Chapter 15

Pov: Nathan

The morning sunlight sliced through the blinds, warming up the room just enough to make it uncomfortable. Jules had already taken off, and the room was quieter without her shuffling around. The smell of her perfume still hung faintly in the air, and I found myself glancing at her side of the room.

Her bed was made—neater than mine but not by much. She'd left a hoodie tossed over her chair, and her desk was filled with little signs of her personality—books stacked in a way that told me she used them often, some random doodles on an open page of her notebook. The sketches were... not bad, actually. I didn't peg her for someone who drew.

I sipped my tea, letting the warmth seep through the mug into my hands, and looked away. It wasn't like I cared about what she did. Just curious, maybe. It was weird, living with someone without really knowing a damn thing about them.

My own desk looked like a junkyard compared to hers. Somewhere under the mess was my sketchbook. Drawing had always been my way of tuning everything out—something I kept for myself. No one needed to know about it, especially not her.

---

The cafeteria at lunchtime was its usual level of chaos, which suited me just fine. I grabbed my tray and headed for the spot I shared with Finn, sliding in across from him as he waved his arms dramatically, halfway through some story about Eric's latest mishap.

"So there I am, trying to stop Eric from getting himself killed, and the idiot just *dives* into the bushes," Finn said, almost knocking over his drink in his excitement.

"Sounds like Eric," I replied, taking a bite of my apple.

Finn laughed, nodding. "Man, sometimes I think he's got a death wish or something."

I let my gaze drift across the cafeteria, scanning the familiar faces. Jules was sitting with Harper and a couple of other girls. She looked... okay, I guessed. A bit out of place but not completely lost. She had her headphones slung around her neck, fiddling with her fork while the other girls talked.

Finn followed my gaze and smirked. "Keeping an eye on the roomie, huh?"

I shrugged, looking back at him. "Just making sure she's not dying or something."

"Right, right. Gotta protect the innocent from the wolves of Evergreen," Finn said, grinning. "Though honestly, she seems tougher than she looks. Not like Chloe."

"Chloe's Chloe," I muttered, taking another sip of my tea.

"Speaking of," Finn continued, his grin widening, "she was looking for you earlier. Wanted to, uh, catch up.

"Not interested," I replied, shaking my head.

"Yeah, sure," Finn said, clearly not believing a word of it.

A tray clattered onto the table next to us, and Jackson sat down, that usual cocky smile plastered on his face. "Yo, Nathan," he said, ignoring Finn entirely. "How's life with your new roommate? Heard she's a real... quiet type."

I barely looked up from my tray. "Why do you care?"

Jackson shrugged, still grinning. "I mean, it's weird, right? A girl in the guys' dorm. People are talking."

"They always talk," I said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice.

Jackson ignored it. "She's cute, though. Kinda artsy in that shy way. She yours, or can I take a swing?"

I shot him a glare, my fingers tightening around my tea cup. "Shut it, Jackson."

He raised his hands in mock surrender, a smug smile still on his face. "Alright, man, chill. Just saying."

I glared at him for another second before turning my attention back to Finn, who wisely changed the subject, something about the soccer game this weekend. I tuned in just enough to nod at the right parts, but Jackson's comment still lingered in the back of my mind like a mosquito that wouldn't go away.

---

After classes, I was heading across the quad when I spotted Jules. And, of course, Chloe.

Jules was standing there, her arms crossed tight over her chest, and even from a distance, I could tell she was about one more insult away from snapping. Chloe had that fake-friendly smile on her face—the kind she always wore when she was really enjoying tearing someone down.

I slowed my pace, watching from a distance, my instincts already telling me this wasn't going to be good.

"Don't take it personally," Chloe was saying, her voice dripping with condescension. "I mean, you're just... not really the type Nathan goes for. Trust me, I'd know."

Jules stiffened, her jaw setting as she clenched her arms tighter. Her expression was stone-cold, but I could see the way her eyes flickered, like she was trying to keep something at bay. "I can handle myself, thanks."

Chloe laughed, a harsh, sharp sound that echoed through the quad. "Oh, I bet you think you can. But here's the thing—you're new, and you don't get how things work around here. Nathan? He's not the type who cares about people like you." She leaned closer, her smile widening. "He doesn't stick around, and you're just going to end up hurt. Honestly, you should probably save yourself the trouble and stay out of his way."

Jules' expression didn't change, but something in her eyes cracked. I watched as her knuckles turned white, her fingers gripping her arms like they were the only things keeping her steady. She didn't say anything, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Chloe wasn't done. She tilted her head, her voice dropping to something softer, almost pitying. "I mean, come on. You saw me on his bed, didn't you? Last week? I know you walked in. He doesn't exactly do 'relationships,' and if you think he'll be anything different with you... well, you're fooling yourself, sweetie."

Jules' face drained of color, and she blinked hard, her eyes glistening as she looked away, refusing to let Chloe see whatever was breaking inside her. But it was obvious to me, even from where I stood. Her whole body seemed to shrink, her shoulders pulling inward, like she was trying to fold into herself and disappear.

I felt something snap in me. I was done watching this.

"Chloe," I called out, striding over, my voice like ice.

She turned, her expression lighting up for a second—until she saw the look on my face. "Nathan! I was just—"

"Leave her alone," I said, cutting her off, my gaze fixed on hers, unflinching.

Chloe's smile faltered, and then her eyes narrowed, her expression twisting into something bitter. "I was just trying to help," she said, her voice losing its false sweetness.

"Yeah?" I stepped closer, my voice dropping. "I don't want your help. Just leave."

Chloe stared at me for a moment, her jaw clenching before she finally huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a dramatic flair. "Whatever," she muttered, turning and stalking off, her footsteps echoing sharply on the pavement.

I watched her go for a second before turning back to Jules. She still hadn't looked up. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, her face pale, her lips pressed so tight they were almost white. She seemed smaller somehow, like Chloe's words had stripped her of something, leaving her hollow.

"Jules," I started, taking a step toward her.

But she flinched, taking a step back, her arms still wrapped around herself. She shook her head, not looking at me. "Just... don't." Her voice cracked slightly, and she swallowed hard, blinking quickly as if trying to fight back tears.

I opened my mouth to say something, but she turned on her heel and walked away before I could, her pace quick and unsteady, like she just needed to get as far from here as possible. I watched her retreating figure, a strange mix of frustration and something heavier knotting in my chest.

I wasn't sure if I'd made it better or worse. I wasn't even sure what I was supposed to do. All I knew was that Chloe had cut deep, and whatever walls Jules had built were starting to show the cracks.

---

Back in the dorm that evening, the silence between us was thick, and not the comfortable kind. Jules moved around the room quietly, shoving things into drawers and unpacking a few books she'd picked up. She didn't have her usual headphones on, and the absence of music made the air feel heavier, like there was nothing to drown out the awkwardness.

I watched her from the corner of my eye as I dropped onto my bed, grabbing my sketchbook from the mess on my desk. I flipped it open, turning slightly so she couldn't see what I was doing—not that she seemed to care. She was hunched over her own notebook, her pen moving in quick, hard strokes that suggested she was venting something out on paper.

Her face was different from earlier. Tighter, eyes a little red at the edges, like she'd been trying to pull herself back together but hadn't quite succeeded yet. The tension from Chloe's words still clung to her, and I wasn't sure if stepping in had helped or just made it worse.

I started sketching without thinking, the pen scratching against the paper as the lines turned into the shape of a tree. The branches twisted and tangled, dark and reaching. I let my hand move on its own, trying to tune out the awkwardness in the room, trying to give her space. The last thing she needed was me making it worse by talking.

Jules kept scribbling, her focus unbroken, her eyes never leaving the page. She looked...different like this. Worn out, yeah, but also real. Not trying to put up a front or act tough. Just her, lost in whatever she was trying to get out of her head. It made me pause for a second, the urge to say something—anything—almost pushing its way up my throat. But I swallowed it down.

The silence wasn't comfortable, not exactly, but it wasn't unbearable either. It just was—two people trying to deal with their own crap in the same room. No words, no forced conversations, just... working through it.

Whatever that meant.

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A/N

AHHHHH I hate chloe. the girly where Jules got to know her private parts before learning her name... LOL

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