Heated Desire

The Notice.

(Isabella’s POV)

Something was definitely wrong.I noticed it the moment I entered the dorm building.Usually the hallway was loud in the evenings. Girls talking, music playing from someone’s room, people laughing or arguing about something small.But today felt different.Girls were moving around the hallway with worried expressions. Some were whispering to each other. Others stood in small groups, staring at their phones.A few people were talking quickly, but their voices were low.My heart skipped.Something had happened.I walked further inside, trying to figure out what was going on. I tapped one of the girls I recognized from my floor.“Hey… what’s going on?” I asked.She turned to me with wide eyes.“You haven’t heard yet?”Heard what?I was about to ask when I noticed something on the wall.A paper.A group of girls had gathered around it.Some of them looked shocked. Others looked angry.My stomach dropped as I walked closer.For a second, I didn’t want to read it.But I forced myself to.My eyes scanned the bold letters at the top.IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL FINAL YEAR STUDENTS MUST VACATE THE DORMITORY WITHIN TWO WEEKS DUE TO RENOVATION.What?I read the sentence again.Two weeks.Two weeks?My mind struggled to process it.Two weeks wasn’t enough time.Not even close.How could they do this to us?This was our final year. Most of us had already settled into routines. Classes, jobs, projects. Some of us had lived here for years.And now we had to leave.Just like that.My day had been going so well.And now this.“I can’t believe this,” Jennifer said beside me.I hadn’t even noticed when she walked over.She crossed her arms, staring at the notice.“This is so unfair,” she continued. “Two weeks is nothing.”I nodded slowly.But I didn’t have the energy to complain.My mind had already moved ahead.What was I going to do?Jennifer kept talking.“They should have told us earlier,” she said. “People have jobs here. Some people don’t even have families nearby.”Her words made my stomach clench.That was exactly my problem.I had no family in New York.My parents lived in Georgia.Going home wasn’t an option.My life was here, my school and my job.Everything.I walked slowly away from the crowd, my thoughts were jumbled together Apartments in New York were expensive.Very expensive.Even if I shared with someone, it would still be difficult.My salary and tips barely covered my expenses already.Rent would make everything worse.My chest felt like someone was hitting it.For the first time since I started college, I had no idea what to do.My phone rang.Victoria.I stared at the screen for a second before answering.“Hey,” I said quietly.“You’ve seen the notice,” she said immediately.It wasn’t even a question.I could hear the worry in her voice.“Yes.”“I’m so sorry, Isabella,” she said. “This isn’t right. What are you going to do?”I leaned against the wall.“I honestly don’t know,” I admitted. “This is so unexpected.”Students continued walking past me in the hallway, but everything felt distant.For the first time since I entered college, I felt completely stuck.There was silence on the other end of the phone.Then Victoria spoke again.“You can stay with me.”I froze.For a moment, I thought I heard her wrong.“Victoria…”“I’m serious,” she said quickly. “You won’t have to worry about anything.”My mind immediately filled with doubts.“I don’t want to intrude,” I said softly. “And what about your family? You can’t make that decision alone.”“That’s not a problem,” she replied.“My dad is hardly around,” she continued. “And my mum loves you.”She paused for a second.“And Alex… you don’t need to worry about him.”I wasn’t so sure about that.Alexander Briggs was the last person I wanted to live with.The thought alone made me uncomfortable.“Please, Isabella,” Victoria said gently. “I know you don’t like accepting help, but this is different. Let me be there for you.”I closed my eyes.My options were very limited.I could try to find an apartment.But I didn’t have enough money.And two weeks wasn’t enough time anyway.Victoria’s offer was the only real solution.Even if it meant dealing with Alexander.I took a deep breath.“Okay,” I said finally. “I’ll stay with you.”Relief filled her voice immediately.“Good!”“I’ll come over right now so we can pack your things.”“Thank you, Vicky,” I whispered.My eyes stung slightly.“You’re a lifesaver.”“You don’t need to thank me,” she said warmly. “That’s what best friends are for. I’ll be there soon.”The call ended.I stood in the hallway for a moment.Everything still felt unreal.Two weeks.That was all the time we had.I whispered quietly to myself.“Thank God.”Then I walked toward my room.When I opened the door, the familiar space suddenly felt different.So many memories, that I had made in this room.And now I had to leave it behind.I sat on my bed and looked around slowly.A strange sadness settled in my chest.A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.Victoria.She walked in quickly and pulled me into a tight hug.“You’re going to be fine,” she said.“I’ve got you.”I smiled weakly.“I know.”She pulled back and looked around the room.Her eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.“This will actually be fun,” she said.I raised an eyebrow.“Fun?”“Yes,” she said happily. “Late-night talks. Movies. Snacks. Everything.”I laughed softly.“You’re unbelievable.”She grinned.“But seriously,” I said, looking at her. “Thank you.”She smiled warmly.“The only thing I want in return is getting to see you every day.”“That sounds like a dangerous deal,” I joked.She laughed.We started packing my things together.Victoria kept talking while we worked.I folded my clothes and placed them in boxes.Books went into bags.Shoes into another box.It felt strange packing everything so suddenly.Like my life here was ending too quickly.My roommate came in later and looked surprised.“You’re leaving already?”“Yeah,” I said. “Looks like it.”She hugged me goodbye.“Good luck,” she said.“Thanks, you too,''Soon, everything was packed.I took one last look around the room.Then I picked up my bag.Victoria grabbed one of the boxes.“Ready?” she asked.I nodded.And just like that, I left my dorm.I didn’t know it yet.But that decision was about to change everything.