DRAWN TO LOVE

Chapter 13-14

Tami POV

The next morning, sunlight spilled into my room, casting stripes across the floor. I groaned, stretching under my blanket, the memory of yesterday still clinging to my thoughts. My stomach twisted when I remembered the cafeteria, his smirk, and Brittney leaning into him. I shook my head, willing myself to focus on something else.

For a moment, I lay still, staring at the ceiling. Yesterday's memories drifted back uninvited—my stomach twisted before my feet touched the floor. I hated how much space they took up in my head and how much power the past still seemed to hold over me.

Dragging myself up, I dressed on autopilot—jeans, a hoodie, sneakers. I packed my bag carefully, slipping my notebook inside though I knew my mind would struggle to focus again.

On my way down I bump into mum in the hallway knowing she was on her way to wake me up.

“You're early today?, hm that's new,” she said.

“Morning mum,” I said as we made our way downstairs to the kitchen.

Breakfast was quiet. Mum hummed softly as she sipped her coffee, glancing at me over the rim of her mug. “You’re quiet this morning,” she noted.

“Just tired,” I mumbled, grabbing a granola bar and sliding out the door before she could ask more questions.

The walk to school felt heavier than usual. Every turn of the corner reminded me of him, of how he had seated himself beside me without asking, of the way Brittney clung to him like some storybook heroine claiming her prize.

I tried to keep my head down as I entered the classroom, only to freeze mid-step. There he was, already seated in his usual spot—beside Brittney, glancing around as if searching for someone. And then his gaze landed on me.

My heart did that ridiculous jump again. I tried to act nonchalant, pretending to adjust my bag as I made my way to my seat at the back.

Of course, he noticed.

I could feel the weight of his stare as I settled in, my pen tapping nervously against the notebook. I refused to look up, but I could sense him smirking, the same small, unreadable curve at the corner of his lips.

“Focus, Tami,” I muttered to myself under my breath, tightening my grip on the pen. But every time I tried to concentrate, my mind wandered back to him—the way his presence filled the room, and the undeniable sense that he wasn’t the same boy I remembered from grade school.

When the professor called attendance, my name made my pulse quicken. My stomach knotted as I said, “Present,” careful to avoid his gaze. And yet, when my eyes flicked up for just a moment, I caught him looking back, that faint smirk lingering as though he already knew more than I wanted him to.

The lecture dragged on. I scribbled notes mechanically, glancing only occasionally at the clock. When the class finally ended, the sea of students surged toward the exit, and I followed, trying to blend in with the crowd.

Outside, I leaned against a column in the hallway, taking a deep breath. The cool air cleared some of the tension, but it didn’t erase the memory of his eyes—calm, piercing, and somehow full of unspoken words.

“Then I heard it.”

“Hey,” he said softly, just loud enough for me to hear.

My head snapped up. For a second, looking nervous. I didn’t smile, didn’t speak, just stared, at him.

“I… um,” he started off saying, “I just wanted to say… It’s been a long time. And… I’m sorry.”

My eyes widened, surprise flashing across my face.

“I know I was… a jerk back then,” he continued, carefully with his words, “and I can’t take back what I did. But I hope… maybe we can start over?”

“Wow,” I just stood there looking amazed.

Before I could say anything I saw Lola walking towards me. I immediately slid past him without saying anything.

And I knew, with a sinking feeling in my chest, that this was only the beginning.

Weeks went by and I tried as much as possible to avoid him even after he had apologized I still avoided him cause it was hard to believe that truly he was a changed person.