Connections

The second semester had begun, and with it came a wave of excitement. The NYU campus was alive with students returning from their breaks, reuniting with friends, and settling back into their routines. Victoria had barely set foot on campus before her phone buzzed with messages from her friends.

Aria: Common room. Now. We need a full debrief.

Kimber: You can't hide from us, Tori.

Aspen: If you're not here in ten minutes, I'm dragging you out myself.

Victoria laughed, shaking her head as she made her way to the dorm common room. The moment she stepped inside, she was met with an excited squeal from Aria, who practically tackled her in a hug.

"Tori! I missed you so much!"

Victoria chuckled, hugging her back. "It's been two months, not two years."

"Two months too long," Aria said dramatically. "And don't act like you didn't miss us."

"Fine, fine. Maybe just a little," Victoria admitted.

Kimber smirked from where she was lounging on the couch. "That's more like it."

Aspen grinned. "And? How was home?"

"Good," Victoria said, plopping down beside her. "Mom made me clean my room the second I arrived."

"Classic," Kimber said, scrolling through her phone.

"But let's get to the real question," Aspen added, nudging Victoria. "How much did you miss a certain someone?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Why is that the first thing you ask?"

"Because we have priorities," Aspen teased.

Before Victoria could answer, the door swung open, and Grayson walked in, adjusting his glasses.

"Speak of the devil," Mylo muttered from the armchair.

Grayson raised an eyebrow. "I assume you're talking about me?"

"No, we were talking about your twin," Aspen said with a smirk.

Grayson shook his head and plopped down beside Victoria. "So, what's the gossip?"

"The gossip," Aria started, leaning forward, "is that we were discussing how much Tori missed you."

Grayson shot Victoria a playful look. "Is that true?"

Victoria scoffed. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Too late," he said, grinning.

Their usual banter filled the room, but there was an undercurrent of something else—something Victoria couldn't quite place. Things between them had remained normal since his confession, but there were moments, brief as they were, where she caught him looking at her differently.

Before she could dwell on it, the door opened again, and Damon walked in, his confident stride drawing attention as always.

"Sunshine," he greeted with that signature smirk of his.

Victoria felt her stomach flip. "Hey, Damon."

Aria glanced between the two of them and smirked, but thankfully, she didn't say anything.

Damon took a seat across from Victoria, stretching out lazily. "So, what are we talking about?"

"Just catching up," Kimber answered, giving Victoria a knowing glance.

Victoria ignored it.

"So," Grayson said, looking at Damon. "Didn't think we'd see you here."

Damon shrugged. "Why not? It's not like I disappeared."

"Could've fooled us," Mylo muttered under his breath.

Damon chuckled but didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Victoria. "You settle back in yet, Sunshine?"

"Almost," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Still getting used to being back."

"Let me know if you need help," he said casually.

Grayson's jaw twitched. "I'm pretty sure Tori can handle unpacking on her own."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

Victoria sighed, sensing the tension rising. "I'm fine, really. But thanks for the offer."

The conversation continued, bouncing between random topics, jokes, and shared stories from the break. As the night went on, Victoria found herself caught between the two boys—the one who had confessed his feelings for her and the one who made her heart race in a way she didn't fully understand yet.

As the evening stretched on, Aria pulled out her phone and started scrolling through their group chat. "Okay, so we need to plan something. We can't just let the semester start without an official 'we survived the break' outing."

Aspen grinned. "Agreed. I say we do something fun this weekend."

Kimber nodded. "Bowling? Movie night?"

"Dinner?" Harry suggested.

"No," Grayson cut in. "A day trip. We spent two months apart. We need something memorable."

Mylo groaned. "You and your trips."

"C'mon," Grayson said, smirking. "You know I'm right."

Victoria laughed. "Where would we even go?"

"I'll find the perfect spot," Grayson promised, pushing up his glasses.

Damon, who had been quiet for a while, leaned forward. "And what if not everyone wants to go?"

Grayson tilted his head. "Then they miss out."

There was an unspoken challenge in their exchange, but Victoria quickly diverted the conversation before it could escalate.

Later that night, long after everyone had gone back to their rooms, Victoria lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her phone buzzed beside her.

Grayson: You still up?

She smiled slightly and replied.

Victoria: Yeah. Can't sleep.

Grayson: Same.

A moment later, her phone buzzed again.

Grayson: Come outside?

Victoria hesitated but got up, throwing on a hoodie before quietly stepping out into the hallway. She made her way to the common area, where Grayson was sitting on the couch, his glasses resting low on his nose.

"You couldn't sleep either?" she asked, sitting beside him.

Grayson shook his head. "Too much on my mind."

Victoria leaned back. "Like what?"

He hesitated before saying, "You, mostly."

Her breath hitched slightly, but she played it off. "That's a little dramatic."

Grayson chuckled. "Maybe. But it's true."

Victoria didn't know how to respond, so she looked down at her hands. "We never really talked about… you know. Before break."

Grayson nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I wasn't expecting an answer, Tori. I still don't."

She looked at him then. "But it's unfair to you, isn't it?"

He gave her a small, sad smile. "Only if you feel like you owe me something. And you don't."

Victoria sighed. "I just don't know how I feel."

Grayson nodded, as if he understood. "That's okay."

They sat in silence for a moment before Victoria's phone buzzed again.

Damon: Why are you awake, Sunshine?

She glanced at Grayson, then back at her phone.

Victoria: Couldn't sleep. Just talking to Grayson in the common room.

A few seconds passed before he replied.

Damon: Of course you are.

Victoria frowned slightly.

Victoria: What's that supposed to mean?

Damon: Nothing. Go back to your conversation.

She sighed, locking her phone and turning back to Grayson.

"Damon?" he asked, having seen the look on her face.

"Yeah."

Grayson's expression hardened for a second before softening again. "Figures."

Victoria leaned back against the couch, feeling the weight of unspoken words between her and both of them.

She wasn't sure what this semester would bring, but one thing was certain—things were far from simple.