Chapter 13 – The Rain Between Us
1268 Words
The message glowed on Aria’s phone like a warning written in fire.
You shouldn’t be near him.
She stared at the words, her heart pounding harder with every second that passed. The library lights hummed overhead, flickering once before settling again. She glanced around, but the hall was empty now. Only the echo of her own breathing filled the space.
Her thumb trembled over the screen as she typed a reply. Who is this?
No response.
She waited, staring at the clock that had just struck nine. Then the lights dimmed slightly, automatic timers, and she realized how quiet the world felt. Gathering her books, she hurried out, the unease from that message twisting inside her chest.
Outside, the rain had turned heavier. Thick sheets of it blurred the pathways, the lamps glowing faintly through the mist. Aria hugged her bag close and began walking toward the dorms, shoes splashing in puddles.
Each drop hit her skin like cold glass. She had no umbrella, only the cardigan that was already soaked through. Her thoughts spun back to Draven, his voice, the touch of his hand, the warning in his eyes.
“You shouldn’t be near him.”
Who could have sent that? A student? Someone from his past? The way it appeared just after their encounter made it feel personal.
Thunder rolled in the distance. She quickened her pace, trying not to think about him, trying not to replay every look they had shared. But the harder she tried, the more her mind betrayed her.
When she reached the main campus path, her phone buzzed again.
Another message.
You’ve been seen.
Her pulse jumped. She stopped in her tracks, scanning the shadows beneath the trees. The lamps flickered. Nothing moved.
Then footsteps. Slow, steady, behind her.
Aria spun around.
Cassian Draven stood under the nearest archway, his black coat clinging to his shoulders, his hair damp and his expression unreadable.
His gaze found her instantly. For a second, neither of them spoke. The rain poured between them like a curtain.
“Miss Vale,” he said finally, voice low and calm. “You’ll get sick out here.”
She exhaled shakily, relief and something far more dangerous flooding through her.
“You scared me.”
His brow furrowed slightly as he stepped closer, the rain glistening on his jaw.
“Why are you still on campus?”
“I was studying. Lost track of time.”
He glanced at the sky, then back at her.
“You’re drenched.”
“I noticed.” Her tone was sharper than she meant, nerves slipping through her words.
He studied her for a long second, then removed his jacket and held it out. “Here.”
Aria hesitated. The rain hit harder now, running down her hair, her eyelashes.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not,” he said quietly. “Take it.”
She looked at the jacket, it was a dark wool coat, warm, heavy, smelling faintly of cedar and something she couldn’t name. Slowly, she took it, their fingers brushing.
That small contact felt like lightning.
Cassian seemed to feel it too. His gaze held hers longer than it should have, his jaw tightening slightly before he stepped back.
“Go straight home.”
“Are you walking me?” she asked, voice barely above the sound of the rain.
He hesitated, then nodded once. “Yes.”
They began walking side by side, the rain softening slightly as they crossed the courtyard. The world around them was quiet, the sound of their footsteps mixing with the patter of water.
She pulled the coat tighter around herself. It was far too big, swallowing her frame, but it was warm. Comforting.
After a while, she said softly, “You were right about what you said earlier. About words revealing too much.”
Cassian glanced at her, rainwater running from his temple down his cheek. “You think so?”
“I think I’ve written things I shouldn’t have.”
He gave a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Writers always do.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But I feel like mine are being read too closely.”
Something in her tone made him stop walking. “What do you mean?”
Aria hesitated. Should she tell him about the text?
He stepped closer, searching her face. “Aria?”
The sound of her name from his lips made her heart stumble. “Someone texted me tonight. Said I shouldn’t be near you.”
Cassian’s expression changed instantly, something flickered there, protective, sharp. “Who?”
“I don’t know. It came from an unknown number.”
“Did you show anyone?”
“No.”
He looked around the empty walkway, the rain muffling the world.
“This campus isn’t as quiet as it seems,” he said under his breath.
Her stomach tightened. “What are you talking about?”
He looked back at her.
“People talk, Miss Vale. Professors, students… they see things they shouldn’t.”
“Are you saying they saw us?”
His silence was answer enough.
Aria felt her throat tighten. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“No,” Cassian said softly. “But sometimes perception is all it takes.”
A car passed by the edge of the road, headlights flashing across them. For a second, Aria thought she saw a figure standing by the far gate, watching. When she blinked, it was gone.
Cassian seemed to notice too. He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“Stay away from me in class for now.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“It’s better that way.”
“Better for who?”
“For both of us,” he said, but it didn’t sound convincing.
They stood there, rain dripping from their hair, the space between them thick with everything unspoken.
“You don’t mean that,” she said finally.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then looked at her again, really looked at her. His voice dropped lower. “You make it difficult to mean anything I say.”
Her breath caught. The air felt warmer despite the cold.
She took a small step closer, enough that his coat brushed against her sleeve. “Then stop pretending.”
He looked torn apart by that. For a heartbeat, it felt like he might close the space between them. The rain softened into a mist, wrapping them in a cocoon of quiet.
Then, suddenly, a light flicked on in one of the faculty windows above them. Cassian looked up sharply, eyes narrowing.
“Go,” he said quickly. “Now.”
Aria hesitated, confused. “What is it?”
“Just go, Aria.”
The urgency in his voice left no room for argument. She turned and walked, her shoes splashing through puddles. Behind her, she could feel his gaze, steady, protective, almost desperate.
When she reached the end of the path, she looked back. He was still standing there, half-hidden under the rain, his dark hair clinging to his forehead.
He didn’t move.
She raised her phone again, trying to text him something, anything, but her screen flashed.
Another message.
You think he’s protecting you. He’s the danger.
Her breath hitched. She glanced toward Cassian. He was gone.
The rain poured harder again, drowning the world in gray.
Aria stood frozen on the path, coat clinging to her, the words on her phone glowing brighter and brighter until they blurred with the raindrops.
She didn’t know who was watching her.
Or who was lying.
- Writer
