Andrew's POV
She turned every shade of red. I burst out laughing and ran down the stairs before she could attack me.
"Bye!" she squeaked, before stomping down after me.
"You have to tell me everything that happened that night, or I swear I'll never speak to you again!" she threatened, her face still the deepest shade of red.
"Calm down, Anny. It really wasn't bad. You just unleashed a side of yourself that's been locked up for too long."
"Andrew."
"Alright, alright. Just calm down. When we get to your hostel, I'll tell you everything. Hop on," I said, flinging my leg forward and over my power bike.
She got on and slipped her arms around me in a death grip, still murmuring about the party and everything else.
Right there and then, I felt at peace.
I was happy.
I didn't want it to end. As I rode, I caught myself wishing we were heading somewhere else entirely, another city, another country, anywhere far enough that she wouldn't have a reason to let go.
Initially, I told myself it was gratitude. She had seen the worst of me, lived through it, and still chose to forgive me. I had nothing but respect for that. More than that, she had pulled me back from the lowest point in my life.
If things had gone differently, if she hadn't reached out, hadn't kept showing up, hadn't believed I was worth more than that night, I genuinely wasn't sure where I'd be.
"You're awesome, Drew," she'd say randomly. "That last track you sent was fire. Pam, Jane and I danced to it the entire night."
"It's been on repeat on my phone. It's my lady jam now!"
"There's this label I saw on TikTok, I've already shared the link with you."
"Drew, a friend of mine wants your tracks for a party!"
And so on.
Every word was like a heavy stone rising from the depths of the sea, stacking into a pillar that kept my head above the tide. And there was Vincent, the anchor at the base, holding the foundation steady so the current couldn't pull me under.
He gave me space. He got me most of the equipment I needed and let me express my art without complaint.
"Is it actually forbidden for bike riders to travel at a speed that doesn't threaten someone's life?" she called from behind me.
"Where's the fun in that?!"
"For my own safety, I would refrain from pinching you!"
I laughed.
I loved teasing her. The way her face would go slack with shock, how she'd gasp and press her hand to her chest like she'd been personally betrayed, genuinely made my day.
Watching her go off in an argument with her roommates always brought me back for more. And somehow, I was always included. She would pull me in, demand my opinion, and then fight me the moment I didn't take her side.
Her smile, the way it spread slowly, the way her eyes creased at the corners when it reached them, made me stop whatever I was doing every single time.
Just the thought of her gave me inspiration. She…
Oh shit.
I'd noticed my interest in other girls dwindling rapidly.
Today, I was supposed to see Mindy, one of the girls I’d been seeing, who had been calling me nonstop, but I ended up texting Anne instead.
I knew Pam and Jane had left for the holidays. I knew school was emptying out. I would have gone to her anyway. I just needed a reason to see her.
A reason to see her?
Do I…
Do I have feelings for her?
My heart did a deep dive into my stomach.
As soon as we arrived at her hostel, I turned to look at her.
I couldn't have feelings for her. Could I?
She just sat there, her arm still around me, face tilted towards the sky, taking deep breaths.
My heart dived again, then began hammering with a violence that threatened to crack my ribs.
This revelation scared the shit out of me.
I shut my eyes, mimicking her deep breaths to calm my raging heart. When I opened them, she was staring at me with a raised brow.
"How was it?" I wiggled my own brows at her.
"Thrilling," she said flatly, before jumping off the bike.
"So we're here. I can go now," I joked, pretending to leave. She quickly grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the garden beside her hostel.
The garden was called the Love Garden, the kind of place where couples, friends, basically anyone, met. At that hour, it was mostly couples on the concrete block seats arranged in rows.
I didn't rush to sit. I let her tug and push and scold me for a few extra seconds, telling myself I was just being difficult. But honestly, I just didn't want her to let go.
"Andrew, please sit down," she said, pushing at my arm.
I finally gave in and sat, dragging her down beside me.
"Now spill," she deadpanned.
I took a moment just to look at her. She was staring at me expectantly, her chin slightly tilted, arms crossed the way she always crossed them when she was pretending to be more patient than she actually was. Her hair was slightly wild from the bike ride, and she hadn't noticed. I found a smile creeping onto my face.
"Why are you smiling?!"
"Nothing," I said calmly.
"Andrew, talk this instant."
I started telling her what went down the night she got drunk.
Her expression moved through shock, disbelief, and surprise, then looped back to shock again.
"At least you outperformed half the people there. The moves were… genuinely impressive," I said, recreating her gestures with my arms.
She covered her face with both hands and groaned into them.
"I can't believe I did all of that," she said, muffled.
"Hey, come on. Don't be like this." I took her hands in mine and turned her to face me. When her eyes met mine, everything I'd been about to say quietly left my head.
'What the fuck is wrong with me?'
For one reckless second, my eyes dropped to her lips, but I forced my gaze back up and pushed the thought aside.
She was the best thing that had happened to me in a long time. I wasn't about to gamble that on a feeling I hadn't even finished understanding yet. I had been around plenty of girls. I had never once felt this uncertain around any of them.
There was something about the way she looked at me that completely unnerved me.
"Don't feel bad, Anny. You absolutely rocked that night," I said, finally finding my words again.
She looked at me from under her lashes, and my chest tightened.
I looked away.
"I'll live, Drew. No harm done," she breathed out.
After a short while of silence, she stood up and stretched her limbs.
"It's getting late, Drew. Come on."
I looked at my watch. A sigh of defeat escaped me.
Time really did move faster when you were somewhere you wanted to be.
"We'll see tomorrow," I said, sliding off the seat.
We strolled towards my bike in silence. I had a feeling she was distracted by the thought of that night. I wanted to use that as an opportunity to take her hand, but I wasn't bold enough.
This wasn't me. I'd never felt so insecure about a lady in my life.
"No goodbye kiss?" I teased, trying to feel a bit like myself.
I stared in disbelief as she stood on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.
It lasted maybe a second, but I felt it sear through my heart, igniting it all over again.
Shit. I'm done for.
"I had a nice time with you guys," she said, smiling, and turned to leave.
My breath came in gasps as I watched her leave. My heart galloped dangerously close to a cardiac arrest. The night was cool, yet I was drenched in sweat, and before I could stop myself, I reached out and caught her hand.