The gold wax seal stamped with the Wynne crest was enough.
A reminder.
A command.
A future he never chose.
He stared at it for several seconds before sliding it into the bottom drawer and locking it away.
The click of the key echoed louder than it should have.
"You know..."
William's sleepy voice drifted from across the room.
"I've never seen someone glare at an envelope before."
Vincent jumped slightly.
"I thought you were asleep."
"I was."
William stretched before sitting upright.
"But you make enough noise when you're stressed."
"I wasn't making noise."
"You reorganised your bookshelf twice."
Vincent looked over.
"...You noticed?"
William smiled.
"I notice a lot more than you think."
For a brief moment, Vincent wondered how much William had really seen.
After breakfast, the campus buzzed with rumours.
Students gathered in small groups, whispering excitedly.
Jake hurried towards Vincent, nearly spilling his coffee.
"Have you heard?"
Vincent looked up from his notes.
"Heard what?"
"About yesterday."
"What about it?"
Jake looked around before lowering his voice.
"The internet thinks you're dating the football captain."
Vincent froze.
"...What?"
Jake pulled out his phone.
A university gossip page filled the screen.
SPOTTED: Football captain William Moretti seen having lunch, attending matches and walking around campus with mystery engineering student. New couple? 👀
Beneath it...
Hundreds of comments.
"They're actually cute."
"Anyone know who the glasses guy is?"
"William finally settled down?"
"I've seen them together almost every day."
Vincent's face drained of colour.
"I don't like this."
Jake immediately put the phone away.
"I figured."
At football practice, William wasn't having a much easier day.
Mason jogged beside him with an irritating grin.
"So..."
William sighed.
"What now?"
"When were you planning on telling us?"
"Telling you what?"
"You've got a boyfriend."
William nearly tripped over the ball.
"I what?"
Mason laughed.
"The whole university's talking about it."
William rubbed a hand over his face.
"We're not dating."
"Sure."
"We're not."
"So why do you smile every time someone mentions him?"
William opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Coach Harrison blew his whistle.
"Less gossip, more running!"
The team scattered.
But the question lingered.
Why did he smile?
That afternoon...
Vincent hid in the library.
Not because he had work to do.
Because it was quiet.
Because nobody asked questions.
Because books didn't expect answers.
He settled into his favourite corner, surrounded by thick engineering texts.
For the first time in weeks...
He couldn't concentrate.
"Mind if I sit here?"
He looked up.
Jennifer.
Gone were the designer heels and tailored suit.
Today she wore jeans, trainers and a university hoodie.
She looked... ordinary.
"I thought you left."
"I did."
She smiled gently.
"Then I came back."
Vincent sighed.
"You always were stubborn."
"I learned from your father."
That earned a small laugh.
Jennifer looked around the empty library.
"I used to wonder where you disappeared to during holidays."
Vincent frowned.
"You did?"
"You'd disappear for hours."
She looked at the books surrounding them.
"I guess now I know."
Silence settled between them.
Finally, Jennifer spoke.
"Do you hate me?"
Vincent looked genuinely shocked.
"No."
"Really?"
"You've never done anything to deserve that."
She nodded slowly.
"I've always worried you blamed me."
"For what?"
"The engagement."
Vincent stared at the table.
"I don't blame you."
"I blame the people who decided it."
Jennifer's shoulders relaxed.
"So do I."
Vincent looked up.
"You... do?"
"I never wanted to marry someone who felt trapped."
Those words hung between them.
For the first time...
Vincent realised Jennifer wasn't his enemy.
She was another person living inside someone else's plan.
Outside the library...
William walked past on his way back from training.
Through the window...
He saw Vincent laughing.
Jennifer laughed too.
They looked comfortable together.
William stopped walking.
He wasn't jealous.
At least...
That's what he told himself.
He simply realised there was an entire part of Vincent's life he hadn't been invited into.
That evening...
Back in the dorm...
William sat cross-legged on the floor, cleaning his football boots.
Vincent quietly made two mugs of tea.
He placed one beside William.
William looked up.
"I didn't ask for tea."
"I know."
A small smile tugged at Vincent's lips.
"I thought you might like some anyway."
William wrapped his hands around the warm mug.
"So..."
"So?"
"You and Jennifer."
Vincent's smile faded.
"What about us?"
"You've known each other a long time."
"Since we were children."
William nodded.
"You seem... close."
Vincent took a slow sip of his tea.
"It's complicated."
William wanted to ask more.
He wanted to ask everything.
Who she was.
Why bodyguards followed her.
Why Vincent looked frightened every time his father's name came up.
Instead, he asked the only question that felt fair.
"Are you okay?"
Vincent looked at him.
Not at the tea.
Not at the floor.
At William.
After a long silence, he answered honestly.
"I don't know."
William didn't offer advice.
He didn't push.
He simply moved from his own bed to the floor beside Vincent's chair.
The two of them sat in silence, mugs warming their hands.
Sometimes, silence wasn't empty.
Sometimes, it was the safest place in the world.
Across the city...
Connor Wynne stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office.
The city lights shimmered below.
His assistant stepped inside.
"Sir."
Connor didn't turn.
"The gala preparations are complete."
"And my son?"
"He still intends to stay at the university."
Connor's jaw tightened.
"Not for much longer."
He picked up a framed photograph.
A younger Vincent.
Smiling beside his late mother.
Connor's expression softened for the briefest second...
Then vanished.
"He still believes he can choose his own future."
Connor placed the photograph face down.
"He'll learn."
- Writer
