Chapter 70: Close Quarters
340 Words
The final bell rang, and Maria thought she could slip out before Daniel found her. She was wrong.
She barely made it to the end of the hallway before a strong hand closed gently but firmly around her wrist, pulling her into the empty art supply room. The door clicked shut behind them.
“Daniel—” she started, but he was already stepping into her space again, that same quiet intensity radiating off him.
“You’ve been avoiding me all day,” he said, his tone low, almost accusing.
“Maybe I don’t want to be cornered in hallways and storage rooms,” she shot back, crossing her arms even though her pulse betrayed her.
He smirked, leaning closer until her back brushed a shelf. “Then stop making it so easy.”
Maria scoffed, but her breath hitched when his fingers brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. “What exactly do you want from me, Daniel?” she asked, forcing the words out.
His gaze dropped to her lips for half a second—long enough for her to notice—before locking back on her eyes. “The truth,” he said simply.
She swallowed. “About what?”
“About why you can’t look at me without losing focus.” His voice was a mix of challenge and certainty, like he already knew the answer.
Maria’s heart raced, the small room suddenly feeling too warm, too charged. She hated that her silence was giving him the reaction he wanted.
Daniel’s hand trailed briefly along her arm, slow enough to leave a trail of goosebumps. Then, as if satisfied, he stepped back, leaving her leaning against the shelf for support.
“Think about it,” he said, opening the door like nothing happened. “I’ll be waiting for your answer.”
The second he was gone, Maria let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved… or already counting the minutes until he caught her again.
- Writer
