PART 2 — "Forced Proximity (and Old Wounds)"
I spent the next two weeks doing everything humanly possible to avoid Adrian. I switched walking paths, sat on opposite corners of classrooms, pretended not to hear him whenever he called my name.
But he was annoyingly persistent.
"Eli, wait—can we talk?"
Ignore.
"You left your notebook—"
Ignore faster.
"We need to coordinate for the field trip—"
"So coordinate with someone else," I snapped once, before I could stop myself.
He looked hurt. "We don't have a choice."
"Doesn't mean I need to like it."
I left him standing in the hallway, guilt gnawing at me even though I tried to swallow it down.
---
#The night before the trip
I was packing when my roommate, Theo, glanced at me.
"You're stressing," he said bluntly.
"No, I'm not."
"You're folding your socks like they offended your family."
I glared at him.
"You wanna talk about what's eating you?" he asked.
"No."
"Childhood trauma?"
"No."
"Boy problems?"
I froze.
Theo's eyes widened. "Oh shit. It's boy problems."
I threw a pillow at him. Hard.
He dodged. "Dude! If you like someone on the trip, just—"
"I don't like him."
"Ohhh," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "So it *is* a him."
I wanted to die.
"It's complicated," I muttered.
Theo shrugged. "Everything worth doing is complicated."
He meant well. Really. But he didn't know that liking someone wasn't the issue.
It was hating someone I never fully stopped caring about.
---
#The Trip Day
The bus ride to Calintria Forest was four hours long, and of course, Adrian sat beside me.
"Morning," he said softly.
I didn't answer.
The professor began explaining our group tasks through the bus microphone. "You and your partner will be responsible for one biome section. That includes sample collection, ecosystem mapping, and a 10-page observation report. You must stay together at all times."
I felt Adrian shift beside me.
"We'll figure it out," he said.
I stared out the window.
The truth was—we had never talked about what happened years ago. He had apologized back then, but I wasn't ready to hear it. I cut him off. Shut him out. Moved away without giving him a chance.
Sometimes I wondered if I hated him…
Or hated how much he still affected me.
---
#Arriving at the campsite
The forest was breathtaking—tall trees, cool air, birdsong echoing through the canopy. Everyone buzzed with excitement.
Adrian and I? Not so much.
We set up our shared tent in silence. Well, *I* worked in silence. Adrian tried to talk.
"So… you brought the extra stakes, right?"
"Yes."
"And the insect repellent?"
"Yes."
"And the—"
"Stop talking."
He blinked. "You're still mad at me."
"I was never *not* mad at you."
He opened his mouth, then shut it. A flash of regret crossed his face. "Eli… what happened—"
"Don't," I said sharply. "Don't bring up the past."
"But we can't move forward if—"
"I'm not interested in moving forward."
That hurt him. I saw it. And it made something twist deep in my chest.
But I forced myself to stay cold.
I had to.
Because caring about Adrian Reyes again was the last thing I could survive.