MARKED BY THE ENEMY

CLOSE QUARTERS

Chapter 5: Close Quarters

Ashley’s pencil nearly slipped from her fingers when Devin’s hand brushed hers. She tried to steady her voice, opening the math book.

“I’m helping you because… well, that’s what tutors do,” she said, forcing a laugh. “Besides, you’ll thank me when you actually pass the next exam.”

Devin leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips. “You really think you can fix me with a few lessons?”

Ashley arched an eyebrow. “Not fix you. Just teach you. Unless you want to flunk.”

He chuckled lowly, the sound sending an unexpected shiver through her. “You’re braver than I thought, talking to me like that.”

She cleared her throat and looked down at the book, cheeks heating. “Focus, Park. Quadratic equations aren’t going to solve themselves.”

For the next half hour, she explained step by step, writing examples and having him try a few problems. At first, Devin seemed distracted, his eyes wandering more around her room than the paper. But gradually, his concentration sharpened.

“Like this?” he asked, scribbling an answer.

Ashley leaned over his shoulder, scanning the page. “Almost—oh wait, you forgot to flip the sign here. See?” Her finger pointed at the mistake, hovering close to his hand.

Devin tilted his head, so close she could catch the faint scent of his cologne—clean, woodsy, unfamiliar but comforting. For a moment, neither of them moved.

Ashley’s heart skipped. She quickly pulled back, trying to regain her composure. “Y-Yeah, so… just fix that and you’ll get it right.”

Devin corrected the problem silently, then glanced at her. “You’re… different at home.”

Ashley blinked. “Different?”

He shrugged. “At school, you look like you’re trying to disappear. But here… you seem real. Comfortable. Like this is the real you.”

She swallowed hard, unsure what to say. No one had ever noticed that about her before.

Trying to shake off the strange flutter in her chest, she said, “Well, if you paid half as much attention in class as you’re paying now, maybe you wouldn’t need me as a tutor.”

Devin laughed softly, leaning back again. “Maybe I just needed the right teacher.”

Ashley froze, her face warming at the weight of his words. She buried her nose in the book to hide her expression.

---

They continued working late into the evening, until her mother’s voice called up the stairs. “Ashley! Dinner’s ready!”

Ashley stood quickly. “We’ll, um, wrap up for today.”

As she gathered the books, Devin stretched lazily, then gave her a look she couldn’t quite read. “Thanks. Guess you’re not such a bad tutor after all.”

She rolled her eyes, but inside, her heart was racing.

When Devin left that night, Ashley couldn’t stop replaying the session in her mind—the closeness, his words, his smile. And for the first time, she wondered if maybe there was more to him than anyone at school realized.