The walk back to campus was quieter than either of them had expected.
It was not awkward, nor was it uncomfortable—just quiet.
For once, Maya wasn’t walking several steps ahead of Carter, determined to reach her destination as quickly as possible.
And Carter, surprisingly, wasn’t filling every moment of silence with one of his usual jokes or unnecessary comments.
They walked beside each other beneath the soft glow of the campus lights, their footsteps echoing faintly against the empty pathway.
It was Stranger.
Normally, silence between them felt unimaginable.
Maya looked down at the sidewalk as she replayed their conversation from earlier.
The things Carter had admitted.
The uncertainty behind his words.
The pressure he carried beneath all his confidence and teasing.
She had spent weeks believing Carter Vance was nothing more than an arrogant athlete who relied on his charm and talent to get through life.
However, tonight she had witnessed a different side of him.
A side that made much less sense.
Because beneath the jokes and effortless smiles was someone who genuinely seemed lost.
For some reason, that troubled her.
“Maya.” His voice pulled her from her thoughts.
She cast a glance over at him.
Carter met her gaze while keeping his hands tucked inside his jacket pockets.
“You’ve been quiet for a while.”
Maya looked away again.
“I’m thinking.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“That sounds dangerous.”
She immediately frowned.
“Not everything I think is a problem.”
“I didn’t say it was.” Carter laughed softly.
“I just know you. Whenever you’re quiet, you’re usually analyzing something.”
Maya raised an eyebrow.
“You know me?”
The question came out before she could stop herself.
Carter looked slightly surprised before recovering with his usual confidence.
“I mean… enough to know that you’re probably analyzing this entire walk.”
“Maybe I am.”
“About?”
Maya glanced at him.
“How annoying you are.”
Carter grinned.
“See? Exactly what I expected.”
Despite herself, Maya nearly smiled.
She quickly looked away before he noticed.
The rest of the walk continued peacefully.
Neither of them tried to force a conversation, and strangely enough, the silence no longer felt uncomfortable.
By the time they reached the entrance of Maya’s dorm building, she stopped near the steps and adjusted the strap of her backpack.
Carter stopped as well.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, he cleared his throat.
“I’ll see you tomorrow for our session.”
Maya nodded.
Don’t be late.”
A familiar smile immediately returned to his face.
“That’s your goodbye?”
“Yes.”
“You could say something nice.”
“I could.”
Carter waited.
“But you won’t?”
“No.”
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Somehow, that answer didn’t surprise him.
“Goodnight, Maya.”
“Goodnight, Carter.”
For once, he didn’t argue; he turned and walked away.
Maya remained standing there for a few seconds, watching his figure disappear beneath the campus lights.
Only when he was already halfway down the path did she realize she was still staring.
She immediately looked away.
It didn’t mean anything.
Carter Vance was still Carter Vance, the same frustrating, overly confident hockey player who enjoyed annoying her at every opportunity.
Except…
He was also the person who had stayed outside the hospital for two hours to make sure she got home safely.
Maya frowned slightly.
That thought was inconvenient.
Very inconvenient.
Because it made it much harder to continue pretending he was simply an annoying classmate.
With a small sigh, she entered the dorm before she could think about it any further.
The moment Maya opened the door to her room, she immediately saw that Olivia was awake.
She was sitting comfortably on her bed, wearing an oversized shirt and black leggings while a show played quietly on the television.
A bowl of snacks rested beside her, and judging by the relaxed expression on her face, she had clearly been waiting for Maya to return.
Maya walked inside without saying anything.
She placed her backpack beside her desk.
Removed her shoes.
Organized her notebooks.
Every movement was calm and deliberate.
Unfortunately, Olivia was watching her.
Very closely.
Finally…
“Wow.”
Slowly, she turned around.
“What?”
Olivia smiled.
“Did Carter Vance just walk you home?”
Maya immediately looked away.
“Don’t start.”
Olivia sat up straighter.
“I knew it.”
“You knew nothing.”
“Maya.”
“No.”
“You walked home with him.”
“We were going in the same direction.”
Olivia stared at her.
“At midnight?”
Maya grabbed her pajamas from the closet.
“Yes.”
There was a moment of silence.
Then Olivia shook her head.
“Girl.”
Maya sighed.
“What?”
“Are you two actually getting close now?”
Maya looked at her as if she had suggested something completely ridiculous.
“Of course not.”
Olivia raised one eyebrow.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“So what are you?”
The answer came immediately.
“We are tutor and tutee.”
A slow smile spread across Olivia’s face.
“That is exactly what someone says when something is happening.”
“Nothing is happening.”
“Sure.”
Maya walked toward the bathroom.
“I mean it.”
“I believe you.”
Maya stopped at the doorway.
“You don’t.”
Olivia grinned.
“Nope.”
Maya shook her head before walking inside.
A few seconds later, Olivia’s voice followed her.
“By the way…”
Maya paused.
“What?”
“You’re smiling.”
Maya immediately looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Her expression was completely normal.
“I am not.”
Olivia laughed.
“You are.”
“I am not.”
“You literally just smiled.”
Maya closed the bathroom door.
She hated that Olivia noticed everything.
Across town, Carter finally arrived home.
The moment he opened the front door, he already knew he was in trouble.
Ethan was sitting on the couch with his arms crossed, staring at the time displayed on his phone.
The expression on his face said everything.
“Dude.”
Carter looked up.
“What?”
Ethan pointed at his phone.
“You said you were going to the party.”
Carter dropped his keys onto the counter.
“Yeah. I know.”
“It’s after one in the morning.”
“I can read a clock.”
Ethan stared at him.
“Then explain why you weren’t there.”
Carter opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water.
“I had something else to do.”
A loud laugh suddenly came from upstairs.
Carter looked up.
Dexter Hayes leaned against the railing, clearly enjoying the situation.
Unlike Ethan, Dexter was impossible to ignore.
Tall, confident, with long blond hair and bright blue eyes, he resembled someone who belonged on a magazine cover rather than standing in their kitchen at one in the morning.
“Wait.” Dexter looked between them.
“Are you telling me Carter Vance actually skipped a party?”
Ethan immediately pointed at him.
“Exactly.”
Dexter looked genuinely shocked.
Carter took a drink of water.
“I had something to do.”
Dexter’s grin slowly widened.
“No way.”
Carter frowned.
“What?”
“You skipped a party because of your tutor.” Said Ethan
Carter immediately looked away.
“No.”
Dexter laughed.
“Oh, Carter.”
He shook his head dramatically.
“You naughty boy.”
“Shut up.”
Ethan started laughing.
“The funniest part isn’t even that you’re studying.”
He pointed at Carter.
“It’s that you actually chose staying with her rather than going to a party.”
“It’s not like that.”
Dexter raised an eyebrow.
“Then what is it like?”
Carter opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
That annoyed him more than anything else, because he truly didn’t know.
“It’s called being a gentleman.” A girl came out of Dexter’s room in his shirt and shorts.
“I don’t know who you are, but you’re right.” Carter grabbed his jacket and walked up the stairs and headed toward his room.
The next afternoon, Maya walked across campus with Olivia beside her.
The weather was warm, and students filled the courtyard between classes.
Some sat beneath the trees studying, others gathered in groups talking about weekend plans.
Maya held her notebook in one hand while reviewing her notes from the morning lecture.
Olivia glanced sideways before shaking her head with a laugh.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who studies while walking.”
“It saves time,” Maya replied without looking up.
“It also increases your chances of walking into a tree.”
“I know where the trees are.”
“One day,” Olivia sighed dramatically, “I’m going to watch you walk straight into a fountain.”
“You’d probably laugh.”
“I absolutely would.”
Before Maya could respond, a familiar voice interrupted them.
“Hey, Maya.”
Maya looked up.
Ryan stood in front of her, the basketball player from the café.
“Hi,” Maya replied politely.
Beside her, Olivia immediately looked interested.
Ryan smiled.
“I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute.”
Maya glanced toward Olivia, her expression instantly shifting.
Excitement, curiosity, and amusement were all reflected on her face—everything Maya disliked.
With a sigh, she replied, “Sure.”
Ryan looked at Olivia.
“I’ll steal her for a second.”
Olivia smiled brightly.
“Take your time.”
Maya immediately looked at her.Olivia.”
“What? I’m being supportive.”
Maya shook her head.
The two of them walked a short distance away from the busy pathway until they reached one of the benches overlooking the central fountain.
Around them, students continued moving across campus, completely unaware of the conversation about to unfold.
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck before letting out a small laugh.
“This is probably going to sound strange.”
Maya waited patiently.
“So…”
Neither of them noticed someone watching from across the courtyard.
Carter stood beside Ethan, holding his drink while his attention remained fixed on Maya.
His expression was impossible to read.
Ethan followed his gaze, then slowly smiled.
“Oh no.”
Carter looked at him.
“What?”
“Ryan is trying to take away your tutor,” said Ethan
Carter frowned.
“What are you talking about? I didn’t even notice them”
“Really?”
“Yes, really”
“So why do you look bothered?”
“I’m not.”
Ethan smiled.
“Okay.”
Carter looked away, unable to shake the strange feeling settling in his chest.
It wasn’t jealousy—he was sure of that.
After all, Maya wasn’t his girlfriend, nor was she even a friend.
She was simply his tutor.
That was all.
So why did it bother him to see Ryan standing beside her?
Why did he suddenly feel the urge to know what they were talking about?
And why did it feel like he was losing something—something he had never actually possessed?