Chapter IV

Anne adjusted the strap of her bag as she and Bella exited the lecture hall, her head already throbbing from the exhausting math class. The day had dragged on endlessly, and she wasn't in the mood for another round of Bella's rants, but she knew it was coming. The moment they stepped outside, Bella turned to her, eyes sharp with frustration.

"I still don't get why you're letting him treat you like that," Bella huffed, crossing her arms.

Anne sighed, already regretting bringing up the subject. "Not this again."

"Yes, this again," Bella shot back. "Anne, he's being completely unfair to you. You know it. I know it. Everyone in that class knows it. And yet, you're just sitting there taking it."

Anne rubbed her forehead, exhaustion creeping into her voice. "What do you want me to do? Storm into his office and demand justice?"

"Well, yeah!" Bella threw her hands up. "Or at least, you know, report him! You're doing the work, you're studying, and yet he keeps grading you like you know nothing."

Anne pressed her lips together. She had spent enough sleepless nights stressing over those exact thoughts. "It's not that simple," she muttered.

Bella scoffed. "Yes, it is! You're just avoiding confrontation because you don't want to 'cause a mess' or whatever excuse you're making today."

Anne stopped walking, turning to face her friend. "It's not an excuse," she said, voice tight. "I don't want to deal with the backlash. What if he makes it worse? What if I say something, and it affects my grades even more?" That wasn't Anne's fear, it was something deeper. Something that happened and she told no one. And now, there are consequences.

Bella let out a sharp breath. "So you're just going to keep suffering in silence?"

Anne shrugged. "I'll figure something out."

Bella groaned, throwing her head back dramatically. "I swear, sometimes I don't know whether to admire or hate your patience."

Anne gave a small, tired smile. "Probably both."

Bella sighed, but the fire in her eyes didn't die down. "You don't have to keep everything in harmony for god sake."

Anne looked away, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. "I know."

They walked in silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation lingering between them.

Then, out of nowhere, Bella's tone shifted. "Okay, random change of subject, but don't look now—someone's staring at you."

Anne frowned. "What?"

"I said don't look," Bella hissed, but it was too late—Anne had already followed her gaze.

Near the university gate, leaning casually against the metal fence, stood Sebastian. Hands in his pockets, a cold expression on his face, but his eyes were locked onto hers the second she noticed him.

Bella stared between them, her suspicion growing. "Okay, who is that? And why is he looking at you like he's been waiting for you all day?"

Anne swallowed, keeping her face neutral. "Just a friend."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And your 'friend' just happens to show up at your university, standing there like some kind of bodyguard?"

Anne adjusted her bag, trying not to let anything show on her face. "I'll talk to you later, Bella."

Bella smirked. "Hiding something?"

"Yeah for sure I do." More than she can imagine. Anne ignored her and started walking toward Sebastian, her heart beating slightly faster than she'd like to admit. Whatever this was about, she hadn't expected him to show up here.

Anne approached Sebastian, trying to ignore the way Bella's words still echoed in her head. She hadn't expected to see him here. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, his posture relaxed, but his sharp eyes studied her as she got closer.

"Waiting for someone?" she asked, stopping in front of him.

Sebastian smirked, tilting his head slightly. "Maybe."

Anne raised an eyebrow. "And does this 'maybe' happen to be me?"

He chuckled. "Depends. How many other people have been stealing my time lately?"

Anne rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You make it sound like I'm guilty of something."

Sebastian stepped closer, leaning just enough to make his teasing words feel more personal. "You usually are."

Anne scoffed but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "Right. So what's the occasion? You don't just 'happen' to be near my university."

This scene is tense and layered with emotion. Here's a version with bold dialogues:

Sebastian shrugged. "Had some free time. Thought I'd see if you wanted some company on the way home."

Anne glanced up at him, searching for any other reason hidden beneath his words. But Sebastian was unreadable when he wanted to be, wearing that lazy smirk like a mask.

"Fine," she said, shifting her bag more comfortably on her shoulder. "Walk me home, then."

Sebastian fell into step beside her, hands still in his pockets, the sound of their footsteps filling the space between them.

For a while, they talked about nothing in particular—the usual banter and little comments about their day. Anne found herself enjoying the normalcy of it, the way conversation flowed so effortlessly with him.

But then, Sebastian's voice shifted just slightly. "So," he said, glancing at her. "How'd your math test go?"

Anne hesitated for half a second before answering. "Got a C."

Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. "Huh. You don't sound too thrilled about it."

She sighed, kicking a small pebble on the sidewalk. "I mean, I passed, but... I don't know. I could've done better."

Sebastian hummed in thought. "A C isn't bad. It's just a step toward the next grade."

Anne gave him a look. "Easy for you to say, Mr. 'I can solve equations in my sleep.'"

Sebastian smirked. "Hey, I'm just saying—you'll get the hang of it. You'll figure out where you went wrong and do better next time."

Anne let out a small breath, the weight in her chest lightening. He made it sound simple, as if failing to reach her goal this time didn't mean she never would.

"You always make things sound easier than they are," she muttered.

Sebastian nudged her arm lightly with his elbow. "That's because I know you. You get too in your head about this stuff."

Anne rolled her eyes, but the warmth in her chest remained. "Whatever you say."

They switched topics after that, diving into something lighthearted—a dumb story Sebastian told her about one of his friends, the kind that made her shake her head in amusement. The conversation moved so naturally that Anne didn't even notice the slight shift in Sebastian's energy until he suddenly stopped walking.

She took a few more steps before realizing and turned back to face him. "What?"

Sebastian studied her with a look that sent a chill down her spine—not because it was cold, but because it was knowing.

"You're hiding something."

Anne's breath hitched for a second.

Sebastian's voice wasn't accusing. It wasn't even harsh. It was calm, almost curious, but the weight behind it was impossible to ignore.

"What do you mean?" she asked, forcing herself to keep her tone even.

Sebastian took a step closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "I can feel it."

Anne swallowed, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag just a little tighter.

He wasn't guessing. He wasn't asking a question.

He knew.

The air between them grew tense, thick with the weight of unspoken words. Anne had hoped that brushing it off would be enough, that he'd let it go. But Sebastian wasn't the type to walk away from something he knew wasn't right. And he knew.

"Handle what, exactly?" His voice was unwavering, his sharp eyes locked on her.

Anne gritted her teeth. "Sebastian, drop it."

But he didn't. Of course, he didn't. He took a step closer, his hands slipping into his pockets in that casual way that made him look like he wasn't fazed at all—except she knew better. His shoulders were a little too stiff, his jaw a little too tight. He wasn't backing down.

"You're not telling me something," he stated, matter-of-factly. "And if you think I'm just gonna smile and move on, you don't know me very well."

Anne let out a sharp exhale, trying to keep her cool. "I said it's fine."

"Yeah, and I said I don't believe you," he shot back, his tone still calm, but there was something else now—something closer to irritation. "What is it? You suddenly forgot how to do math? Or is it something else? Or someone else?"

Her eyes flickered up at that, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.

Sebastian let out a breath, shaking his head. "Let me guess. You're just being a good student, right? A little teacher's pet who doesn't want to cause trouble, even when someone's screwing her over?" His lips quirked up, but there was no humor in it. "You've always been so reckless when it comes to your own well-being?"

Anne felt the words hit like a slap. Something inside her snapped.

"Excuse me?" she hissed, eyes narrowing as her frustration finally boiled over.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"You don't know everything," she snapped, stepping back as anger flared through her. "You just assume things and push until you get answers. Maybe I don't want to talk about it! Maybe I don't want to deal with you thinking you always have the right to dig into my life like it's your damn business!"

"Oh, yeah?" His tone turned sharper, his own irritation breaking through. "Well, maybe if you actually told me what was going on instead of pretending everything's fine, you wouldn't have to keep handling everything alone!"

"Maybe I prefer it that way." she threw back. "Maybe I don't want to be controlled by someone who thinks they always know better than me!"

Sebastian's expression flickered. For a split second, something unreadable crossed his face. Then his voice dropped, quiet but firm. "Controlled?"

Anne pressed her lips together, her breath uneven, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Sebastian let out a dry chuckle, but it wasn't amused. "Right. Of course. That's what you think this is." He shook his head, looking away for a moment before glancing back at her, his gaze darker now. "You are the one hiding things, but I'm the bad guy for trying to get the truth?" His voice lowered. "For trying to help you?"

Anne turned on her heel. "I'm done with this conversation."

Sebastian reached for her wrist, but she yanked it away before he could touch her.

"Anne—"

"Just stop, Sebastian." Her voice wavered, but she wouldn't let him hear it crack. "You always have to push. You always have to be right. Well, guess what? Not everything is about you knowing best."

She didn't give him a chance to respond. She spun on her heel and walked away, her hands clenched at her sides. She wouldn't cry. Not here. Not now. But her chest was tight, and the lump in her throat felt impossible to swallow. As she was holding the tears and the grief inside her.

Sebastian didn't call after her this time. He just stood there, watching her go. And that, made it worse.