Chapter 4
647 Words
Across the path, just beyond the ring of frozen students, someone stood watching.
Conrad.
Headset hanging loosely around his neck, blue ocean eyes fixed on him. The look wasn’t angry—not yet. It wasn’t afraid either. It was something far worse.
Surprise and Disappointment.
The weight of it cut deeper than any blade.
Jeremiah’s chest tightened, his mind screaming against the image. Damn it. This isn’t how I wanted him to see me.
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Conrad’s POV
After class, Conrad slipped out quietly, leaving Conner behind with his crowd. He didn’t mind—Conner thrived on attention, and Conrad was happier in the background.
He headed to his locker, headset swinging at his neck. The girl at the locker beside his kept sneaking glances at him, like she wanted to talk but couldn’t find the courage.
Conrad noticed. She was petite, with sharp brown eyes that didn’t quite match her hesitant demeanor. Cute, he thought reluctantly. He turned toward her, leaning against his locker.
“You know,” Conrad said, breaking the silence, “I don’t bite.”
She startled, then laughed nervously. “You don’t bite, yeah… I know. But… you’re a Parker, aren’t you?”
Conrad’s smile faded just slightly at the name. The way people always said it, like it meant something more than just who he was. Like the word Parker carried its own reputation, separate from him.
He ignored that part. Instead, he stretched out his hand. “Let’s do this properly. I’m Conrad Parker. And you?”
Her eyes lit up. “Alexandra Cooper. But you can call me Alex.”
“Nice to meet you, Alex.”
She smiled wider, relief softening her face. From there, words just tumbled out of her. She was a talker—stories, complaints, jokes—and Conrad found himself listening more than speaking.
She clutched her stomach dramatically. “Let’s go to the canteen. I’m starving,” she said suddenly, grabbing his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world. Before he could react, she was dragging him down the hall.
He blinked, half-amused, half-bewildered, but he let her. It felt… unfamiliar, having someone be this open, this unafraid, around him.
“Wow, you’re really quiet,” Alex teased as they walked. “Are you always like this, or am I just boring you?”
“You’re not boring,” Conrad said.
“Good,” she said quickly, a grin tugging at her lips. “Because you look like the type who scares people just by existing. I should get a medal for surviving this conversation.”
He paused “You really don’t hold back, do you?”
“Nope. Someone has to balance out all that broody silence.” She tapped his arm lightly. “And lucky for you, you just found me.”
The canteen came into view, but before they could step inside, Alex slowed. A crowd had formed just beyond the entrance, students whispering, craning their necks.
“Come on, let’s go check it out,” she said, filled with curiosity.
Conrad hesitated. He wasn’t the type to chase after trouble. But something in her tone pulled him along anyway. They rounded the corner, and the sight waiting for him froze him in place.
Jeremiah.
He hadn’t changed much, at least not in face. Still striking, still carrying that air that pulled eyes to him without effort. But his aura—harder, darker. Smoke curled around him like a shield, his cold gaze fixed somewhere beyond the students. He looked nothing like the boy Conrad had once known.
Their eyes met. Just for a second.
Alex’s grip on his arm tightened. “Let’s go. He’s looking this way.”
Conrad let her steer him around the crowd and into the canteen through the side entrance. He exhaled only once they were seated with food trays between them.
- Writer
