Chapter 75: A Step Too Close
315 Words
Maria had barely taken her seat in Literature when Daniel strolled in, late as usual. He didn’t even try to be discreet—he walked straight to her row, his eyes locked on her like there was no one else in the room.
“Move,” he said casually, gesturing to the empty seat beside her.
She frowned. “It’s free, you don’t need me to—”
He didn’t wait for her to finish, sliding into the seat and leaning in so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek. “You didn’t answer me yesterday,” he whispered.
Her pulse jumped. “About what?”
Daniel smirked. “What you’d do if you weren’t scared.”
Before she could respond, Mr. Tunde’s voice cut through the room. “Mr. Daniel, are you here to learn or distract?”
A few students snickered, but Daniel didn’t even blink. “Both,” he said smoothly, still watching Maria.
She kicked him lightly under the desk, but he only leaned back, wearing that infuriating smile that told her he wasn’t done—not even close.
When Mr. Tunde turned to write on the board, Daniel leaned in again, his voice a whisper only she could hear. “You keep acting like you don’t want me around, but your eyes always tell on you.”
Maria tried to keep her gaze forward. “You’re imagining things.”
He chuckled softly. “Am I? Then why haven’t you told me to leave?”
Her hand tightened on her pen. “Because we’re in class.”
“Exactly,” he murmured. “And you still haven’t moved.”
By the time the bell rang, Maria’s notes were a mess. All she knew was that Daniel’s question—and the look in his eyes—were going to follow her for the rest of the day.
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