Flashback
Melina's POV
I couldn't just stand there watching Zara cry like that. My chest ached, and my legs twitched with the urge to run to her, to hold her, to do something—anything—but Dove was nowhere in sight.
Or maybe… maybe Zara wanted to be alone.
But that didn't matter. That wasn't me. I wasn't the type to sit back while my best friend broke apart in front of me. She was my friend, my person, and if she was hurting, then I had to be there. Period. End of discussion.
So I hurriedly scooped up my broken footwear—yes, the tragic remains of my faithful sandals—and tried to make my way past Damon and Theo, who, as usual, were standing like two oversized pillars blocking the path. I aimed for Zara but—
OUCH. Times two.
Both of those muscle-headed giants, with their bodies sculpted out of flesh and arrogance, managed to step on my poor defenseless feet at the exact same time.
"Fantastic," I muttered through clenched teeth. "Absolutely fantastic. My feet are officially dinosaur fossils now."
They didn't even notice. Of course. Because why would Damon and Theo ever notice me unless I was directly in their way? Which, unfortunately, I was.
I bit my lip, forcing myself not to cry out, because the last thing I wanted was to become that girl—the one who makes a scene in the middle of everything. No. Never that.
Still, my balance gave up on me, and with both my aching feet screaming in betrayal, my body toppled backward. I landed flat on my butt. Elegant, right? A real princess moment.
I stayed as quiet as possible, gritting my teeth against the sting. If anyone thought I was attention-seeking, I'd shrivel up and die right here.
As much as I wanted to run to Zara, to wrap her up and whisper that she wasn't alone… this stupid, throbbing foot of mine had other plans.
"Hi," I muttered from the floor when Gregg's worried face appeared in my line of sight.
He crouched down, eyes scanning me. "Are you sure you're alright?"
I never said i am alright, but still.
"My feet are definitely not," I said, clutching onto the sleeve of his jacket for support.
"Help me up, please," I whispered, careful to keep my voice low. I needed to check on Zara. And there was no way I was hobbling over there while those two gorillas hovered around her. Nope. Not happening.
Gregg slid his arm around my waist, steadying me as he pulled me upright. His warmth was grounding, reassuring. My poor feet, though, were practically demanding a spa day. Or a medical miracle. Exaggeration, only a little.
When I glanced toward Zara again—gone. She was gone.
"What—?" I blinked hard. She had vanished. Not just her, but Damon and Theo too. One second she was there, and the next, it was like the earth swallowed them whole.
I chewed the inside of my cheek. I could ask her about it later, right? If she wanted me to know, she'd tell me. That was how our friendship worked. I had to trust that.
Pasting on a smile, I turned to Gregg. "Can you take me to class?" I asked, eyes wide with the kind of hope that was half sincere, half me playing it up. "And maybe pay for the ride?"
Gregg's lips curled into a grin so wide it could rival the Cheshire Cat. But before I could process the cuteness of it—
Wait.
I was flying.
Like… literally. My feet weren't touching the floor anymore.
"What the—?!" I flailed slightly, twisting my head only to find Gregg still rooted to the ground, looking just as baffled as me.
Which left only one culprit.
" Clumsy much?Can't even look after her foot "
Theo.
The audacity.
"You stepped on my foot!" I blurted out, glaring at him as reality hit me like a slap.
For a second, he actually looked taken aback, like he had only just realized it.
"And what do you think you're doing? Put me down! I can walk."
Theo raised a brow, his grip unyielding. "You couldn't even stand without Gregg's arm around your waist. Now you're bitter about being helped?"
"This isn't about being helped," I snapped. "It's about you being the one helping me."
He scoffed. "So if Gregg's hand is around your waist, or Damon's hand is on your shoulder, that's fine—but with me, it's suddenly a problem?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, fighting back the flutter in my stomach. "You hear yourself right now? You sound like some jealous ex-boyfriend."
A smirk tugged at his lips, the kind of smirk that was basically his second skin. "Keep dreaming of me being your boyfriend. Let alone ex."
"Valid," I muttered, smirking back as I tightened my hold around his neck out of pure spite.
Students' eyes followed us as Theo carried me across the hallway. My skin prickled under their stares, and I tilted my head toward him. "Are you aware people are staring?"
He didn't even glance around. "Are we naked?"
My jaw dropped. "Eww! No! Shut up!"
His grin widened. "Why? Do you want us to be?"
Heat flared across my cheeks. "Put me down. Right now!"
"To get naked? Sure." He kept walking, past my classroom.
"Excuse me—that was my classroom!"
"Do I look like your driver?"
"You offered to help!"
"I didn't offer. I just picked up a toy I liked. I'll put you down as soon as I lose interest. Maybe even throw you away."
Silence.
Not the playful kind. A heavy kind.
His words sank into me, twisting sharp and deep. My chest tightened.
So that's what people were to him. Toys. Temporary. Disposable.
I forced my face blank, lips pressed tight, trying to remind myself this wasn't some fantasy coming true. This wasn't a fairy tale. This was Theo, my friend's brother. And he was just messing with me.
That's it. Nothing more.
Still, the question clawed out of me before I could stop it. "What happened with Zara? Is she alright?"
He didn't answer. Didn't even look at me. Just carried me straight into the nurse's office, set me on the bed, and walked out without a word.
My mouth opened in disbelief. "What the—? You can't just—"
Hell. Fuck you, asshole.
Barely a few seconds later, the door burst open again, and Theo stepped back inside. My heart skipped, panic flashing—did he somehow hear me cursing him in my head?
"I'll help you back to class," he said flatly.
Oh, how generous. Drag me here against my will, abandon me, then waltz back in like some reluctant hero.
I hummed in reply, purposely emotionless, focusing instead on the nurse as she wrapped a bandage tightly around my sprained ankle.
But I felt him. Felt his gaze lingering on my face.
I exhaled sharply, refusing to meet his eyes.
And then, in the quiet, he said something I never expected.
"I'll tell you. But don't ask her about it."
.....
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𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 (◕દ◕)