Chapter 31

Pov: Nathan

When I woke up the air felt like it was carrying the awkwardness from the day before. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, trying to piece together why the hell my sleep had been so shitty. Something about Jules had been off yesterday, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I propped myself up on one elbow and glanced at her side of the room. She was moving around quietly, grabbing her things with a kind of urgency that made it clear she didn't want to talk. Her back was turned to me, shoulders stiff as she stuffed a notebook into her bag. Normally, she'd at least throw a quick "good morning" in my direction, but today? Nothing. Not even a glance.

What's her deal? I thought, running a hand through my hair. I wanted to ignore it—Jules being awkward wasn't exactly new—but this felt different. It gnawed at me, and I fucking hated that I cared enough to notice.

While she disappeared into the hallway, I sat up fully and stretched. My eyes wandered to her desk, where her sketchbook lay open. I shouldn't have looked, but the bold scrawl of "Talon" written in the corner of a page caught my attention. My name.

I froze. What the hell was she writing about me? My hand hovered over the book, the temptation to flip through it overwhelming. But something stopped me. Instead, I shut the sketchbook and walked back to my side of the room, feeling uneasy.

Why do you even care, Talon? I thought, shaking my head.

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The café was buzzing, but Finn's obnoxious energy somehow stood out above the rest. He was lounging in his usual spot, a coffee cup in one hand and his phone in the other. When he saw me, his smirk widened, and I immediately regretted coming here.

"Rough morning?" he asked, raising his cup in mock sympathy. "Or did your roommate finally decide to poison you in your sleep?"

"Hilarious," I muttered, leaning against the wall beside him.

Finn's eyes narrowed as he studied me. "Let me guess... Jules? You're way too grumpy for this to be about anything else."

"She's just... weird today. More than usual," I admitted, immediately regretting the honesty.

Finn's grin widened. "Weird how? Like, weird-weird or I-make-you-feel-things weird?"

"Shut up," I snapped, glaring at him.

He leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Maybe she's stressed. Or maybe... she's writing love letters about you in that little notebook of hers."

I rolled my eyes. "She barely tolerates me, Finn. Stop making shit up."

"Right," he said, drawing the word out. "Because 'barely tolerates' totally explains why she always sneaks those glances at you when she thinks no one's looking."

I didn't dignify that with a response, but the comment stuck with me longer than I wanted to admit.

"Anyway," Finn continued, leaning back in his chair "you've got that broody look again. When are you going to stop pretending you don't care about her?"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You're relentless, you know that?"

"It's one of my many charms," Finn said with a mock bow. "Seriously, though, when's the last time you had fun, man? Like actual fun? Drinking doesn't count."

"Define fun," I said dryly, crossing my arms.

"I don't know—going out, hooking up, doing something that doesn't involve sitting in your dorm and scowling at the walls?" Finn raised an eyebrow. "You're turning into a munk."

"If you must know, it was a few weeks ago," I said with a groan. "Before you get too smug about it, it was right after Jules got here."

Finn's smirk grew impossibly wider. "Right after she got here? Well, that's interesting timing."

"Shut up," I muttered, but the heat creeping up my neck betrayed my irritation. "Not everything's a conspiracy theory."

"If you say so," Finn said with a shrug. "But I'm just saying, maybe you're due for something real. Ever think about that?"

"I think about how much better my life would be if you stopped talking," I shot back, though there was no real bite in my voice.

Finn laughed, a loud, carefree sound that made a few heads turn. "Fair enough. But seriously, man, you've been more tolerable since she showed up. Less... Talon-y." He made air quotes with his fingers.

"Less Talon-y?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Oh, you know," Finn said, smirking. "Less brooding, less antisocial, and maybe... just maybe... more human. You should thank her."

"You're delusional," I muttered, but I couldn't quite shake the faint smirk tugging at my lips. Finn was a pain in the ass, but moments like this reminded me why I kept him around.

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Later that day, I was walking past the library when I overheard a group of students gossiping. Normally, I'd tune that shit out, but a familiar name stopped me in my tracks.

"Wilder?" one of them said, snickering. "Yeah, her parents were... weird. Remember Parent Day? The way they barely talked to anyone or even Jules?"

Another voice chimed in. "Totally. And Jules wasn't exactly Miss Sunshine that day either. It was fucking weird."

Wilder. I frowned, the name tugging at a distant memory. My dad had said it once, years ago, during one of his rare attempts at a conversation.

Something about the Wilders and "burning bridges with old allies." The details were murky, but the name stuck.

I kept walking but couldn't shake the conversation. Does my father know Jules' family?

The thought simmered in the back of my mind as I replayed snippets of that vague memory. Dad's tone had been sharp, almost bitter, like the Wilders had been a sore spot for him. And yet, it wouldn't make sense—they don't even live close to my family.

I shoved my hands into my pockets, frustration building. Whatever the connection was, it didn't sit right with me. And knowing Dad, he'd never give me a straight answer even if I asked.

Maybe it's other people that are also named Wilder. The last name isn't that uncommen right?

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The library was quietl, but the sound of Jules' pen scratching furiously against paper broke the silence. She was hunched over her notebook at a corner table, her grip on the pen so tight it looked like she might snap it in half.

I approached slowly, sliding into the seat across from her. "You look like you're plotting someone's murder," I said.

She jumped, her pen pausing mid-stroke. Her laugh was forced, and she didn't meet my eyes. "Maybe I am."

I leaned back, crossing my arms. "Hope it's not me."

Jules shrugged but didn't respond, her head tilting down again. The dark circles under her eyes caught my attention. "You look like you haven't slept in days," I said, my tone softer this time.

"I'm fine," she muttered, her voice clipped.

I studied her for a moment, debating whether to push. Instead, I gestured toward her notebook. "What are you working on?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, snapping it shut. Her defensiveness was a brick wall, and I wasn't in the mood to scale it.

"Whatever you say," I replied, standing up. As I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd missed something.

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That night, the dorm was quiet again, but my thoughts were anything but. Jules was fidgeting on her side of the room, her gaze darting repeatedly to her desk—specifically one drawer. Her fingers twitched, like she was debating whether to open it, but every time she moved, she seemed to think better of it.

"You're gonna burn a hole in that drawer if you keep staring at it," I said, leaning against my bedframe.

She jumped, her face flushing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I raised an eyebrow but didn't press. "Right. Because you're totally not looking at it like it's about to grow legs and walk away."

"Just drop it, okay?" she snapped, her tone sharper than usual. The sudden bite in her voice caught me off guard, but it only made me more curious.

I shrugged, holding up my hands. "Fine. None of my business." I grabbed my own notebook, flipping it open and pretending to sketch while stealing occasional glances at her. Jules sat down on her bed, clutching her phone like it was some kind of lifeline, her eyes flicking nervously between the screen and the drawer.

She was hiding something, and the urge to pry was growing stronger with every passing second. But bit my tongue and kept quiet.

What the hell are you keeping in there, Jules?

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A/N

OK SOOO I might just love Finn and Nathan. The bromance UGH YES Ma'am.

That damn drawer...

I don't know how often I can upload new chapters since school starts soon again. But I'll do my best!

Love you all lots! <3