Chapter 29: Chapter Twenty nine

Vivian's Pov.

I could practically feel the heavy weight of his gaze pressing into my back, almost like a physical force, impossible to ignore and completely undeniable.

Kade.

It was definitely him.

Honestly, he had this bizarre talent for looking at me in a way that sent shivers racing along my skin, like the little electric jolts you get when you accidentally touch a doorknob after shuffling your feet on a carpet.

It was a mix of unsettling and oddly thrilling all at once, like standing on the edge of a diving board, heart racing with excitement and fear.

Desperate to shake off the intensity that was crawling up my spine, I kept my chin tucked low, pretending to focus on my desk cluttered with half-torn papers and pen caps while trying my hardest to jot down notes.

But in reality, my thoughts were spiraling out of control, running wild like kids at a playground who'd just had way too much sugar.

The letters in my notebook began to blur together, swirling into a chaotic mess of squiggles that made absolutely no sense—definitely not anything that resembled a coherent thought.

I felt like I was a million miles away from the actual lesson, caught in this whirlwind of questions that kept circling through my mind, far too distracting to allow me to focus on anything remotely important.

Why was he staring at me, anyway?

Did he have any idea about Scott? How could he possibly know? Had he pieced things together like a detective on a case?

And the biggest question of all: what in the world did he still want from me?

My mind was racing like a car stuck in a high-speed chase, and as I flipped to the back of my notebook, my pencil began moving almost of its own accord. I didn’t even have to think about it; it was like my hand was following a script that I didn’t even know existed.

I needed to keep my mind occupied, keep it busy so I wouldn’t get completely lost in those dark thoughts about Kade.

The lines flowed easily under the pressure of my pencil, curves merging together and shadows blending seamlessly into one another.

And when I finally paused to take a breather and glance down at what I’d created, I swear my heart nearly shot out of my chest.

It was …oh my days. It was him.

There he was, perfectly captured in graphite—or whatever the right term for pencil drawings is. I should probably know that considering how long I've been in school, but who’s keeping track? And speaking of keeping track, sometimes I felt like scientists were making silly mistakes in their experiments, like they couldn't spot the obvious.

Anyway, damn, there was his sharp jawline, those unreadable eyes that could almost pierce through my soul, and that slight furrow in his brow that hinted at an intensity I just couldn't wrap my mind around.

Feeling a surge of frustration bubbling up inside me, I flipped to another blank page, determined to draw anything different—just about anything that wouldn’t morph into another Kade portrait. But as fate would have it, my pencil had its own agenda. Once again, I found myself sketching him.

I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the drawing I had created, captivated by the intensity in those eyes that seemed to look right through me, as if they were peeling back my layers and exposing everything I kept hidden.

I anxiously smudged the edge of the page with my thumb, almost wishing that by blurring those lines, I could also blur him from my mind.

Spoiler alert: spoiler alert: it didn’t work.

“Vivian.”

I barely registered the sound of the voice cutting through my thoughts.

“Vivian.”

Still nothing.

“Vivian!”

It was like being jolted awake from a daydream, and I finally lifted my head.

The sudden urgency in the voice made me flinch so hard that I almost sent my chair flying backward. Laughter erupted around me like confetti at a party, and I turned my head toward the front of the class, where Mr. Alden was peering down at me over the rims of his glasses, his expression one of mild annoyance mixed with a hint of amusement.

“Would you care to answer the question?” he asked, eyebrows raised, clearly having fun at my expense.

Great. Now even my teacher was mocking me.

I blinked, forcing myself to pull together my scattered thoughts. “Sorry, I—what was the question again please?”

More laughter followed, this time louder and even more boisterous. The heat rushed to my cheeks, creeping all the way up to my ears, feeling embarrassingly red.

“Never mind,” Mr. Alden sighed, shaking his head with a smirk as he turned back to the board, clearly deciding that my daydreams were more entertaining than whatever lesson he’d been trying to teach.

By the time lunch rolled around, the story of my little daydreaming incident had already spread like wildfire, Vivian the space cadet, too lost in her own thoughts to keep it real. I heard whispers follow me in the hallways, caught snatches of exaggerated retellings, and sensed the snickers echoing from behind lockers.

But honestly? I didn’t care. Not really.

Because all I could think about, the only thing that kept swirling around in my mind like a relentless storm, was him.

I turned the corner a bit too hastily, head down and lost in my thoughts once more, and before I knew it, I had tripped over the edge of someone’s bag. Time slowed; my books tumbled from my arms, and I gasped, bracing myself for the imminent fall—

—but I never hit the ground.

Strong hands wrapped around my arms, steadying me before I could topple over completely.

I looked up, heart racing in my chest.

Kade.

Of course it was him—who else would come to my rescue?

Our eyes locked in that moment, and it felt like the world around us came to a screeching halt.

“Careful,” he said, his voice low and calming. There was a steady intensity in his tone, as if the storm brewing in his gaze was teetering on the edge but somehow contained.

My heart thudded far too quickly for someone who had merely tripped over a bag.

But this wasn’t just a simple trip, was it?

Nothing about Kade, or my feelings for him, ever felt simple.