Chapter 14 14
Kimberly’s POV
My voice came out steadier than I felt, though my chest was still disoriented from everything that had just happened in the hall. The noise from the assembly had faded behind the doors, yet the tension hadn’t followed it out.
Julian didn’t interrupt. He didn’t rush me either. He stood there, giving me his full attention in a way that made it harder to back down now that I had started.
I lifted my chin slightly. “No more lies.”
A faint shift crossed his expression, more like he had expected that one. Good. He should have.
“And no more cold responses when I ask something important,” I continued, keeping my gaze locked on his. “If I ask you something, I expect an actual answer. I don't want a deflection.”
He remained quiet, letting me finish, and that alone told me he was taking this seriously.
I inhaled once, then added the last part, slower this time. “And no more sex.”
The words felt heavier coming out than they should have. Heat rose to my face immediately, traitorous and uncontrollable. I hated that it showed, hated that he could see it, but I didn’t look away.
Those were my rules. The hallway stayed empty. Even the distant noise from other students felt far removed, like it belonged to another place entirely.
Then Julian nodded once. “Fine.”
That should have eased something in me, yet it didn’t. If anything, it made me more aware of him, of how easily he accepted it, like he had already made his own decisions before I even spoke.
I crossed my arms. “That was fast.”
“You expected my refusal or something?”
“I am not entirely sure but yes.”
“You won’t get it.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
That answer sat wrong in a way I couldn’t explain, and before I could question it, he stepped closer.
I frowned. “What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer.That familiar irritation sparked immediately. “Julian.”
He kept moving until the space between us thinned to almost nothing, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him without contact. My back straightened on instinct, tension pulling through my shoulders.
“What are you doing?” I asked again, quieter this time, my voice lowering without permission.
His gaze dropped slightly. My pulse picked up.
“If you’re about to break one of those rules already—”
“Shhh, I’m not.”
His voice came out low, steady, far too calm for how close he was. I pressed, even though part of me already knew he wouldn’t let go.
The awkwardness stretched, filled with something heavier than words. My breath slowed, then caught again as I realized I hadn’t moved either. I should have stepped back. I should have created distance, reminded both of us where the line was.
His presence held me in place, everything faded out. Footsteps echoed down the hallway.
I didn’t react immediately. Neither did he,The moment stayed exactly as it was charged, until the group rounded the corner and walked straight into the scene we hadn’t broken.
Three girls. Two guys. Their expressions shifted almost instantly from casual conversation to interest, then to something far more entertained than it should have been.
“Oh—”
“Wait… is that them?”
“They actually so cute”
A soft laugh followed, light and teasing. “They look really good together.”
My brows pulled together. Good?
Another voice chimed in, quieter but no less amused. “I thought it was fake, but now…”
“Okay, we’re leaving,” one of the guys cut in, raising his hands slightly as he grinned. “We’ll give you two some privacy.”
That made it worse.
“Shut up,” one of the girls whispered, though she was smiling as she nudged him forward.
They moved past us, still glancing back, their voices dropping into softer whispers as they disappeared down the hallway. Yet it didn’t feel the same.
Because now there was an image attached to it, what they saw, what it looked like, what it suggested and none of it matched the rules I had just laid down.
I became aware of everything again all at once. It didn’t make sense.
I pulled back first, creating space between us, even though part of me felt reluctant to do it.
I ignored that part.
“What was that?” I asked, folding my arms again, grounding myself.
Julian didn’t shift. His composure had returned, almost too quickly.
“I heard them coming.”
I stared at him. “That’s why you stayed like that?”
His posture shifted, slight but noticeable. His shoulders tightened, and the steady presence he carried faltered in a way I hadn’t seen before.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my tone shifting immediately.
“I’m fine.” The answer came too quickly.
“You don’t look fine.”
“I said—” He stopped. His hand lifted, pressing lightly against the wall beside him. My stomach dropped.
“Julian?”
He exhaled slowly, like he was trying to steady himself, though it didn’t fully work. The control he always held so tightly slipped just enough for me to see it.
I stepped closer without thinking. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Stop doing that,” I said, sharper now. “You’re clearly not okay.”
His hand moved from the wall to my arm, gripping lightly, not to pull me closer, more like he needed something solid to hold onto.
The contact sent a strange sensation through."What's wrong with you?” I asked, quieter now, more focused.
“I just… feel off.”
His grip tightened slightly, not painful, though enough to show he wasn’t steady, that scared me,“Julian,” I said, my voice lowering, my attention fixed entirely on him now. “Talk to me.”
He looked at me then, fully, and for a brief moment, there was no distance, no walls, nothing held back in that look.
“I feel… weak,” he admitted.
My chest tightened slightly. “Since when?”
He didn’t answer immediately, his focus shifting for a second like he was trying to figure that out himself.
“I don’t know.”
That made it worse. I held his arm now, steadying him without thinking, ignoring the way that same strange feeling flickered again under my skin.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I asked.
His gaze returned to mine, sharper now, though not fully recovered.
“This shouldn’t be happening, I haven't felt this way in a while.”
Immediately he said those words, he groaned in pain, “I need to leave now, go home.” then he turned to leave. Leaving me standing alone in the class room.