Chapter 6 – Riley

Ava is avoiding me.

It's hilarious.

Well—no, it's infuriating, but it's also kind of hilarious, because for someone who's spent so much time making me the villain in her head, she sure seems terrified of actually facing me now.

And that?

That means I got to her.

Which is dangerous.

Not just for her. But for me, too.

Because I haven't been able to stop thinking about her either.

The way she looked at me outside the library, the hesitation in her body like she wanted to stay but didn't know how.

I saw it.

And I felt it.

And now? I want to see just how far I can push her.

So when I spot her across campus, heading toward the café with Lisa, I make my move.

I don't rush. I don't call out her name. I just adjust my bag over my shoulder and happen to walk in the same direction.

Lisa notices me first.

Her eyes flick to Ava, then back to me, and I swear I see a knowing smirk twitch at the corner of her mouth.

Yeah.

She knows.

She nudges Ava with her elbow, whispering something that makes Ava groan.

And then, just as she reaches for the café door, I step up beside her.

"Wow," I drawl. "Didn't take you for the type to run away, Ava."

Her whole body stiffens.

Lisa, the traitor, just grins. "I'll be inside." Then she winks—winks—at me before disappearing into the café, leaving Ava and me alone.

Ava exhales sharply, turning toward me. "What do you want?"

I lean against the railing beside the door, watching her. "I don't know. Maybe an answer."

She frowns. "To what?"

I tilt my head. "Why you haven't looked me in the eye since yesterday."

Her lips press into a thin line. "Maybe I just don't want to."

"Uh-huh." I smirk. "And maybe you're full of shit."

Her jaw clenches. "You're so—"

"Charming? Irresistible?*" I offer.

Her glare sharpens. "Annoying."

I chuckle. "Sure, let's go with that."

She huffs, crossing her arms, but I don't miss the way her fingers twitch, like she's resisting the urge to fidget.

I step closer, lowering my voice. "Admit it. I got to you."

She doesn't move.

Doesn't step back.

Her chest rises and falls in a slow, controlled breath.

"I don't have to admit anything to you," she says, her voice quieter now.

But she's not denying it.

And that?

That's enough to keep me pushing.

"Maybe not," I murmur, "but you know it's true."

A flicker of something crosses her face.

Annoyance. Frustration. Maybe something else.

She exhales sharply, then turns and pushes open the café door.

And just before she disappears inside, she mutters, "Screw you, Riley."

I grin.

Because she didn't tell me I was wrong.

Her words linger in the air between us, sharp and exasperated, but I don't miss the way her voice wavered just a little.

And that's what keeps my smirk in place long after she disappears into the café.

Because Ava might not admit it, but I know I'm getting to her.

That should be enough.

It should be satisfying.

But it's not.

Because, for some goddamn reason, I don't just want to mess with her—I want to understand her.

And that's a problem.

A big one.

I run a hand through my hair, exhaling as I glance through the café window.

Lisa has already pulled Ava into a booth near the back, leaning in close, talking rapidly—probably scolding her for engaging with me in the first place.

Ava's shoulders are tense, her fingers curled around her cup like she needs something to hold on to.

And I should walk away.

I should let her go back to pretending I don't exist.

But I don't.

Instead, I step inside.

The scent of fresh coffee and baked goods fills the air, but the real satisfaction comes from the way Ava visibly tenses when she sees me.

Lisa notices too. And the smirk that spreads across her face? Absolutely evil.

She leans back, stretching her arms over the booth like she's enjoying the show. "Wow. It's like the universe just keeps throwing you two together."

Ava shoots her a shut up look before turning to me. "Seriously?"

I shrug. "What? I wanted coffee."

"You don't even drink coffee."

"Maybe I felt like starting today."

Lisa outright cackles. "This is gold."

Ava groans, rubbing her temples. "I hate you."

I slide into the seat across from her, propping my chin on my hand. "You keep saying that, and yet here I am, still breathing."

Lisa practically vibrates with glee. "I should record this."

Ava glares at her. "You should leave."

Lisa waggles her eyebrows at me. "Should I?"

I grin. "Probably not."

Ava groans again, but I swear, swear, I see the corner of her mouth twitch—like she's trying not to smile.

And fuck, that does something to me.

Because for all the fights, for all the snapping and scowling and eye-rolling, there's something else under all of this.

Something that scares her.

Something that scares me too.

Lisa stands, grabbing her drink. "Welp, this has been wildly entertaining, but I'll leave you two to your unresolved whatever this is."

Ava shoots her a death glare. "Lisa—"

"Have fun!" Lisa singsongs before disappearing out the door.

And now it's just the two of us.

Alone.

Ava exhales, eyes flicking toward the exit like she's thinking about making a run for it.

I lean forward. "If you run, you'll just prove me right."

She freezes. "About what?"

I tilt my head. "That you're scared of this."

Her lips part slightly, but no words come out.

And then?

She grabs her cup, stands, and walks away.

No sharp retort. No last word.

Just silence.

And that?

That's how I know I'm winning.

I watch Ava go, expecting her to glance back at least once.

She doesn't.

But the way her grip tightens around her cup, the way she moves just a little too quickly toward the exit, tells me everything I need to know.

She's running.

And that should piss me off.

Hell, maybe it does.

Because I don't chase people.

I don't sit around waiting for someone to admit they feel something for me.

I don't play the game like this.

So why the hell do I want to?

Why am I still sitting here, watching the door swing shut behind her, feeling a pull in my chest like she just walked away with something important?

Lisa's voice snaps me out of it.

"Well, that was fun."

I glance up to see her standing beside the table, sipping her coffee with the most smug, knowing expression I've ever seen.

I roll my eyes. "If I wanted an audience, I'd have sold tickets."

Lisa smirks. "Oh, I'd have scalped them for triple the price. This slow-burn enemies-to-lovers bullshit? People eat that up."

I snort, shaking my head. "You're insufferable."

Lisa just grins, sliding into the seat across from me. "Nah, I'm just observant. And what I'm observing is you looking like you just got dumped when, to my knowledge, you and Ava haven't even gotten to the part where you rip each other's clothes off yet."

I choke on absolutely nothing. "Lisa."

She shrugs. "What? Am I wrong?"

I glare. "Wildly."

Lisa tilts her head, unimpressed. "So, you don't want to rip her clothes off?"

My jaw clenches. "That's not the point."

Lisa hums like she's considering something. "I think it is the point."

I exhale sharply, rubbing a hand over my face. "Christ."

Lisa leans in, resting her chin on her hands. "Look, I get it. Ava's a pain in the ass. She's stubborn, guarded, constantly looking for a reason to hate you. But you and I both know that's just self-defense."

I glance at her. "Oh? And what exactly is she defending herself from?"

Lisa's smirk softens into something more thoughtful. "From you."

I scoff. "That makes zero sense."

Lisa shrugs. "Doesn't it? You're the one person who actually gets under her skin. The one person who makes her feel things she doesn't want to deal with. It's easier for her to stay mad at you than to figure out why she cares so much."

I stare at Lisa for a long moment, her words sinking in.

Because—fuck.

She's not wrong.

Ava does care.

Even if it's buried under layers of sarcasm and denial, it's there.

And knowing that? Feeling that?

It makes something shift inside me.

Something dangerous.

Something I'm not sure I can stop.

I don't leave the café right away.

Even after Lisa's words settle uncomfortably in my chest, I stay, fingers drumming against the table, my coffee growing cold in front of me.

She's right.

I hate that she's right.

But the idea that Ava is fighting this just as much as I am? That she's pushing me away because it's easier than facing whatever this thing between us is?

It makes too much sense.

And now I can't stop thinking about it.

I exhale, rubbing a hand over my face before finally standing. Lisa watches me, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Leaving already?" she teases.

"Unlike some people, I don't have all day to psychoanalyze my love life," I mutter.

Lisa laughs, shaking her head. "You mean your disaster of a love life?"

I flip her off and walk out.

The cool air outside feels like a slap to the face after the warmth of the café, and I take a slow breath, shoving my hands into my pockets.

Ava's nowhere in sight.

Not that I expected her to be.

But that doesn't stop my gaze from drifting toward the direction she walked, my mind replaying every little thing—her sharp words, the hesitation in her voice, the way she didn't push me away the second I leaned in too close.

Yeah.

I got to her.

But now what?

I don't know how to fix this, if fixing it is even the right word.

All I know is that the idea of walking away from whatever this is—this rivalry, this tension, this... thing—doesn't sit right with me.

And maybe that's the problem.

Because for the first time in a long time, I actually want someone.

Not just for a night.

Not just to prove a point.

But for real.

And that?

That's terrifying.

By the time I make it back to campus, my head is still a mess.

I should be focusing on the million other things I need to do—assignments, practice, pretending I don't care about anything—but instead, all I can think about is her.

Ava.

The way her voice got sharp when she was flustered. The way her hands gripped her cup too tightly, like she needed something to hold onto. The way she didn't roll her eyes as much as usual, because she was too busy trying to pretend I didn't get to her.

And that's the thing—I did.

I know I did.

She might not admit it, but I can feel it every time we fight, every time we stand too close, every time her eyes flicker with something she doesn't want to name.

I'm not an idiot.

I just don't know what to do about it.

I make it to the dorms, pulling open the door and stepping inside. The familiar scent of cheap air fresheners and old carpet hits me immediately, grounding me.

I barely make it down the hall before a voice calls out—smug, knowing.

"You look like you're thinking too hard."

I turn to see Jake leaning against his doorframe, arms crossed.

I roll my eyes. "That's dangerous territory for me, huh?"

Jake smirks. "Didn't say it, but if the shoe fits..."

I shake my head, moving past him toward my own room. But, of course, he doesn't let me off that easy.

"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a certain redhead, would it?" he calls after me.

I freeze.

For half a second.

Barely noticeable.

But Jake notices.

Because of course he does.

I exhale, turning slightly. "Not everything is about Ava, you know."

Jake's grin is slow, knowing. "That's funny, 'cause you're the one who brought her up."

I groan, rubbing a hand over my face before pushing open my door. "Go bother someone else, Jake."

"Love you too!" he calls as I shut the door behind me.

Silence.

Finally.

I toss my bag onto the chair and flop onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Jake's not wrong.

Lisa's not wrong.

Hell, even I know I'm not wrong.

I just don't know how to fix this.

Or if I even want to.

Because wanting something—someone—this badly?

It's dangerous.

And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that danger and I don't mix well.

But maybe, just maybe, for her, I'd be willing to try.