HE SAID I WAS JUST A BET

Chapter 83: Tangled Emotions

Maria had promised herself she would stay away from Daniel after what happened the night before. But the truth was, his words and the heat of that stolen moment beneath the streetlight refused to leave her mind.

The next day, she found herself restless in class. Every time she tried to focus on her notes, her thoughts drifted back—his hand on hers, his voice low and rough, the dangerous closeness that made her heart race.

When the lecture ended, she gathered her books quickly, determined to escape before he noticed her. But Daniel was already waiting by the door, leaning casually against the wall like he had all the time in the world.

“You’re avoiding me,” he said, his tone more amused than hurt.

Maria kept walking. “I’m not.”

“You are,” he countered, falling into step beside her. “And you’re bad at it.”

She shot him a glare. “Not everything revolves around you, Daniel.”

“Maybe not everything,” he said, smirking. “But admit it—last night shook you.”

Maria stopped in her tracks, her heart hammering. She hated that he could read her so easily, hated even more that he was right. She turned to face him, her voice low. “You think this is a game, don’t you? Just another bet, another distraction.”

For once, Daniel didn’t grin. His eyes locked on hers, sharp and unflinching. “No,” he said quietly. “This isn’t a game. Not with you.”

The honesty in his tone unnerved her more than any of his teasing. Maria turned away quickly, afraid of what she might say if she let herself linger in that gaze.

But as she walked off, Daniel called after her. “You can run, Maria, but feelings don’t wait. They only grow.”

And she knew—no matter how far she tried to distance herself, she was already caught in something bigger than she could control.