Episode 7
846 Words
The air had shifted .
Marilyn felt it before she could name it — a subtle change in the way Xavier looked at her , touched her , spoke . Something was missing . A flicker of absence in his presence .
It had started a few days ago . He stopped calling her by the pet names that used to make her smile . His text replies , once instant and filled with teasing warmth, began to grow shorter … colder . He still met her between classes and hung out on weekends , but something was off . She told herself it was stress — finals were coming , after all — but the knot in her stomach said otherwise .
And then there was Lucas .
She had only spoken to him once at the café , but the conversation lingered in her thoughts more than she liked to admit . There was a steadiness in Lucas’s eyes she wasn’t used to . A maturity . She’d felt safe , seen — like he noticed her beyond what she looked like or what she could give .
Xavier didn’t ask her about it , but she could feel the tension building ever since .
What Marilyn didn’t know was that Xavier had seen them .
From a distance across the street , Xavier had been heading to the café to surprise her when he spotted her laughing — smiling — with a man in a crisp navy suit . He recognized Lucas instantly . The confident posture , the serious expression , the way people instinctively gave him space .
He had frozen in place , heart pounding , rage and confusion colliding . He didn’t confront them . He just turned and walked away , fists clenched in his pockets .
The next night, Xavier sat in the back booth of the usual bar with his friends Theo and Caleb , a haze of smoke swirling between them and music thudding in the background .
“ So… your girl’s working late again ? ” Theo smirked , sipping his drink .
“ Must be nice to have a girl that hot and that loyal , ” Caleb added , elbowing Xavier . “ You actually managing to keep her hooked with that charm or what ? ”
Xavier didn’t reply . He stared into his drink , jaw clenched .
Theo leaned in . “ Or are we forgetting the real reason you even started talking to her ? ”
Xavier’s eyes flicked up . “ Shut up . ”
Caleb laughed . “ Come on , man. We all remember . The bet. First week of class — ‘I’ll get the quiet new girl in my bed by winter break’ . That was your exact line . ”
Theo raised his glass mockingly . “ Winter break’s only a couple weeks away . Clock’s ticking . ”
Xavier’s heart beat faster, a sick twist in his gut . He knew what he’d said . He’d meant it at the time — Marilyn was a mystery , innocent and smart, and back then , she was just a challenge . A game to win . A trophy to show off .
But now … it wasn’t that simple .
Or at least , it hadn’t been until he saw her with Lucas .
Theo noticed his silence and pushed harder . “ Bro , don’t tell me you caught feelings . ”
Xavier gave a tight smile . “ No. Of course not . ”
“ Then finish it , ” Caleb said flatly . “ You made the bet . Don’t be soft now . ”
Xavier took a deep breath and downed his drink .
“ I will , ” he said coldly . “ I’ll finish it . Soon . ”
His friends cheered, but their laughter only made him feel worse .
Meanwhile , Marilyn sat alone in her dorm, her untouched textbook open in her lap . Her thoughts kept spiraling . She’d noticed how Xavier had barely touched her hand during their last study session , how he avoided eye contact when she tried to share something personal . She tried bringing it up casually , but he brushed it off with a kiss or a joke — things that no longer comforted her the way they used to .
She picked up her phone , hesitating . Should she text Lucas ? Just to say thank you , or maybe… ask about Xavier ?
No , she told herself . That would make things worse . That would make it real .
Still , her thumb hovered over his number , heart aching with the weight of not knowing .
Then her phone buzzed .
Xavier : Hey . Can we talk tomorrow? Alone at my place .
Marilyn stared at the message, stomach twisting.
It didn’t sound like him.
And yet, something inside her whispered: This is where it begins to fall apart.
- Writer
