Thin Veil of Pretense

Thin Veil of Pretense
The hallway lights flickered above Lena’s head as she stepped out of Lily and Maya’s dorm room. 

Her legs felt like lead, her mind clouded by exhaustion and seething irritation. 

The evening had been spent in the presence of people whose mere voices scraped against her patience like sandpaper. 

She exhaled a slow, trembling breath as the door clicked shut behind her.

Lena pressed her phone to her ear, pacing a few steps toward her room. 

Ethan’s name glowed on her screen. 

The dial tone buzzed on and on until it cut to voicemail. She hung up before it could connect. 

Her thumb hovered above the call icon, but she let out a frustrated sigh instead of redialing.

“Pick up, damn it,” she muttered under her breath, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. 

The icy knot in her chest tightened. She needed his voice. She needed something to ground her, but he was nowhere to be found.

She slipped her phone into the pocket of her pants. 

Just one more hallway and she wod reach the sanctuary of her room. One more—

A door swung open behind her with a loud creak, startling her. She turned sharply to see Eliza standing on the threshold of Lily and Maya’s room. 

Eliza’s usually soft, unassuming eyes were narrowed, her lips pressed into a hard line.

“Lena,” Eliza called, her voice trembling but loud enough to echo faintly against the dorm walls.

Lena raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. 

“Eliza. Shouldn’t you be inside with your friends?”

“I should,” Eliza said, stepping fully into the hallway. She shut the door with a definitive thud that resonated with her newfound boldness. “But I can’t pretend anymore.”

“Pretend?” Lena repeated, tilting her head, a bemused smirk playing on her lips. “That’s a big word for you.”

Eliza’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t back down. 

“I don’t buy your act anymore,” she snapped. “The way you act so sweet around them—around everyone—but I’ve seen how you look at people when they’re not paying attention. How your eyes go cold.”

A flicker of surprise passed through Lena, but she kept her face relaxed, half-amused, half-dismissive. 

“You’ve been watching me?” she asked, her voice low, almost teasing.

“Don’t twist my words!” Eliza barked, her voice cracking under the strain of anger. She swallowed hard and took a step closer. “You pretend to care. But you don’t. I don’t know what your game is, but I’m going to find out.”

For a moment, Lena considered simply walking away. But curiosity rooted her feet to the floor. 

She looked Eliza up and down, from her trembling hands to her defiant eyes. It was almost cute how the timid mouse had found a spine.

“You’re brave tonight,” Lena said softly, stepping forward until she was close enough to smell the faint floral perfume clinging to Eliza’s sweater. “But bravery without evidence is just stupidity.”

Eliza’s breath hitched.

Lena reached up to gently tap Eliza’s chin with one perfectly manicured finger. 

“Be careful, Eliza,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “You wouldn’t want to make an enemy of me without proof. That would make you look... paranoid.”

Eliza’s eyes darted to the floor. 

For a heartbeat, Lena almost thought she had broken her resolve—but Eliza looked up again, fire still burning bright. 

“I don’t need proof. I know what I see. And I know what you are.”

Lena let out a soft, musical laugh. 

“I’m so glad you think you do,” she said sweetly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to get some rest.”

She stepped past Eliza without another glance, but she felt Eliza’s eyes boring into her back, searing with suspicion. 

It made her skin prickle. 

She knew Eliza wouldn’t let this go. She knew that soon, Eliza would become a problem. And problems had to be taken care of—eventually.

She rounded the corner of the corridor and exhaled shakily. 

Her hands were trembling, a mixture of adrenaline and fury flooding her veins. 

Eliza’s words had felt like icy claws scraping at her mask, threatening to pull it away.

A sudden figure appeared at the end of the hallway, moving quickly toward her.

“Lena!” Aiden called, relief flooding his voice.

She stopped short, blinking as he came into focus. 

His hair was tousled, his eyes wide with worry. His phone was still clutched in one hand, screen bright with dozens of unanswered texts—her name filling every line.

“Aiden…” she started, but he closed the distance in three long strides.

“Where have you been?” he asked breathlessly. His voice cracked with the strain of anxiety. “I called you all night. I texted you this morning. I thought—” He cut himself off, his eyes scanning her face as if looking for signs of injury.

“I’m fine,” Lena said quickly, her voice flat. She pulled her gaze away, staring at the peeling paint on the wall. “I was… busy.”

“Busy?” he echoed incredulously, voice tinged with hurt. “Lena, I thought you were dead or something! You can’t just disappear like that.”

Her eyes snapped back to his, flashing with irritation. 

“I said I’m fine,” she repeated sharply. She ran a hand through her hair, the strands tangling in her trembling fingers. “I just… I needed time alone.”

Aiden’s expression softened, the lines of anger smoothing into concern. He reached out tentatively, placing his hand on her shoulder. 

“Is it something you want to talk about?” he asked, voice gentle.

She shook her head violently. 

“No. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about it. I just want…” Her voice broke. 

She looked away, blinking rapidly to clear the wetness gathering in her eyes.

Aiden’s hand slid down her arm, warm and steady. 

“Do you want a hug?” he asked softly.

She hesitated, her throat tight. For a heartbeat, she wanted to snap at him. To push him away like everyone else. But instead, something inside her cracked. 

She stepped into his arms, pressing her face against his chest.

He hugged her tightly, his arms wrapping around her like a shield against the world. 

She could feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the warmth of his body sinking into her cold skin.

In that moment, the shadows of her rage and fear receded, replaced by an unfamiliar calm. 

The storm inside her went quiet, if only for a moment.

Aiden’s voice rumbled softly above her head. 

“I was so scared, Lena. Don’t do that to me again.”

She clung to him, her hands fisting the back of his shirt. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, the words tasting foreign and bitter on her tongue. 

But as the silence stretched between them, his heartbeat strong against her cheek, she felt—strangely—at peace.

For the first time in what felt like forever.