CHAPTER TWO
801 Words
Leigh’s POV
I was about to grab another drink when I noticed Nova slipping past the crowd. At first, I thought she was just heading to the balcony for some air—she sometimes needed a moment to recharge after a long day. But something about the way she moved… the tension in her shoulders, the quick glance over her shoulder… it didn’t feel right.
“Kayla,” I whispered, grabbing her arm. “Look. Nova’s on the balcony. And… Malakai’s there too.”
Kayla followed my gaze, eyebrows shooting up. “Uh… that doesn’t look good,” she muttered, frowning. “Do you think—?”
I didn’t answer immediately. I just watched. Nova and Malakai were standing close, too close, and the way he was leaning toward her, the intensity in his eyes—it wasn’t casual. But Nova —no, I mean I—knew them. I knew how magnetic they were to each other. How dangerous even a glance could be. My stomach twisted in worry.
“She’s been through so much,” I said quietly, almost to myself. “And he… he’s Malakai. You know he doesn’t do anything halfway.”
Kayla nodded, concern spreading across her face. “Should we go check on her?”
I hesitated. Part of me wanted to rush out there and pull Nova back into the safety of the party. But another part knew that stepping in might make it worse. “Not yet,” I finally said. “Let’s just watch… make sure she’s okay. Just… don’t let it get out of hand.”
We stood a little way back, invisible in the crowd but close enough to see the tension ripple between them. Every subtle glance, every shift of weight— it all felt like a warning sign. My heart tightened. Malakai had been hurt before. Nova was… complicated. And I knew in my gut that whatever was happening out there, it could either pass safely—or start a chain reaction none of us were ready for.
Kayla let out a slow breath. “Okay. I’m not crazy, right? That’s… intense.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because it was.
“She just got here,” Kayla continued, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the balcony. “And he followed her out there. That’s not accidental.”
“He probably just needed air,” I said quickly, though the words felt thin even to me.
Kayla shot me a look. “Leigh.”
I crossed my arms, hugging myself without realizing it. “What?”
“You know what.” She lowered her voice. “They have history. The kind that doesn’t just evaporate because time passes.”
My jaw tightened. “I trust them.”
“I know you do,” Kayla said gently. “But trusting people doesn’t erase chemistry. And they look like they’re remembering something.”
I swallowed. The word remembering lodged somewhere uncomfortable in my chest.
Kayla tilted her head slightly, still watching them. “Have you ever asked him?”
“Asked him what?”
“If he ever really got over her.”
The question landed harder than I expected. I forced a small laugh. “That was years ago.”
“And yet,” Kayla said softly, “they’re standing like that.”
I looked again. Nova’s body angled toward him despite herself. Malakai leaning in just slightly, like gravity worked differently around her.
Kayla exhaled. “I’m not saying something’s happening. I’m just saying… if it were me, I’d want to know before I was the last one to notice.”
My stomach twisted.
“Malakai had been hurt before,” I murmured, more to myself than to her. “Nova was… complicated.”
Kayla glanced at me. “Complicated doesn’t mean cruel.”
“No,” I agreed quietly. “But it can still hurt.”
We watched them a moment longer, neither of us moving. The music swelled behind us, laughter rising and falling like waves. But out there on the balcony, it felt like a different world.
Kayla touched my arm gently. “Do you want me to grab her?”
I hesitated. Every instinct in me wanted to step outside and break whatever current was forming. But another part of me feared what interrupting it might reveal.
“Not yet,” I said finally. “Just… stay close.”
Kayla nodded. “Okay. But Leigh?” “Yeah?”
“If something’s shifting, you deserve to see it clearly. Not after it’s already decided for you.”
Her words settled heavy in my chest as I turned back toward the balcony.
Because suddenly, I wasn’t sure if I was watching a harmless conversation…
Or the beginning of something I should have seen coming.
- Writer
