Rea couldn't stop thinking about Elena's probing stare.
The whole day, every time Rea caught her eyes, she could practically hear the questions forming in her best friend's mind.
Elena was smarter than she gave her credit for, and Rea knew it was only a matter of time before she demanded the truth.
But for now, Rea was doing her best to keep her cool.
She stayed close to Aster in the hallway, knowing that if Elena kept up with her suspicions, it wouldn't be long before the entire school caught on.
It felt like everyone was watching them, especially when Aster walked into their first class together.
Of course, the teachers didn't seem to care; they were too focused on their own lessons, but the students… they were a different story. Whispers followed them as they sat down, and Rea could practically feel the eyes on her back.
When she took her seat next to Aster in History, the teacher started the lesson without missing a beat.
"Alright, class," Mr. Barker said, adjusting his glasses. "Today we'll be continuing with the Civil War. Let's focus on the causes—anyone want to share their thoughts?"
Rea barely heard him. She was too distracted by Aster, who had his head tilted back in that way he did when he was zoning out.
She wanted to yell at him for making everything so much harder than it had to be.
This wasn't just about him crashing at her house anymore. No, it was about how their lives were about to collide in ways neither of them could predict.
Aster, oblivious to her thoughts, suddenly turned to her.
"You know," he whispered, "I really don't care much about history."
Rea snorted, trying to stifle the sound. "You don't say?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "I'd rather be doing anything else right now."
She raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Aster grinned. "I don't know. Maybe something involving not being in class."
Rea rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
He leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out under the desk. "Just making the best of it, Jones."
Rea couldn't help but laugh at his laziness, though it was mixed with a sharp stab of worry.
She didn't know what it was about Aster. He made everything feel lighter—even when it shouldn't be. He was reckless and unpredictable, and she couldn't help but be drawn to him.
It wasn't fair.
He didn't deserve someone like her. She didn't know if she was strong enough to deal with the storm that followed him everywhere.
But then he shot her that crooked grin, and all her doubts seemed to disappear—just for a moment.
"I don't know what your problem is, Jones," Aster said, eyes twinkling with mischief. "You look like you're about to explode. You get this look on your face sometimes."
Rea blinked. "What look?"
"The 'I'm about to throttle you' look," he teased.
She rolled her eyes. "I think you just deserve to be throttled."
Aster chuckled. "Right. I'm sure you'd love to throttle me, but you won't."
Rea didn't respond, but her fingers curled into the edge of her desk.
She wasn't entirely sure why she was letting Aster into her life so easily, but part of her knew it was because she had no other choice.
If she pushed him away, it would only make things worse.
And honestly?
The thought of losing him made her stomach twist.
—
By lunch, Elena hadn't given up.
She was like a dog with a bone, eyes narrowing every time she caught sight of Rea and Aster.
Rea knew Elena was going to corner her sooner or later, but for now, all she could do was eat her lunch in peace and try to get through the day.
Aster, ever the social butterfly, was holding court at their usual lunch table, surrounded by a few of the other students.
Rea was already used to it, though—Aster was always at the center of things. People gravitated toward him, whether he wanted them to or not.
But as she made her way over, she noticed that something was different today.
Elena was sitting next to Aster, her arms crossed, her eyes glaring at Rea as if she were a problem that needed to be solved.
Rea raised an eyebrow, her stomach tightening.
Aster caught her eye and smirked. "Hey, Jones, you've got a fan over here."
Elena rolled her eyes. "Cut it out, Aster."
Rea dropped her bag on the bench and sat down across from them, resisting the urge to groan.
"What's up, Elena?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
Elena studied her for a long moment before speaking. "So… you and Aster, huh?"
Rea nearly choked on her drink.
"What?"
Elena leaned in, her voice lowered. "I mean, you're not exactly subtle about it."
Rea glanced at Aster, who was pretending to be absorbed in his food. "It's not like that, okay?"
Elena raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because it looks like that."
Rea let out a breath, feeling the heat rise in her face. "We're just… friends."
Elena stared at her for a beat longer, like she could see through the lie. But then, to Rea's surprise, she just nodded.
"Alright. I'll let it go for now."
Rea let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thanks."
Elena shot a glance at Aster. "But don't think this conversation is over."
Rea glared at her. "Yeah, yeah. I know the drill."
Elena's lips curled into a grin. "Good. Because I'm not letting you off the hook that easily."
Aster looked between the two girls, clearly amused by the tension. "You two are so dramatic," he muttered.
Rea glared at him. "You're one to talk."
Aster raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm just watching the show."
Elena smirked. "You're lucky you're cute, Westwood. Otherwise, I'd have some serious questions for you."
Aster shrugged. "Lucky for me, then."
Rea groaned inwardly. She really didn't need this today.
But when she looked at Aster, the teasing gleam in his eyes made her heart beat a little faster.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to care.
But she did.
And that scared her more than she was willing to admit.
—
Later that afternoon, Rea found herself standing at the bus stop again, waiting for her ride home.
Aster was leaning against the pole beside her, looking far too relaxed for someone who had just gotten a death stare from her best friend.
"So, Elena isn't buying our little friendship story," Rea muttered, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
Aster raised an eyebrow. "What? You think I'm not good enough for you to be friends with?"
Rea rolled her eyes. "Don't start with me, Westwood."
Aster chuckled. "I'm just saying, I'm way more fun than whatever you and Elena have going on."
Rea shook her head. "That's not—"
She didn't get to finish her sentence before the bus pulled up, and she quickly climbed aboard.
But as she settled into a seat, her thoughts kept drifting back to Aster.
The way he looked at her.
The teasing smirk that was never far from his lips.
It was becoming harder and harder to ignore the pull between them.
But Rea wasn't ready. Not yet.
She wasn't sure she'd ever be.