MIXED SIGNALS
1492 Words
Chapter 5: Mixed Signals
"What are you doing here?"
His voice was cold, carrying a hint of annoyance.
My throat went dry.
"I-I didn't mean to come here."
The words tumbled out before I could stop them.
"There was a dog. It chased me, so I ran. Then I saw the ladder." I pointed toward the open window. "I climbed up and accidentally fell in here."
The room fell silent.
Alex simply stared at me.
His expression gave nothing away.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he finally said,
"Leave."
I blinked.
That was it?
No questions?
No accusations?
Just... leave?
Embarrassment crept up my neck.
Of course.
Why would he care?
I slowly pushed myself to my feet and started toward the door. My injured leg burned with every step, but I refused to show it.
Then his voice stopped me.
"Was that the way you came in?"
I frowned.
Following his gaze, I looked from the door to the open window.
Seriously?
He wanted me to climb back out?
Suppressing a sigh, I turned around and dragged myself toward the window.
Halfway there, a sharp pain shot through my leg.
I gasped.
My hand immediately gripped the edge of a nearby table for support.
For a second, the room spun.
Before I could regain my balance, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
The next thing I knew, my feet left the floor.
My breath caught.
Alex had picked me up.
I stared at him in confusion.
He ignored my gaze completely.
Without saying a word, he carried me to the bed and carefully set me down.
The movement was surprisingly gentle.
Almost as if he was afraid of hurting me.
Then he walked toward a cabinet, grabbed a first-aid kit, and returned.
Still silent.
Still expressionless.
Kneeling in front of me, he took hold of my ankle.
My heart skipped.
His touch was warm.
Careful.
Patient.
The same hands I'd seen covered in blood during the fight were now cleaning a scratch on my leg with unbelievable tenderness.
Nothing about this boy made sense.
One minute he acted like I was a nuisance.
The next, he was treating me like something precious.
I watched him quietly.
The scar on his left eyebrow.
His dark hair.
The focused look in his eyes.
Why was he helping me?
A few minutes later, he finished wrapping the wound.
Without another word, he stood.
Then, to my complete shock, he picked me up again.
As though I weighed nothing at all.
I opened my mouth to protest.
Nothing came out.
He carried me out of the private section and headed toward the female dormitories.
The campus was mostly quiet now.
Thankfully, most students had already returned to their rooms.
"What's your room number?" he asked.
"304."
My voice came out softer than intended.
For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to look at him.
Instead, I buried my face against his chest.
His heartbeat was steady.
Strong.
And for the first time since arriving at university, I didn't feel lonely.
The feeling caught me off guard.
I barely knew him.
Yet somehow, being carried by him made me feel safe.
When we reached my dorm, he carefully placed me back on the ground.
Without a word, he turned to leave.
I watched his retreating figure.
Then he stopped.
For a moment, he stood completely still.
Slowly, he turned around.
His eyes met mine.
"Stay away from me."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Before I could respond, he turned and walked away.
I stood frozen outside the dorm.
Completely confused.
"He's the one who keeps showing up in my life," I muttered under my breath.
Back in the room, I quietly opened the door and stepped inside.
Thankfully, Ellie and Samantha were already asleep.
I changed into my pajamas and climbed onto my bed.
But sleep refused to come.
I stared at the ceiling.
My thoughts drifted back to Alex.
The way he had carried me.
The way his fingers had carefully brushed against my skin while treating my wound.
The way he had looked at me.
My cheeks grew warm.
Then I remembered his words.
Stay away from me.
Immediately, annoyance replaced the warmth.
What was his problem?
One minute he acted like I was some kind of burden.
The next, he was carrying me across campus.
Nothing about him made sense.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled me under.
---
Tuesday arrived faster than expected.
The morning classes passed surprisingly quickly.
Before I knew it, I was sitting in the cafeteria with Ellie and Samantha.
The two of them were busy arguing over which boys on campus were the most attractive.
"No way," Ellie said dramatically. "The guy from the basketball team is definitely hotter."
Samantha rolled her eyes.
"Your standards are questionable."
"My standards are excellent."
I laughed softly as they continued bickering.
Usually, I would've joined the conversation.
Today, however, my thoughts kept drifting elsewhere.
To a certain arrogant boy with a scar on his left eyebrow.
I hated how often I thought about him.
And hated even more that I couldn't stop.
---
Later that afternoon, the three of us headed toward our presentation groups.
At one point, we split up and went our separate ways.
As I walked toward the library, a familiar figure caught my attention.
Alex.
He stood near one of the campus corridors.
A girl was standing in front of him.
Even from a distance, I could tell she was trying to convince him of something.
She moved closer.
Alex didn't react.
She touched his arm.
Still nothing.
Then she suddenly leaned forward.
Trying to kiss him.
My eyes widened.
Alex immediately stepped back.
The girl looked frustrated.
She grabbed his arm again.
This time, he turned toward her.
Even from where I stood, I could see the coldness in his expression.
The girl immediately released him.
Without another word, Alex turned and walked away.
Just before disappearing around the corner, he suddenly looked back.
Directly toward where I was standing.
My breath caught.
Did he see me?
"Excuse me?"
I nearly jumped.
A girl standing beside me smiled awkwardly.
"Sorry. Could you tell me where the library is?"
Relief flooded through me.
Thank God.
I quickly pointed ahead.
"I'm actually heading there too. We can walk together if you'd like."
Her face brightened.
"Really? Thank you."
As we walked away, I risked one last glance toward the corridor.
Alex was already gone.
---
The group meeting lasted longer than expected.
By the time we finished discussing our presentation, my brain felt completely exhausted.
All I wanted was my bed.
I was walking back to the dorm when I found myself passing through the private section.
My pace slowed.
Without meaning to, my eyes wandered toward Alex's house.
A girl stood outside.
Waiting.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach.
Then the door opened.
Alex stepped outside.
He was only wearing a pair of shorts.
His hair was slightly damp, as if he had just finished showering.
The girl immediately smiled.
Then she rose onto her toes and kissed him.
This time, he didn't step away.
He kissed her back.
My chest tightened.
For some reason, I couldn't look away.
The kiss deepened.
A moment later, the door closed behind them.
Leaving me standing there alone.
Something inside me hurt.
And I didn't know why.
I quickly turned and hurried back to the dorm.
The entire walk felt blurry.
By the time I reached my room, my breathing was uneven.
I closed the door and leaned against it.
My heart felt strangely heavy.
Why?
Why did I care?
It wasn't like Alex and I were anything to each other.
He could kiss whoever he wanted.
So why did it bother me so much?
The room was empty.
Ellie and Samantha still weren't back.
Slowly, I walked toward my bed and wrapped myself in my blanket.
Trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
Eventually, sleep claimed me.
Unfortunately, it wasn't peaceful.
Alex appeared in my dream.
At first, we were simply talking.
Then somehow, we were standing closer.
Much closer.
His eyes never left mine.
My pulse quickened.
The dream became increasingly intense.
Until—
I jerked awake.
Breathing hard.
My cheeks burned.
Embarrassment immediately flooded through me.
"Oh my God."
I buried my face in my hands.
Across the room, Ellie and Samantha were curled up together in Samantha's bed.
Neither of them noticed my suffering.
Lucky them.
Unable to fall asleep again, I decided to get some fresh air.
---
The campus was quiet.
Most students were already asleep.
The cool night breeze helped clear my thoughts.
At least, that was the plan.
Then I noticed someone standing near the dorm entrance.
My footsteps slowed.
A familiar figure.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Scar through his left eyebrow.
My heart skipped.
Alex.
And this time...
He was looking directly at me.
- Writer
