Unraveling Feelings

Elara stretched her arms above her head, letting out a deep sigh as she closed her laptop. She had just finished an exhausting study session, and her brain felt like mush. Glancing at her phone, she noticed a message from Mira.

Mira: [Movie night tonight? You need a break!]

Elara smiled. Mira always had a way of knowing when she needed a distraction. Just as she was about to reply, another message popped up.

Damien: [You up for coffee?]

She hesitated. It wasn't unusual for Damien to ask her to grab coffee with him, but after their conversation in the library, she wasn't sure how she felt about spending time alone with him. Not because she didn't want to—rather, because she wasn't sure why she wanted to.

Mira: [No excuses! Meet me at the dorm lobby in 10 minutes.]

Elara chuckled, shaking her head before sending her reply.

Elara: [Fine. I'll be there.]

Just as she was about to put her phone down, another text from Damien arrived.

Damien: [Another time then.]

She felt a small pang of guilt but shook it off. It wasn't like she had agreed to anything in the first place.

The dorm lobby was already buzzing with students making their weekend plans when Elara arrived. Mira spotted her immediately, waving enthusiastically. "There you are! I was starting to think you'd ditch me."

Elara laughed. "I wouldn't dare."

Mira hooked her arm through Elara's as they made their way toward the campus theater. "So… what's with that look?"

"What look?" Elara asked, confused.

Mira narrowed her eyes at her. "That look. Like your brain is running a million calculations a second."

Elara sighed, knowing there was no point in hiding anything from Mira. "Damien asked me to get coffee."

Mira's eyes widened. "And you rejected him?"

"I didn't reject him!" Elara defended quickly. "I already told you I was coming to movie night."

Mira gave her a skeptical look. "Okay, sure. But if it were Alec or Nathan, would you have hesitated?"

Elara frowned. "What are you getting at?"

Mira smirked. "I think you're nervous around Damien."

Elara scoffed. "I am not."

"You totally are," Mira teased. "And that means something."

Elara opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. Was Mira right? Was she nervous around Damien?

Mira patted her shoulder. "Think about it. Now, let's enjoy this movie before your brain explodes."

Despite Mira's best efforts, Elara found it hard to focus on the film. Her mind kept drifting back to Damien—his smirk, his steady gaze, the way he had told her not to force herself into something she wasn't sure about.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. Maybe she was overthinking again.

After the movie, Mira insisted on grabbing ice cream, and Elara didn't argue. As they sat at an outdoor café, Mira suddenly nudged her. "Uh-oh. Incoming."

Elara turned just in time to see Alec approaching. "Fancy seeing you two here."

Mira grinned. "We have excellent taste in late-night snacks."

Alec chuckled, then turned to Elara. "Mind if I steal you for a minute?"

Elara glanced at Mira, who wiggled her eyebrows suggestively before standing up. "I'll be inside if you need me."

Once Mira was gone, Alec leaned against the table. "So… you turned Nathan down."

Elara tensed. "How do you know that?"

He shrugged. "Nathan told me. He's cool about it, by the way. Just figured I'd check in."

She exhaled. "I hope I didn't hurt his feelings."

Alec shook his head. "You were honest. That's all anyone can ask for."

She smiled slightly. "Thanks, Alec."

He studied her for a moment before speaking again. "So… what do you want, Elara?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

Alec leaned in slightly. "You've got options, Elara. But you seem scared to pick any of them."

Her throat went dry. "I just… don't want to make a mistake."

Alec nodded slowly. "Fair. But don't let fear keep you from something good."

His words lingered in her mind long after she returned to her dorm that night. As she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, she realized something.

It wasn't that she was afraid of love.

She was afraid of choosing wrong.

And that… that was something she needed to figure out.

The next day, as Elara walked across campus, she found herself stopping outside the café where Damien usually studied. She didn't know why she had come here, but before she could talk herself out of it, she stepped inside.

Sure enough, Damien was there, sitting by the window with his laptop open. He looked up as she approached, raising an eyebrow.

"Elara."

She hesitated for only a second before sliding into the seat across from him. "Hey."

A small smirk played at his lips. "Changed your mind about coffee?"

She let out a breathy laugh. "Maybe."

Damien closed his laptop, giving her his full attention. "So, what's on your mind?"

Elara met his gaze, her heart pounding slightly. "I don't know yet. But I think I'm trying to figure it out."

He studied her for a long moment before nodding. "Then let's start with coffee."

For the first time in days, Elara felt like she was moving in the right direction.