Chapter 22

Tilting her head, Vien couldn't help but raise a brow. Gabriela was heading in her direction, but the moment their eyes met, she abruptly turned around and walked the other way.

Clicking her tongue, Vien touched her chin thoughtfully. "Is she avoiding me?" she wondered, chuckling softly. She shrugged off the idea, convincing herself that Gabriela had probably just remembered something she'd forgotten.

The second time, however, Vien frowned. She rolled her eyes as she stepped into the hallway, only to see Gabriela hastily jog away, leaving her blinking in disbelief.

"What is her deal?" she muttered under her breath, leaning her elbow on the desk. Resting her chin on her hand, she absentmindedly tapped her pen against the open notebook in front of her.

"Who?"

The voice startled her, and she blinked, looking up to find her twin, Vera, smirking at her.

"No one. Just some idiot," Vien replied, laughing nervously.

Vera tilted her head, raising a brow. "You've got a weird vibe today," she remarked. "How are things going between you and Gabriela?"

Vien coughed, nearly choking on air. "What?" she blurted out, her voice a pitch too high.

Vera crossed her arms, leaning back with a knowing grin. "Now you're all defensive. That's not suspicious at all. You're the worst at hiding things, Vien."

Rolling her eyes, Vien clicked her tongue. "For the record, Vera, there's nothing going on between me and Gabriela." She stumbled over the name, her cheeks flushing.

"Really?" Vera's tone was laced with amusement. "Because I could've sworn I saw the two of you shopping for groceries together."

Vien's eyes widened, her face turning red. "You what? We weren't grocery shopping together! We just... ran into each other! That's all!" Her voice climbed higher with each word.

"Uh-huh." Vera nodded, clearly unconvinced. "Sure, Vien. But what about hopping into Gabriela's car afterward?"

"Fuck you!" Vien snapped, covering her face with both hands to hide her embarrassment.

Vera threw her head back, laughing. "Oh, sorry, sweetheart, but incest isn't really my thing," she teased, her grin wicked.

"You're impossible!" Vien hissed, her face burning.

Vera chuckled, leaning forward and resting her crossed arms on the desk. "You know, Vien," she began, her tone softening just slightly. "You keep bottling up your feelings like this, and one day, you're going to explode. Just saying."

"Shut up! I'm not—" Vien stopped mid-sentence, biting her lip. She groaned, burying her face in the desk. "Gosh, you're so annoying."

"So," Vera pressed, undeterred, "what's really going on?"

Vien let out a long sigh and straightened up, her face still flushed. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "We've been... seeing each other more lately. And, well, we're neighbors. Her house is literally right in front of mine. I see her almost every day and night." She let out a soft laugh.

"Really?" Vera leaned back, looking thoroughly entertained. "Wow. That must be fate."

"Fate my ass," Vien muttered, rolling her eyes. "I don't even know how to feel right now."

"I've been trying to avoid her," she continued, her voice tinged with frustration. "To push her away, because I don't want her to deal with the mess that I am. But..." She hesitated, her fingers fiddling with the corner of the notebook. "She still stays. She told me... even if I ruin her, she's not going anywhere."

Vera leaned forward, her interest clearly piqued. "That sounds... intense," she remarked, her tone softening. "So, what exactly are you afraid of, Vien? Ruining her? Or admitting how you really feel?"

Vien clenched her jaw, gripping the edge of the desk as she averted her gaze. "It's not that simple, Vera," she muttered. "I'm not... good at this. At letting people in. Especially someone like her. She's too good, too bright. She deserves someone who's not as messed up as I am."

Vera tilted her head, her expression turning thoughtful. "You're selling yourself short," she said gently. "You're not giving her—or yourself—enough credit. Maybe Gabriela's willing to take that chance with you because she sees something in you that you don't."

Vien scoffed, shaking her head. "You're making it sound like some kind of fairy tale. Life isn't that neat, Vera. People like me? We don't get happy endings."

Vera let out a soft laugh, leaning back in her chair. "You're such a drama queen," she teased. "Look, I know you've been through a lot, and yeah, you've got your baggage. But newsflash: everyone does. Gabriela clearly sees something in you worth staying for. Are you really going to keep pushing her away because you're scared?"

Vien remained silent, her fingers drumming nervously against the desk.

"You know," Vera continued, her tone growing more playful, "if you keep avoiding her like you've been doing, it's only going to make her chase you harder. And something tells me Gabriela's not the type to give up easily."

Vien let out a frustrated groan, burying her face in her hands. "You're impossible," she muttered. "Why are you always like this?"

"Because I'm your twin, and it's my job to call you out on your nonsense," Vera replied with a grin. "And also, because I want you to be happy, even if you're too stubborn to admit what you want."

Vien peeked at Vera through her fingers, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You're so annoying."

"And you're hopeless," Vera shot back, standing up and stretching. "But seriously, Vien, think about what I said. You've got something good in front of you. Don't let fear make you throw it away."

Vien glared at Gabriela's retreating back for the third time that day. That idiot! she hissed inwardly, finally accepting that Gabriela was indeed avoiding her. Irritation bubbled up inside her, and she clenched her jaw before storming into the Forensic Science Department, slamming the door behind her.

The loud thud drew startled looks from the faculty members.

"Where's Professor Vaega?" Vien demanded, her voice sharp as her eyes scanned the room.

"Professor Vaega is in her class right now, Ms. Briar," Ingrid replied, looking both surprised and confused by Vien's sudden appearance.

Vien nodded curtly. "Alright. Thanks," she said, leaving the faculty room and closing the door with a little more force than necessary.

"You're seriously getting on my nerves, Gabriela," Vien muttered as she strode toward the classroom where Gabriela was teaching.

Once outside the room, she leaned her back against the wall, arms crossed, glaring at the empty space in front of her. "I should just storm in and drag her out right now," she reasoned with herself, groaning in frustration. "But students are paying tuition for this." She let out an exasperated sigh and decided to wait for the class to end.

Eventually, the door slid open, and students began filing out. Vien's patience was wearing thin as she waited for the last of them to leave. The moment the classroom emptied, she stormed inside.

"Ms. Vaega," Vien's voice rang out sharply, causing Gabriela to freeze mid-motion, her hand still reaching for her bag. She stiffened and slowly turned to face Vien, her expression awkward and nervous.

"Ah... Vien," Gabriela stammered, taking a cautious step back. "How can I help you?"

Vien raised a brow, her glare cutting through Gabriela. "To my office. Now."

"What?" Gabriela asked, her nerves clearly showing.

"What? Gone deaf already?" Vien crossed her arms, her tone firm. "I said, to my office. Now."

"O-okay," Gabriela stuttered, hastily gathering her bag and documents. She held her breath as Vien turned sharply and walked ahead, leaving her no choice but to follow.

The walk to Vien's office was tense, with Gabriela glancing nervously at Vien's rigid back. When they reached the elevator, she finally mustered the courage to ask, "Did I... do something wrong?"

Vien gave her a brief, unreadable glance before looking straight ahead, saying nothing.

When the elevator chimed and the doors opened, Vien grabbed Gabriela's wrist and led her briskly toward her office.

Once inside, Vien shoved the door closed and locked it, throwing Gabriela off guard. She then reached for the remote to lower the window blinds, the room dimming with each passing second.

Gabriela clutched her bag tightly, her heart racing. "What the heck did I do?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion.

"You really don't know?" Vien asked, stepping closer.

Gabriela instinctively took a step back, biting her lower lip and avoiding Vien's piercing gaze. She had been actively avoiding Vien every time they crossed paths—not because she didn't want to see her, but because she felt too embarrassed after last night.

Taking another step back, Gabriela found herself cornered against the couch. She gulped as Vien stood directly in front of her, raising a brow.

"Are you avoiding me, Gabriela?" Vien asked, her glare unwavering.

"I'm not," Gabriela replied, her breath hitching.

"You are," Vien countered, her tone accusing. "I saw you three times today, and you ran off each time like you'd seen a ghost. Are you seriously trying to amuse yourself by avoiding me?"

Gabriela chuckled nervously, trying to meet Vien's intense gaze. "What? Don't tell me you miss me already," she teased, though her grip on her bag and documents tightened.

Vien rolled her eyes and pushed Gabriela's face away with her hand. "Do you really think this is funny? I'm not playing around. Why are you avoiding me?"

Gabriela clicked her tongue. "I mean, didn't you tell me to stay away from you?" she shot back.

Vien clenched her fists, her jaw tightening as she shut her eyes for a moment. "What?" she asked, her voice dangerously low. She opened her eyes, a dry chuckle escaping her lips. "Oh, right. I did say that."

Gabriela blinked as Vien turned and walked toward her desk.

"If that's your reason, then you're free to leave," Vien said, glancing over her shoulder briefly before focusing on the painting hanging on the wall.

"Vien," Gabriela called out, placing her bag and documents down. "Look, I was just kidding. It's just—"

"And I'm not kidding," Vien interrupted, turning to face her fully as she leaned against the desk. "You may leave."

Instead of leaving, Gabriela took a step closer. Vien straightened, her eyes narrowing.

"Gabriela, I told you to—"

"I'm shy," Gabriela blurted out, biting her lip and looking away. "I... I don't know how to face you after last night. I feel like I exposed myself too much."

Vien blinked, her frown softening in confusion. "What?" she asked. "You're shy?" She let out a small scoff.

Gabriela's cheeks flushed. "It's just... that was the first time I cried in front of someone," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "And... I was drunk last night. In front of you."