Right Before His Eyes

CHAPTER FOUR: The Courtyard Showdown

Julian didn’t push Sophia away, but his midnight-dark eyes flicked over her shoulder, locking directly onto mine. His jaw tightened so hard a muscle feathered in his cheek. He looked like a caged animal, torn between the easy distraction Sophia offered and the sudden, burning irritation of seeing me with someone else.

He made his choice, I reminded myself bitterly. He humiliated you. Let him have her.

"Hey," a soft voice broke my train of thought.

I blinked, turning my attention back to Adrian. He had shifted closer, his shoulder brushing casually against mine. He wasn't looking at me with pity; his warm eyes were calculating, taking in the entire scene across the courtyard.

"You're giving them too much power, Elara," Adrian said quietly, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"I'm not doing anything," I muttered, looking down at the grass.

"Exactly. You're letting her win," Adrian countered. Without warning, he reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was warm, lingering just a second longer than necessary. "If you want a shadow to stop haunting you, you have to shine a brighter light. Come on. Let's get out of here."

Adrian stood up, effortlessly offering me his hand.

I hesitated for a fraction of a second before placing my hand in his. He pulled me up, his grip firm and reassuring. As we walked away together, I couldn't resist glancing back over my shoulder.

Julian had completely stopped listening to Sophia. He had physically stepped away from her touch, his fists clenched at his sides as he watched Adrian’s hand resting casually on the small of my back. The dark, brooding intensity in his eyes wasn't just jealousy it was absolute murder.

Two days later, the tension in the school had thickened into something suffocating.

Adrian and I had claimed a secluded corner in the back of the school library to work on our presentation. He was brilliant, funny, and terrifyingly observant. Whenever my mind drifted toward Julian, Adrian knew exactly what to say to pull me back.

But peace was a luxury I apparently couldn't afford.

The heavy oak doors of the library swung open, and the sharp click of heels shattered the quiet. Sophia walked in, practically dragging a very reluctant Julian behind her. Out of all the empty tables in the massive room, she made a beeline for the one directly across from ours.

She dropped her designer bag onto the table with a loud thud, immediately sliding into the chair next to Julian and pressing her thigh against his.

"Ugh, I'm so exhausted," Sophia sighed loudly, stretching her arms above her head so her tight top rode up, exposing her stomach. She turned to Julian, her voice dropping into that familiar, husky register. "You kept me up way too late last night, Julian. My legs are still shaking. You really need to learn how to hold back."

I froze, my pen hovering over my notebook. My chest felt hollow. She was painting a vivid, graphic picture of what they had been doing, and she was doing it entirely for my benefit.

"Focus on the textbook, Sophia," Julian snapped, his voice a low, gravelly warning. He didn't even look at her. His dark eyes were burning a hole straight through the book in front of him.

"Why read about anatomy when we can just practice it?" she giggled, leaning over to trace a circle on his thigh under the table. She shot a wicked, sideways glance at me. "Isn't that right, Elara? Oh, wait. You wouldn't know anything about that. You just make embarrassing videos."

The blood drained from my face. I opened my mouth to fire back, but Adrian beat me to it.

Adrian leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen effortlessly between his fingers. He looked at Sophia with an expression of complete, unapologetic boredom.

"It’s funny, Sophia," Adrian said smoothly, his voice echoing perfectly in the quiet library. "Usually, when someone has to announce how satisfied they are to an entire room, it means they're trying to convince themselves. Sounds like someone is overcompensating."

A few students at a nearby table snickered.

Sophia’s face flushed a violent shade of red. "Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm the guy trying to finish a project," Adrian replied calmly, turning his warm gaze to me and completely dismissing her existence. "You look beautiful today, Elara. Let's finish this chapter at my place. It's getting a little toxic in here."

Julian slammed his textbook shut. The sound was like a gunshot.

Everyone in the library jumped. Julian stood up, his massive frame towering over the tables. He ignored Sophia completely, his lethal gaze locked entirely on Adrian. The air between them practically crackled with high-voltage electricity.

"She's not going to your place," Julian growled, every word dripping with a terrifying, possessive authority.

Adrian stood up slowly, matching Julian’s height. He didn't flinch. He just smiled a cold, knowing smile that completely contrasted his friendly persona.

"That’s not your call to make anymore, Cross," Adrian whispered darkly. "You threw her to the wolves. Don't get mad when someone else steps in to protect her."

Before Julian could vault over the table, Adrian grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the exit. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs as we burst out into the empty hallway.

"Adrian, what are you doing?" I gasped, leaning against the lockers to catch my breath. "Julian is going to kill you."

Adrian stopped, the playful, easy-going mask dropping from his face instantly. The look in his eyes sent a sudden, violent shiver straight down my spine.

"Let him try," Adrian murmured, stepping dangerously close to me. He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. "You think Julian is the only one in this school hiding a dangerous secret, Elara? You have no idea what you've just walked into.”Instead of asking about the embarrassing video, Adrian simply offers her half of his sandwich.