The One I Wasn’t Supposed to Love

Chapter 4

The morning air on campus had that familiar buzz—the kind that made my chest tighten with anticipation and mild panic at the same time. I tugged my backpack straps tighter as I walked beside Liam, trying to focus on the first real day of classes. But no matter how much I tried, my mind kept replaying last night’s moments with Adrian: his lazy smirk, the way he leaned too close to my notebook, whispering things that only I could hear. Flustered, annoyed, yet… inexplicably entertained.

Liam, ever oblivious to my internal turmoil, draped his arm over my shoulder in his usual easy manner. “You okay there, Santiago? You look… distracted.”

“Fine,” I said, though the corners of my lips betrayed me with a faint smile. “Just… thinking about the BioChem project.”

He smirked.

I shot him a glare, trying to mask my flustered cheeks. “Liam Rafael Dela Cruz, don’t even start.”

Liam chuckled, completely ignoring my protest. “Sure, sure. Anyway, we can grab coffee after our first classes. Need to debrief your day, make fun of my little brother’s older bro antics, and vent about Alexis, who’s apparently taking my class.”

I rolled my eyes, walking faster to keep up. “You’re exaggerating.”

“Am not,” he said, shaking his head. “She’s bold, bossy, and apparently has a plan to make me her personal study assistant. I might scream by the end of the day.”

I laughed quietly, imagining his frustrated face, and felt a little lighter. Liam had that effect—grounding me in the middle of everything.

By the time we reached the building, I spotted Adrian leaning against a pillar near the entrance, cool and completely unbothered. My chest tightened instantly.

“Of course he’s here,” I muttered under my breath.

He looked up, his dark eyes glinting with amusement as he caught sight of me. “Ready for class, Cami?” His tone carried that lazy arrogance that always made me want to strangle him, yet kept my heart beating faster.

“I—” I stopped myself, taking a deep breath. “Yes. Obviously.”

He smirked and pushed off the pillar, walking alongside me for a moment. “You’ll enjoy today. BioChem is always better with me around.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You take that class too?”

He shrugged casually. “I just needed a few remaining units to graduate. Thought I’d spend them where the action is… with you.”

My jaw dropped, but I quickly masked my surprise. He was here… and we were in the same class. Perfect. Just perfect.

The lecture hall was half-filled when I entered, and I took a seat near the middle. Adrian spotted an empty desk next to me and slid in effortlessly.

“You again,” I whispered, annoyed, though my pulse betrayed me.

“You again,” he mimicked, his voice low and teasing. “Lucky you. Graduating student at your service.”

“Lucky me?” I echoed, tightening my grip on my pen. “I don’t need your arrogance.”

“Arrogance?” His grin widened. “Call it experience.”

Of course, I inwardly groaned. Adrian always had a way of saying things that got under my skin while keeping this smug, untouchable vibe.

The professor soon announced the semester-long project, and I had to resist glaring at Adrian when he immediately volunteered to lead half of it.

“You’re lucky,” he whispered, leaning over my notebook as I scribbled notes. “I’m here to guide you, and possibly make this project painless.”

I shot him a look. “I don’t need your help, thank you very much.”

He shrugged, amused. “Suit yourself. But don’t complain when I’m the one carrying us to the top.”

As we sorted through our materials, I kept my focus on the task, though my attention kept wandering to every little movement of his. The brush of his hand against mine as we reached for the same pipette, the low chuckle at something I muttered—small sparks of irritation and… something else, danced through me.

Then Margaux appeared.

Of course she did.

She sauntered in with her usual glamour, flipping her hair and surveying the room like she owned it. Her gaze locked on Adrian almost immediately, and I knew from the way her lips curved that she intended to make me squirm.

“Hi, Adrian,” she purred, sliding into a desk nearby. “Looks like you’ve got quite the… interesting partner today.”

My stomach flipped. She was flirting, flaunting herself, and clearly trying to assert dominance in his attention.

Adrian, annoyingly, didn’t look bothered. Not in the slightest. He leaned back, all cool detachment, and I wanted to shake him.

“Margaux,” he said lazily. “Good to see you.”

Her eyes flickered toward me, and I caught the subtle, competitive tilt in her smile. I clenched my jaw.

Across campus, Liam was having his own troubles.

Alexis, bold as ever, leaned over his desk, whispering pointedly and teasing him mercilessly. “You really think you can ignore me, Liam?”

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to stay calm. “I’m ignoring you,” he muttered, though his lips twitched despite himself.

Classmates whispered, nudging one another. “They’d make such a cute pair,” someone joked. Liam groaned, hiding his irritation behind a polite smile.

I couldn’t help but smirk quietly as I remembered how he had been carrying my bag earlier—his own brand of ridiculous heroism. Even frustrated, he always tried to maintain some sort of dignity.

Back in BioChem, Adrian’s teasing continued.

“You’re holding that beaker wrong,” he whispered again. “Don’t want to spill chemicals everywhere, do we?”

“Then mind your own business,” I hissed, glaring at him.

His smirk grew. “I live to annoy you.”

“I can see that,” I muttered, scribbling down the observations faster than my heart could slow.

As we worked, accidental brushes, close lean-ins to check notes, and whispered jokes created an unspoken tension. I was annoyed, yes, but I couldn’t deny there was a thrill in his presence.

And then there was Margaux. Every time she moved closer to Adrian, every laugh that wasn’t for me, made my cheeks burn with jealousy I refused to name. Adrian noticed, of course. His amused glances seemed to say, See? It bothers you.

I clenched my notebook tighter. Don’t blush, Santiago.

Finally, the lab period ended. I began packing my things when Adrian stood, stretching casually.

“Done for today?” he asked, eyes lingering on me.

“Yes,” I muttered, adjusting my bag. “Obviously.”

He grinned, walking over. “We’re partners for the project, remember? I’ll walk you back.”

I scowled. “Fine. But don’t think this is because I want to.”

“Of course not,” he said, voice dripping with playful mockery.

As we exited the building, I noticed Margaux lingering nearby, still flaunting herself toward Adrian. My chest burned with irritation, and I tried to keep my cool.

Adrian, clearly aware of my feelings, leaned closer as we walked. “Don’t let her get to you,” he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear.

I huffed. “I don’t—” I stopped, realizing my voice sounded weaker than I intended.

He smirked, letting me stew as we continued down the path. The subtle back-and-forth teasing continued, accidental brushes here and there, sparks of unacknowledged tension between us.

From a distance, I saw Liam leaving his own class with Alexis. I felt a pang of protective humor—he looked frazzled and annoyed, and I almost laughed. Almost.

Margaux’s eyes followed us, scheming. I could sense her plotting, but I refused to let it affect me. Not yet.

Adrian’s arm brushed mine lightly as we reached the gate, and he offered that infuriating grin. “See? Nothing to worry about.”

I muttered under my breath, “You’re impossible,” though inside, my heart betrayed me with every beat.

And so ended another day. One filled with sparks, annoyance, and a little chaos—Adrian’s way of making everything both unbearable and thrilling at the same time.