Collision of two worlds

Orion's perspective

Chapter 15

(Third POV)

The hallway felt like it was closing in on him. Orion ran his hand through his hair, his mind a jumble of thoughts he couldn’t seem to sort out. He had tried to push them down, ignore them, but no matter how hard he tried, Faye’s face kept appearing in his mind, her expression from this morning—hurt, confused.

The worst part? He knew he was the reason for it. He couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d reacted when they’d locked eyes this morning. She’d looked at him with that same brightness in her eyes, the same spark she always had. But when their gazes met, he had broken it. He couldn’t afford to look at her. He had to look away. And that had hit her, he knew it. He saw the way her expression shifted, how her stomach seemed to sink in that instant.

His own stomach twisted as he remembered the moment. He had wanted to talk to her, but instead, he turned his back, hoping to pretend that the strange, unfamiliar feeling in his chest would go away. But it didn’t. The whole damn day felt off.

He pushed through the crowded hallways, barely noticing the bustle of students around him. His thoughts circled back to Faye. He had to stay away from her. He couldn’t let his emotions get tangled up in hers. There was something about her, something that made him feel... vulnerable. And vulnerability was something he wasn’t ready to face. So, he had avoided her—kept his distance, hoping that the tension between them would just fade.

LUNCHTIME

By the time lunch rolled around, Orion had settled into his usual spot with Ava, Dustin, and Preston. They were talking about the usual nonsense—classes, upcoming plans—but Orion’s mind wasn’t on any of it. His eyes kept darting over to Faye and her friends, who had just entered the cafeteria.

He noticed immediately that something was off with her. She wasn’t bouncing over like she usually did, not laughing or being the lighthearted version of herself that he was used to seeing. She looked... tired. Distant. And it hurt. God, it hurt, because he knew he was the reason for it.

When Ava waved them over, Faye and her friends reluctantly made their way across the cafeteria. Orion couldn’t help but watch as she walked toward the table, her steps slower than usual, her gaze nowhere near him. She wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t radiating that energy that always seemed to light up the room when she was around.

And he knew why.

It was his fault. He had pushed her away, and now she was pulling back, shutting him out. The realization gnawed at him, but he couldn’t let it show. He couldn’t let anyone know how much it bothered him, least of all Faye.

As they sat down, he tried to keep his eyes from following her too closely. He didn’t want to make it obvious. But everything about her behavior screamed that something was wrong, and he knew he had done it.

Her voice was quieter than usual, her laughter forced, like she was just going through the motions. He noticed Dustin and Ava talking to her, but Faye barely replied. Her focus was off, her energy dimmed. Every time she shifted in her seat, he could see how uncomfortable she was, and it made him feel... guilty.

“Everything okay, Faye?” Dustin asked, finally breaking the silence. He had noticed it too, just like Orion did. Faye offered him a half-smile, but it was hollow.

“Yeah,” she said quickly. “Just... tired.”

Orion didn’t believe her. He knew that wasn’t it. But there was nothing he could do, nothing he could say. It was his fault she was acting this way. He had been the one to shut her out, to avoid her, and now she was paying the price.

Ava, ever the perceptive one, shot Orion a look. “What’s going on with her?” she whispered, nodding toward Faye.

Orion didn’t know how to answer that. How could he explain what he didn’t understand himself? How could he admit that he was the reason she was upset? He hated it. Hated feeling this way. But most of all, he hated the fact that she was slipping away from him. And it was his own fault.

“I think she’s just having a bad day,” he muttered, his voice tight.

Ava didn’t seem convinced. She glanced over at Faye again, watching her closely. “You sure about that? She looks... off.”

Orion didn’t answer. What could he say? The truth? That he was the one making her miserable? That every time he saw her, he felt like he was drowning, like he couldn’t breathe?

As the lunch period wore on, he watched her closely, feeling the weight of the distance growing between them. She wasn’t talking to him at all. And it stung more than he expected. Every time their eyes met, even briefly, she looked away. She didn’t smile. She didn’t make any attempt to engage him. And it was killing him.

AFTERNOON

By the time the lunch period ended, Faye was already up and heading out with her friends. She didn’t say goodbye, didn’t glance his way. She just... left. And for a moment, Orion couldn’t breathe. It felt like she had taken all the air with her, like she was disappearing from his life before he could even figure out what the hell was happening.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and he stood up to head to class with Preston. But as he walked toward the door, his eyes caught sight of Faye once more. She was walking down the hallway with Mia and Lily, and as their gazes met, he saw it. The briefest flicker of something in her eyes, something he couldn’t quite place. But it was gone almost immediately, replaced by an unreadable expression.

She looked at him, locked eyes for a second—and then, just as quickly, she pulled away.

The coldness in her gaze felt like a slap to the face. He couldn’t even get a read on her anymore.

Preston, who had been walking beside him, noticed the interaction. He stopped in his tracks, eyeing Orion with suspicion. “What the hell is going on with you and Faye?” he asked, his voice low but direct.

Orion didn’t answer right away. He couldn’t. What was he supposed to say? That he had no idea what he was doing? That he was trying to protect himself from whatever the hell was happening between them, even though he couldn’t stop thinking about her?

“I don’t know,” Orion muttered, shaking his head. “I’m trying to figure it out.”

Preston didn’t push the issue, but Orion could tell he knew something was off. And he wasn’t sure how long he could keep pretending everything was fine.

The rest of the school day felt like it dragged on forever. Every time he thought about Faye, he felt that pull in his chest again, that familiar ache that he couldn’t shake. He didn’t understand why she was so different now. He didn’t understand why everything felt like it was slipping out of his control.

He was trying to stay away from her, trying to keep his distance—but the truth was, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep pretending that nothing was happening between them.

He was trying to stay away from her, trying to keep his distance, but the truth was, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep pretending like nothing was happening between them.

___

As Orion lay in head his bed later that night, his thoughts still couldn't help but drift back to Faye and her mood that day.

Nothing could change the fact that what had happened between them the day before—the Sunday night—had happened. That was the problem.

Orion could still remember how it felt, that moment when their eyes had locked in her room. The way her gaze had pinned him in place, a mix of concern and something else he couldn’t quite decipher. The way her soft voice had asked if he was okay, how she’d looked at him, genuinely worried for him. He could even remember the faintest trace of her scent lingering in the air, her warmth still present in his thoughts.

And then that damn cat. He chuckled softly to himself, a breathless laugh escaping his lips. The cat, Mango, had eyed him like he was some kind of peasant daring to approach the queen. Orion could still see the way the animal had regarded him with pure disdain, as if

Faye were its entire world and anyone outside that circle was beneath her. It was funny, though—there was something about Mango’s attitude that made Orion feel even more out of place.

Still, he couldn’t shake the memory of Faye’s voice that night. Her voice had dropped low, softer than he’d ever heard it before when she’d called out his name. Soren.

Even now, the echo of her calling his middle name reverberated in his mind. It wasn’t the worry in her eyes or the softness in her tone that made his stomach tighten. It was the way it had made his heart race. That damn sound, the way she’d said it, it lingered in his mind. And his body reacted to it.

It scared the hell out of him.

What scared him the most wasn’t the fact that she was worried for him. It wasn’t the way her eyes had looked at him with concern and tenderness. No, it was the fact that he had responded to her. He could still feel the echoes of her voice, calling out to him, and it terrified him to think that the next time she said it, he might respond, he might reach out and accept what was happening between them.

That was the part that rattled him, the part he couldn’t ignore.

He had never wanted to be this vulnerable. He had never allowed anyone to affect him this much, especially not someone he had just met. The thought of giving in, of reciprocating these feelings that had just sprung out of nowhere, felt foreign to him. And that was why he had to stay away. That was why he couldn’t let her get too close

Maybe it was just a phase. He could tell himself that, convince himself of it. If he just kept his distance, maybe it would go away. Faye would move on, forget about it. Maybe she’d even think he was disgusting if she knew the kinds of thoughts that had been running through his mind while she was standing there, concerned for him, when all he could think about was how badly he wanted to touch her.

No. No, it wasn’t worth it. He would stay away. He had to. For both of their sakes.

It was better this way, wasn’t it? He wasn’t going to let something as stupid as this pull him under. They weren’t close. They were just two people who had met by chance. She would get over him, forget about whatever awkwardness had existed between them, and life would go on.

But even as he thought it, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something much stronger was pulling at him, something deeper than he was willing to admit. Still, he buried it. He buried it deep. Because if he didn’t, there was a chance that the next time he saw her, he might just cross the line. And that was the last thing he needed.

After all, what were they even to each other? Strangers, barely more than that.

It was probably for the best.