Chapter 44

**•ADRIEN•**

I was walking to class with Amir yapping beside me, going on about—honestly, I had no clue what. Something about a group project or a girl who ghosted him. 

Either way, I was barely listening. My eyes were glued to my phone as I scrolled through the team group chat, trying to wrap my head around the new hockey training schedule.

“Bro, and then she just left me on read for three days straight like I—”

“Thank God.” I sighed in relief, cutting off Amir’s monologue in my head.

“What?” he asked, raising a brow.

“No practice for the rest of the week. Ice rink’s under renovation.”

“Oh. Cool. So about this girl—”

I glanced up and then did a double take. Across the field, a group of girls were scattered on the grass in a semi-circle while some woman stood in front of them barking instructions and making them do weird stretches. At first, I didn’t care.

Until I saw her.

Kaia.

Standing dead in the middle of the group, wearing a baggy hoodie and sweatpants like she had no idea this was a mandatory PE class and not a nap session. 

Her arms were awkwardly lifted above her head like she didn’t know what to do with them, and she looked seconds away from falling asleep standing up.

I stopped walking, just staring—amused as hell.

Amir took a few more steps before realizing I wasn’t beside him anymore.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, doubling back. He followed my gaze and snorted. 

“What are they doing?” 

“Probably some yoga shit or something. I think it’s part of their wellness credit or class activity.” He replied.

I couldn’t help the slow smirk spreading across my face. Watching Kaia attempt yoga was almost too good to be true.

I pulled out my phone.

“What are you doing?” Amir asked.

“Trying to catch her fall on her ass,” I muttered, already hitting record. “I need new material to make fun of her with.”

“Dude, you’re obsessed,” he laughed.

I didn’t answer. Just kept my camera trained on Kaia, waiting for her to do something clumsy.

God, she looked so out of place. So completely miserable. I loved it.

I’d just hit record when Kaia lifted her arms above her head for some lazy-ass stretch—and her hoodie rode up.

And holy. Shit.

The fabric inched high enough to reveal the smooth curve of her waist. Slim. Tight. Her skin practically glowing under the morning sun, a sliver of her toned stomach showing just long enough to knock every ounce of breath from my lungs.

I froze. Literally forgot how to breathe, let alone record.

I knew she had a body on her—anyone with half a brain could tell just by the way she wore those tight jeans or crop tops on the weekends. But seeing it? Really seeing it?

That was something else.

Like discovering treasure under a hoodie.

I just stood there, completely dumbstruck, staring at her like I’d never seen a girl before in my life. 

My hand lowered on its own, phone forgotten. My pulse was hammering. It was ridiculous how fast my brain short-circuited from a waist.

She went on with the stretches, now moving into some kind of lunges with the rest of the girls, and I could barely think straight. My mouth might’ve actually been open.

A hard clap landed on my back, snapping me out of it.

“Damn, bro,” Amir laughed. “Let’s go before she catches you drooling.”

“I—I wasn’t,” I stammered, blinking. “Did you—did you see that?”

Amir rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, Adrien. Kaia’s hot. Everyone with eyes has figured that out by now. You done?”

I hesitated, trying to steal one last glance before he dragged me toward the building.

And for a second, I swore Kaia was looking right at us.

No—looking right at me.

Smirking.

Fuck.

I stumbled after Amir, my head a complete mess and my body still recovering from whatever the hell that moment did to me.

Confused?

Yeah.

Turned on?

Hell yes.

**OoO**

After class, I shoved my books into my bag and headed out of the hall, stretching my arms overhead with a yawn that felt like it could crack my jaw.

That’s when my phone started blowing up with texts.

I glanced down. Evelyn.

I groaned out loud, dragging a hand down my face.

Shit.

I’d completely forgotten about texting her back. She wanted to hang out today—or something like that. I didn’t even read her last text properly. 

Too wrapped up in Kaia. 

The girl I used to chase like she was the prize I couldn’t win had finally made time for me, and now? I felt nothing.

No thrill. No nerves. Just... dead space.

I stuffed my phone back into my pocket without replying.

And that’s when I looked up—and saw her again.

Kaia.

She’d just walked into the hall with two other girls, laughing about something, and I swear I felt the floor tilt a little. She wasn’t wearing the oversized hoodie anymore. 

Just a tight little top that hugged her figure way too well and those black leggings that made it hard to look away. Her hoodie was tied around her waist, swaying with every step.

I didn’t waste a second. My legs moved before I could think twice.

“Hey,” I said, approaching her.

Her friends smirked knowingly and stepped aside, leaving us alone as Kaia narrowed her eyes at me. 

“Hi,” she replied, stiff and guarded.

I nodded toward her. 

“So… did you enjoy your little workout outside this morning?”

She scoffed. 

“What do you know about working out?”

I grinned and grabbed the hem of my shirt, lifting it just enough to flash my abs. 

“Pretty much everything.”

Her eyes dipped—only for a second—but I caught it. Every guy would. I dropped my shirt and smirked.

She rolled her eyes. 

“Show off,” she muttered, brushing past me.

I turned and walked with her. 

“You doing anything this weekend?”

She glanced at me. “Why?”

“The ice rink’s free for the rest of the week,” I said casually. “Thought maybe I could teach you how to skate. Since, you know, you kind of suck.”

She suddenly stopped and turned around to face me. 

“Why do you wanna do that for me?”

I shrugged, leaning against the wall like it wasn’t a big deal. 

“Because you suck,” I repeated, half-grinning.

She glared at me. 

“Why are you acting nice all of a sudden?”

“What do you mean?” I scoffed.

“You’re not usually… this nice,” she said, squinting like she was trying to figure me out.

“So is that a yes then?” I asked.

But before she could reply, her phone started ringing.

I glanced down at the screen before she could tilt it away.

Callum.

My jaw locked tight.

Right then, my phone started ringing too. I looked at it.

Evelyn

Of course.

We both looked up at the same time, eyes locking. Hers uneasy. Mine, probably pissed.

“You should answer that,” she said, her voice different now. A little more distant.

“You too,” I replied, my eyes flicking to her screen. Same tone. Same distance.

And just like that, we both turned and walked away.

My grip on my phone tightened, and I didn’t even bother answering. I shoved it into my pocket and exhaled slowly.

No matter what I did to get two meters closer to Kaia, something always pulled us ten meters back.

And at this point?

It was frustrating as fuck.