Between The Lines and YOU

Twenty Four

"Knox, if you have something to tell me, just say it. I still have somewhere to go." I approached him once I realized I was the only student left in the room.

"Have you eaten?" I froze at his question. I simply nodded. Don’t lower your guard, Pria. Not yet. Let him work harder for it. I avoided his gaze, pretending to dig around in my bag.

A few students greeted him in the hallway, but in his usual sharp and intimidating manner, he ignored them. Some greeted me too, and I smiled back, only for him to stop walking and throw me a sharp glare every single time. I entered his office and placed the test papers on the table beside his laptop. He pointed at the couch. I didn’t understand what he meant, so I remained standing, preparing to take my leave.

"Sit." I shouldn’t have obeyed him, especially since I was still angry, but the way his deadly stare pinned me down left me no choice. I sat instantly, no hesitation. Looks like I’m going to end up under his thumb.

He reached into his black shoulder bag, the one printed with SpongeBob. The image made me instantly recall the SpongeBob plushie I saw when Scarlett once dragged me into his room. Must be his favorite. Without a word, he set a lunchbox on the small glass table in front of me. Then he sat down beside me, and I instinctively inched away. He took a deep breath, and when I looked at him, his expression softened.

"I don’t know what to do anymore, Pria. Please stop ignoring me. I know you’re angry, and I’m sorry." Just like that, my anger dissolved. His face looked even more frustrated than mine. But still, I didn’t want to give in too easily.

"I’m not angry. I’m just busy." I answered bluntly. He stood again, reaching under his desk this time. What he pulled out made my chest tighten. A bouquet of tulips, not too big, just enough. His cheeks flushed pink, and I caught the way he bit his lower lip before turning away for a moment. Cute.

When he faced me again, his serious aura returned. He cleared his throat, stepped closer, and handed me the bouquet. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"For you."

That was it. Game over. He won. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. Inside, it felt like butterflies were dancing all over. I buried my face into the flowers to hide the heat rising in my cheeks. So this is what it feels like to receive flowers. But it’s not just about the bouquet. It’s about him. Knox, the great professor himself, gave me flowers. Dang. Was he really courting me? It still felt so unreal.

"Did you like it?" I set the bouquet gently beside me.

"I love it." I slid closer and wrapped my arms around him. I’d been wanting to hug him all day. I kissed him lightly on the cheek before pulling away, my lips curled into an unrestrainable smile. He smelled so good, as always. He smiled too.

"I bought breakfast. Let’s eat." I wanted to tell him I’d already eaten, but I didn’t want to risk shifting his mood again.

My eyes lit up when I saw the dish. It had been a while since I’d last eaten it. He slid it toward me, keeping the other dish for himself, something I didn’t recognize, but it looked delicious.

"You cooked this?" He nodded, his mouth full. It looked like he hadn’t eaten properly in days, judging from the way he shoveled food in bite after bite. I was used to seeing him eat so little, but right now, he was like a kid who’d finally been allowed to indulge.

"W-what?" I blinked when I realized he’d caught me staring.

"Huh?"

"You’re staring at me. Is there something on my face?" I giggled softly, realizing I’d disturbed his enthusiastic eating. I sipped my water before answering.

"Yeah. Your good looks. They’re distracting me." I almost burst out laughing when his face turned crimson, his lips instantly snapping shut.

"You’re spitting food over the table." I couldn’t help it, I laughed out loud. What kind of excuse was that? My mouth was empty the whole time, and here he was accusing me of spitting food. His eyes narrowed, and I quickly stopped laughing. I cleared my throat, picked up the spoon, and scooped a bite.

"Knox, try this. It’s good." I knew he was the one who cooked it, but I doubted he had ever actually tasted it himself.

From the way he looked, it seemed like he hadn’t tried most of the dishes you usually find in a small eatery. He didn’t have to say anything, I knew he made this because he knew it was my favorite. I still remembered how he once liked that tagged post of mine from Ivy a long time ago, the one about menudo. He just stared at the spoonful of menudo in my hand. I leaned closer, teasing him by holding it near his lips. I wasn’t going to force him if he didn’t want it, I was just enjoying the way his eyebrows arched in annoyance.

But just as I was about to pull it back, he caught my hand and ate the spoonful. My face instantly heated at the thought, wasn’t that basically an indirect kiss? Because if he wasn’t going to blush, then I definitely was.

"Good?" I asked curiously. He only hummed before swallowing.

"Let me taste it again." I moved the spoon toward him again, confused when he only stared at it and then looked back at me.

"Why?"

"Feed me." His lips curved into a slight pout. So cute. There was no way I could resist that. Damn, I’m so whipped. Grinning like an i***t, I offered him another spoonful. If ants could see us, they’d die of envy from the sweetness. He chewed slowly, then glanced at me with a smile.

"It’s delicious," he said before taking a bite of his own dish, the one I couldn’t identify.

"Try this." He held it up to my lips, and I accepted it without hesitation. It was good. It tasted like shrimp with cheese, but with a hint of steak. I wasn’t really sure, but it was definitely delicious. Rich people’s food was always complicated, full of too many extras. We must have looked like a couple by then, feeding each other, stealing glances, then looking away like fools. I was worse than a shy flower, constantly avoiding his eyes just so he wouldn’t catch me blushing. That’s how it went until we finally finished eating.

Because I was too busy flirting, I hadn’t noticed how much I ended up eating. Knox totally tricked me. I was pretty sure I ate more than he did. I ended up clearing the table and tidying up our mess.

"Scarlett’s looking for you. She asked if you had free time to visit her." What about you, Knox? Don’t you ever look for me? I nodded, though truthfully, I wanted to see his sister too. There were so many things I wanted to ask her, and honestly, she was easier to talk to than her brother. Knox was just… too serious.

"I can visit her tomorrow after exams. It’s the last day anyway." His brow arched.

"Aren’t you supposed to ask my permission first? Ask me if I’ll even allow you to visit her." A moment ago he was sweet, and now he was sulking again. It was his sister I wanted to see, yet somehow I still had to go through him.

"No need. Besides, I’m only visiting her to see you. You’ll be there, won’t you?" He stared at me for a long moment, eyes sharp, like they were piercing through me. Afraid of what he might find, I quickly looked away.

"I have meetings tomorrow, but I’ll try to finish early so I can come home right away." I couldn’t hide my disappointment, but I understood. He was a busy man, and that was necessary for growing his business. Still, when he suddenly stood and walked over to me, I froze.

"Where’s the necklace? Why aren’t you wearing it?" s**t. I had deliberately left it off today because I was annoyed at him earlier. Now I was regretting that decision. I should have just tucked it in my bag.

"I—I left it. Ivy and I were in a rush this morning." He studied my face, trying to see if I was telling the truth or just lying. I let out a quiet breath of relief when he finally gave a small nod. His hand brushed against my cheek, and when he smiled at me soft, sweet, it felt as though he had touched my heart too.

"Let's have a date tomorrow after your examination." It wasn’t a question, nor even a casual suggestion. It was a command. He didn’t give me the chance to reply. So demanding, clearly terrified of being refused. And yet, on the other side of that thought, my heart fluttered.

_______________________________

After my second subject for the day, I headed straight to the cafeteria when Ivy texted me that they were waiting. I hadn’t seen Knox since I left his office earlier. V.C.U. was so big, you’d never bump into someone unless you looked for them on purpose.

"Pria, you’re so slow. What, do you have a love life now? Meeting him in secret?" I rolled my eyes at Asher as I finally reached their table. He was sitting beside Ivy, and honestly, I was beginning to suspect something between those two. They’d been acting so sweet lately. A different kind of sweetness, almost on the same level as Knox and me. Stop thinking about him. We’d just seen each other earlier, yet here I was, already wanting to see him again.

On the other side sat Lyra, next to Kael, who didn’t even bother glancing at me. Lyra quickly shifted over, making space so I could sit beside him.

"Kael, are you still mad at me?" I tried to sound calm. I really hated it when he was upset with me. The weight of his silence always sat too heavily on my chest.

"Kael just wants a kiss from his baby—ouch! Why’d you pinch me? That hurt!" Asher rubbed at his side, right where Ivy must’ve pinched him. They were seated together, after all. No way it could’ve been Lyra from across the table.

"You’ve been so noisy. Enough already," Lyra scolded.

"Why are you two ganging up on me? Kael’s the one who’s been sulking since yesterday. Why not pinch him instead?"

"What did you just say? I’m sulking?" I almost laughed when Asher visibly swallowed hard at the cold tone in Kael’s voice. He even glanced at Ivy for help, but she kept calmly eating her salad.

"Did I say you were sulking?"

"You just did. Stupid."

"I wasn’t talking about you, it was Pria. She’s the one sulking, not you."

"Damn you, Asher. Dragging me into this," I muttered, clenching my fists. He quickly flashed a peace sign when I glared at him. But then, all of us froze when Kael suddenly stood up and walked away without a word. Ivy gestured at me to follow, so I immediately pushed my chair back and hurried after him.

He must have realized I was trailing him, because he only quickened his pace. But I didn’t stop. I needed to talk to him. This avoidance wasn’t solving anything. I’d already apologized, admitted my mistake. How many more sorries did he want?

"Kael! Please stop! If you don’t stop right now, I swear I’ll ignore you for the rest of my life!" I shouted, breathless, as we reached the back of the gym. Luckily, no students were around. At last, he halted. I seized the moment to catch up.

"Kael—"

"What?!" His voice was sharp, startling me. But the look in his eyes, it wasn’t anger I saw there. It was pain. I took a deep breath, carefully choosing my words.

"If you’re angry at me, then I want to hear it. Shout at me. Say everything you’ve been holding back. Blame me all you want. Just please don’t treat me like I don’t exist."

"You really want to know?" I nodded. We stood there, locked in silence for several long minutes, before he released a shaky breath. I saw the nervous flicker cross his expression.

"I love you." The words struck me like a blow. My face drained of color as I tried to process the weight of what he had just said.

"Of course I love you, but only because you’re my friend." I watched him struggle, holding himself back from crying in front of me. His head shook over and over, refusing my words.

"No, you don’t get it. I love you, not because you’re my friend, Pria. I love you more than that. I’ve loved you for a long time. I wasn’t supposed to tell you this, it wasn’t part of my plan. But why does it feel like I already have a rival for your heart? I’m going crazy just thinking about it." This time, Kael’s tears finally broke free.

"Kael," was all I could say. I searched my heart, trying to make sense of what I felt about his sudden confession. But aside from the pain I felt for him, there was nothing else.

"I’m not blind. I knew there was something between you and Professor Sandoval. I saw how your eyes lit up every time you heard his name, how your smile grew brighter whenever you saw him. And it hurts, because you only do those things for him. Tell me, are you two together?" I could only shake my head in response. He lifted his gaze to the sky, fighting to hold back the sobs threatening to spill. I, too, fought my own tears. The thought of our friendship changing, it tore me apart.

"He’ll only hurt you, Pria. In the end, he still won’t choose you. He’s confused, and he’s just using you for his own happiness. He’s selfish." My tears fell at those words. He was crying, and now so was I. Maybe he was right. Maybe he was wrong. But there was some truth in what he said. The only part I couldn’t agree with was calling Knox selfish. He wasn’t. I knew there was something deeper, a reason behind everything.

"He’s not selfish."

"He is. When the time comes that he has to choose, do you honestly think it will be you? He’s already hurt you once, when he told you he couldn’t leave Celine for you." How did he know?

"H-how did you find out?"

"That doesn’t matter. Choose me, Pria. Have a date with me." I wiped at the tears streaming down my cheeks and quickly shook my head.

"I—I’m sorry, Kael. I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the love you deserve. I don’t want to give you false hope. You’re my friend, and I don’t want to hurt you." But who was I kidding? Of course I was hurting him.

My heart ached to hold him, especially as his tears flowed harder. Yet my feet wouldn’t move. I stood there, frozen in place, unable to comfort him the way he needed. Even if I said yes, even if I gave him a chance, it would only be unfair. Because deep down, I knew, I could only ever see him as a friend.

"D-don’t mind me. What matters is that I said what I needed to say. I just hope he won’t hurt you… because if he does, I’ll be ready to take you back from him at any time." He brushed his tears away, then stepped closer. He pressed a light kiss against my forehead, then another against my cheek. Gentle… yet it cut through me like a blade. My chest tightened painfully, because I had nothing to give him in return.

"I’ll be gone for a while. I’ll come back once I’m strong enough. Take care of yourself." With that, he turned and walked away. I stayed where I was, watching until he disappeared from sight. I remained there, motionless, tears pouring endlessly down my face. The thought of him being gone, days, weeks, maybe months, only made the ache sharper, the sobs heavier.

"Stop crying, you look like a drenched chick." I spun around at the familiar voice. Behind me stood Knox, holding out a handkerchief. Without thinking, I rushed into his arms, clinging tightly as I cried harder.

"Knox…"