Chapter Five: When Smiles Slip
994 Words
The next time Lila saw Evan, she almost didn’t recognize him.
It wasn’t that his appearance had changed his blond hair was still neatly tousled, his blue eyes still bright enough to draw attention wherever he went. It was the way he carried himself. His shoulders were tense, his movements sharper, like he was holding himself together by sheer will.
They crossed paths outside the science building, nearly colliding.
“Hey,” she said instinctively.
“Hey,” he replied, flashing her that familiar grin.
But it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Are you skipping lunch again?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Just busy.”
She didn’t believe him. Evan was always busy, but he never skipped lunch with her. It was one of their unspoken routines—sandwiches on the quad, teasing banter, quiet companionship.
“You want to walk with me?” she asked carefully.
For a second, he hesitated. Then he nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”
They walked side by side across campus, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the path. Students laughed nearby, carefree and loud, but it felt like they were moving through a separate world.
“Did something happen?” she asked softly.
Evan exhaled through his nose. “Something’s always happening.”
She stopped walking.
He took two steps before realizing she wasn’t beside him anymore. When he turned, her eyes were steady on his.
“You don’t have to tell me everything,” she said. “But you don’t get to pretend nothing’s wrong.”
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he let out a quiet laugh humorless.
“God, you’re terrifying,” he said.
She smiled faintly. “I’ve been told.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, gaze dropping to the ground. “My dad lost his job.”
Her heart sank. “Evan…”
“He didn’t take it well,” he added quickly. “He never does.”
That was all he said. That was all he could say.
She reached out without thinking, her fingers brushing his wrist. He flinched—then stilled.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He nodded once. “Yeah.”
They resumed walking, closer now, the air between them heavier but more honest.
⸻
That night, Nora dragged Lila to a small gathering at the dorm common room. “You need a distraction,” she’d insisted.
Evan showed up halfway through, late as usual.
Lila watched him from across the room. He laughed, joked, flirted lightly with one of Liam’s friends. He looked normal.
But she noticed the way he avoided the couches near the windows. The way loud voices made his smile tighten. The way he kept checking his phone like he was waiting for something—or dreading it.
Nora leaned close. “He’s unraveling.”
Lila swallowed. “I know.”
“Be careful,” Nora added. “Some people pull you down with them without meaning to.”
“I’m not afraid of that,” Lila said quietly.
She was afraid of losing him.
⸻
Later, Evan found her standing near the balcony doors, staring out at the dark campus.
“You disappear a lot,” he said lightly.
“So do you.”
He smiled, leaning beside her. “Guess we’re even.”
The music thumped behind them, muffled. The night air was cool.
“I told my mom about you,” he said suddenly.
Her heart jumped. “You did?”
“Yeah,” he said. “She asked if I had anyone. I said I did.”
She didn’t ask what that meant.
“She wanted to meet you,” he added. “I said maybe.”
The word hung between them heavy with possibility.
“Do you want me to?” she asked carefully.
He looked at her, and for once, the mask slipped completely.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Part of me wants to keep you far away from that world. The other part… doesn’t want to be alone in it anymore.”
Her chest tightened. “You wouldn’t be.”
He swallowed. “I know.”
The music cut suddenly, replaced by laughter as someone messed with the speakers.
A shout echoed down the hall.
Evan stiffened.
His breathing changed quick, shallow. His hands curled into fists.
Lila turned to him instantly. “Evan?”
“I’m fine,” he said automatically.
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Look at me.”
He hesitated. Then his gaze met hers.
“It’s just noise,” she said softly. “You’re here. You’re safe.”
He closed his eyes for a second, grounding himself.
When he opened them, something had shifted.
“Stay with me?” he asked quietly.
She nodded without hesitation. “Always.”
They sat on the balcony steps, shoulder to shoulder, watching the night stretch out before them. He didn’t touch her, but the closeness felt intimate in a way words couldn’t capture.
After a while, he spoke again.
“Sometimes I feel like if I stop smiling, everything will fall apart.”
She turned toward him. “It won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ll still be here,” she said. “Even if you don’t smile.”
He stared at her like she’d just handed him something fragile and precious.
“Lila,” he murmured.
Her name sounded different in his voice.
Before either of them could say more, his phone buzzed.
They both froze.
He checked the screen, jaw tightening.
“I have to go,” he said softly.
Her heart sank, but she nodded.
He stood, then paused.
“Thank you,” he said. “For seeing me.”
As he walked away, Lila pressed a hand to her chest, her heart aching and full all at once.
She was falling for Evan.
And the closer she got, the more she realized it scares her.
- Writer
