Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve
The campus felt unusually dull that morning.
Maybe it was the weather, the sun refusing to show itself leaving the grey sky or maybe it was just her mood.
Everything seemed slower.
She tried to blend into that chaos, to look busy, normal. But her mind wasn’t on her textbooks. It hadn’t been in days.
She slid into an empty table by the windows and opened her textbook, flipping through pages without really reading. The air carried the familiar mix of coffee, paper, and the low hum of stressed students—a smell that usually grounded her—but today, it couldn’t keep her mind from drifting back to him.
Leon.
He hadn’t reached out since that night. No calls. No explanations. Nothing.
And that, somehow, hurt worse than anger would have.
She tried to focus on her notes, dragging her highlighter across lines she wasn’t really reading—just something to keep her hands busy. But the words wouldn’t stick. They just went pass her view like they meant nothing. She had tried to let go of the thoughts, but her heart and mind were still stuck on him.
The sound of a familiar voice broke her train of thoughts.
“Hey, Mark. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Her stomach dropped. That voice.
Felicity froze, her pen stilled mid-sentence. Slowly, she turned towards the door.
There he was. Leon.
He stood just inside the library, in a simple grey hoodie and jeans, his headphones hanging around his neck.
His usual confidence was still there, but quieter—something more worn around the edges.
Seeing him made her breath hitch before she could stop herself.
He saw her almost instantly. He hesitated mid-step, and for a brief moment, he paused, they just stared at each other.
The sounds of the library—the shuffles of papers, the soft clicks of keyboards, the low murmurs—seemed to fade away until it felt like they were the only two people in the room.
Then he walked towards her table.
Her heartbreak picked up, but she tried to steady her breathing. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention—or to face whatever this moment was turning into.
He took a seat with care, as if he was unsure if she really wanted him to sit there. For a while neither of them spoke.
He looked worn out, in a way that went beyond just exhaustion, like someone carrying a weight on their shoulders.
“I didn’t believe I’d see you here…though I hoped I would.” He said finally, his voice quiet.
“It’s exam season” she replied, eyes still fixed on her books. “Everyone is here.”
He let out a short hollow laugh that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Right.”
Another stretch of silence followed.
“Felicity…” he began, his soft voice.
“Don’t” she said quickly. The word came sharper than she meant, but she didn’t take it back. “Don’t start.”
He hesitated. “I just wanted to talk.”
“About what?” she asked, finally meeting his eyes. “About her?”
He looked down, jaw tight.
She let out a shaky breath, forcing herself to stay calm. “You could have told me, Leon. You didn’t have to wait till I found out.”
“It wasn’t like that.” He said quietly.
“Then how was it?” her voice trembled, but she didn’t stop. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks exactly like you disappeared the second she came back around.”
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” He said. “Things with Charity got…complicated.”
“They always do,” she muttered, more to herself than him.
He leaned forward slightly, his tone lower now. “You think I wanted this? You think I don’t hate every second of it?”
She shook her head, closing her books. “Leon, I don’t know what to think anymore. You say one thing, but everything around you says another. And I’m tired of guessing which version is real.”
He didn’t answer. He just looked at her, his expression unreadable, but his eyes—they told the truth his mouth never did. Guilt. Regret. Something close to fear.
Felicity swallowed hard. “You know what hurts the most?” she said quietly. “That even after everything, I still waited for you to explain.”
Leon opened his mouth, but she held up a hand.
“No” she said. “You don’t get to disappear, then show up when it’s convenient. I’m not one of your secrets Leon.”
“I never meant for you to be,” he said, his voice rough.
“Then stop treating me like one” she shot back, sharp and steady.
He looked at her—truly looked—and for a moment, he didn’t know what else to say.
“I miss you” he whispered with a soft voice.
Her throat constricted. She wanted to respond, to admit she missed him too—but she couldn’t give him that satisfaction. Not this time. She couldn’t hand over that power again.
“You shouldn’t” she whispered instead.
“Felicity—“
“Don’t.” she stood, gathering her things. “You’ve got too much going on Leon, I don’t even know where I fit into all this and I can’t keep waiting to find out.”
He didn’t try to convince her this time around. He just nodded.
“I’ll fix this” he said, voice barely over a whisper.
She stopped for a moment. “Don’t promise me anything, just do better.” She said.
And with that, she took her things and walked away, leaving him at the table.
Leon stayed a while, staring at the empty since she was sat at a minute ago.
Outside, students laughed, running between classes, their voices bright and distant. The world kept moving.
But for him, everything had gone still.