Chapter Four: Dares and Daydreams
Khal had never been one to back down from a challenge his pride wouldn't let him. But when it came to Liyah, it wasn't just his pride that got stirred; it was something deeper, something that annoyed him because it made him feel like he didn't have full control.
It started with a single look.
It was after a boring Economics tutorial. Khal had skipped half the lecture and lingered outside, leaning on the railings with Daniels, Mark and Lex gossiping beside him. He saw Liyah first, her hair pulled back neatly, books clutched to her chest, eyes hidden behind those glasses that made her look even more untouchable.
Mirah and Missi were beside her, giggling about something. But Liyah !"
Mark jumped in, grinning like a mischief maker. "Please, Khal, bet you can't get her to fall in love with you. She's too cold for your sweet mouth."
Khal raised a brow, smirking. "Give me a month."
Daniels howled with laughter. "A month? You? With Queen Ice? Okay! If you win, I'll fuel your car for a whole week."
"Deal. And if I lose?" Khal asked, although he already knew he wouldn't.
"Your car is mine for a whole month . And no excuses!" Lex added, eyes dancing with excitement.
Khal shook both their hands. "Bet. One month. She'll be mine."
While Khal and his boys schemed under the shaded walkway, the girls were oblivious, drifting through their own tangled mess of campus life and half-grown heartbreaks.
Missi, for once, had her phone glued to her hand more than her mouth. She had recently started dating Jason a final-year engineering student with dreadlocks, a shy smile, and the patience to keep up with her wildness. Whenever Missi wasn't scolding Mirah for stealing her snacks or teasing Liyah about her ex, she was sending cute selfies to Jason or squealing when he sent her voice notes.
"You two are disgusting," Mirah declared dramatically one evening as Missi replayed Jason's goodnight message for the third time.
"Jealousy is a disease, baby. Get well soon!" Missi teased, blowing her a kiss.
Liyah, sitting cross-legged on her bed, smiled faintly but her mind wasn't on Missi and her sugar-sweet romance. It was on Alexis. Some nights she still checked his last seen on WhatsApp or scrolled through old photos of him explaining medical terms she didn't even understand. She wondered if he ever thought of her at all, or if she was just a phase that faded away like stale perfume.
Mirah, ever the self-declared "Love Counselor", wagged a biscuit at her. "Listen, Liyah, forget that boy. If he really cared, he'd be here now. Love is supposed to feel like fireworks and soft rain at the same time. Yours is giving unfinished assignment vibes stressful and boring!"
Missi burst out laughing. "Mirah, you talk like you've loved ten people. How many have you loved again?"
"Zero," Mirah said proudly, standing up and pretending to hold a rose like a heroine in her romance novels. "But when I fall in love, it will be beautiful. Like a fairytale soft kisses under the moonlight, long walks in the rain, poetry on sticky notes. He will adore me, worship the ground I walk on and —"
"— buy you food," Missi interjected.
"Exactly!" Mirah said, unbothered. "Love without food is nonsense. If he can't feed me, he's not the one."
Liyah and Missi laughed so hard they forgot for a moment about exes and new boyfriends and campus gossip. For now, their small world of secrets and snacks was enough.
But beyond their laughter, fate was already stirring trouble. Khal had a bet to win, and Liyah's cold glances only sharpened his determination. He'd start soon with casual encounters, accidental touches, maybe even tempting Mirah with her favorite snacks just to get closer.
One month. That was all he needed. Or so he thought.