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The walk from the gym to the administration building was more pleasant than Nate had anticipated. Bella turned out to be a skilled conversationalist, especially when the topic turned to books. He noticed it immediately: when they talked about authors or novels, her eyes took on a particular sparkle, as if something inside her was ignited by the words printed on paper.
"So you think Wuthering Heights is a love story?" she asked, crossing her arms in playful skepticism.
"No. It's a story of obsession wrapped in the guise of romance," Nate replied, turning slightly to face his profile. "But I guess that's the charm. Do you believe all that emotional intensity?"
—It depends on the day. Sometimes it seems genuine to me… other times, just pathetic.
They both laughed softly. The conversation flowed with an unusual ease. It was sincere. Lighthearted. Without artifice. For a moment, Nate allowed himself to stop analyzing everything. He stopped measuring distances, anticipating reactions, and scrutinizing intentions.
But that moment ended when they were just a few steps from the door of the administration building.
A tense voice drifted in from inside, muffled by the barely open crack.
—I'm applying for a schedule change, not an international scholarship, Ms. Shely. Just Government and Biology.
The word Government fell on Nate's mind like a warning shot.
That was his class with Edward Cullen. The only one they shared.
"I'm sorry, Edward," the secretary replied with forced patience, "the transfer system is now closed. And you can't reconfigure your entire schedule without a medical or administrative justification."
Nate tensed slightly. It wasn't visible, but his attention became as sharp as a newly honed blade. He exchanged a fleeting glance with Bella, who had also recognized the voice, and together they took a step toward the door.
Inside, Edward Cullen's silhouette tensed.
And then he turned around.
It was a slow, almost mechanical movement as if his body had reacted before his mind. His eyes met Nate's. Just for a second. But that second was enough.
Edward felt the contact with Nate's mind like an electric shock.
Government? That's the class we share. Is he trying to avoid me?
But why? I was careful... he couldn't know I was watching him. Or can he...?
Edward felt something moving in his mind. It wasn't the typical tangle of human thoughts. No. This was different. Nate's mind wasn't noisy. It was ordered. It was a clinical analysis.
Like mental scalpels, Nate's thoughts dissected everything: the silences, the gestures, the tone of voice. Every detail was examined, labeled, and stored.
And Edward felt it all. In real time.
He tried to look away, to break that invisible thread, but then he turned to Bella.
Worst decision.
Nate didn't look away. He observed the change with surgical precision: Edward's eyes softened, his posture retreated, and his jaw hardened. It was a subtle transformation... but unmistakable.
And Edward knew Nate was watching him. Not just with his eyes.
The way he looks at her… There's something about that look. Like he's holding his breath. Like he's fighting an instinct. Is it desire...? No. It's something else. Hunger. Fascination. Guilt. And also... possession. Like he's seeing something that belongs to him.
Edward swallowed. If he could sweat, he would.
Damn. Damn. Who the hell are you...?Edward thought as he felt each step he took suffocate him even more.
The silence stretched. A pause is barely perceptible to any human ear. But not to Nate.
"I just... wanted to make some adjustments," Edward finally said, not looking directly at anyone. "Spend more time with my sister."
Nate didn't say anything, but the comment had already registered as a tentative lie. His face remained neutral. His thoughts weren't.
Bella chimed in, slightly bewildered but still kind:
—Your sister Alice, right?
Edward turned to her. And for a moment, he couldn't move.
Her scent was a punishment. A promise. A calling. All of her was that: her voice, her warmth, her impossible presence.
I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be looking at her. Not now. Not with him around. Control. I need control.
"That's her," he replied with a smile, forcing a casual tone.
But Nate was watching him. Still. Watching. As if he'd seen him naked in a room filled with white light. As if he knew.
And then, in an almost casual tone—too casual—Nate said:
—I've noticed something curious. Do you always pause before responding when someone speaks to you?
The question fell like a scalpel on raw flesh.
Edward froze for a split second. It wasn't long enough for a human to notice. But Nate wasn't your average observer.
"Sometimes," Edward said, too quickly this time, "I like to think before I speak."
Partially lying. It's not a habit. It's more of a reflex. He's hiding something.
Edward felt a cold, ancient feeling creep into his chest. Vulnerability. For the first time in decades, he felt observed. Not as an object of desire. But as evidence.
"Anyway," he murmured, his voice rasping now, "I don't feel quite right. It must be... something I ate."
He pushed through them awkwardly, almost tripping over his haste. He needed to get out. Now.
He couldn't be there. Not with Bella's scent surrounding him. Not with Nate's gaze fixed on him like a dull spear that cut just as hard.
Bella followed him with her eyes, perplexed.
"That was weird, wasn't it?" she asked, more to herself than to Nate.
"A little," he replied, seemingly calm. But his mind was already crossing connections at an alarming speed.
The door closed behind Edward.
Nate opened it and held the pace for Bella.
"Do you share biology with him?" he asked casually, almost indifferently.
—Yeah. It was... awkward this morning. He barely looked at me. But now... he seemed different. Nervous. Wasn't he?
Nate nodded slowly.
But his mind was already elsewhere.
Edward Cullen hadn't just tried to escape, he was avoiding them both.
I had felt fear.
And the worst part for Edward was that now Nate knew.
And I wasn't going to forget it.