Next Day
Author POV
The classroom was calm, bathed in the soft amber light of the afternoon sun filtering through tall windows. A gentle breeze stirred the pages of her notebook as she sat silently at her desk, head bent in quiet concentration. Only a handful of students murmured in the corners, lost in their own worlds.
Amelia looked up just as the door creaked open.
There he was—tall, quiet, with that familiar distant look in his eyes. Justin stepped inside with the same unassuming presence, barely glancing at anyone. Her eyes followed him instinctively. He didn't notice.
Her fingers stilled on the page.
Memories came rushing back-
That night.
The dim streetlight.
His slurred words, heavy with pain and unspoken sorrow.
The way she gently wrapped the bandage around his bleeding arm, her hands trembling.
The conversation they shared, soft and vulnerable.
And the hug.
That hug...
It was clumsy, unexpected, and over too quickly. But it had lingered in her mind ever since. It was her first-warm, confusing, unforgettable.
But now, watching him move past her with no flicker of recognition, Amelia felt a quiet ache settle in her chest.
Had Justin really forgotten? The words, the warmth, her? And also the little conversation they had yesterday...?
She looked back down at her notebook, the ink slightly blurred as her eyes burned. For him, it might have been just another night. But for her, it had meant something more. Something she couldn't explain. Something she couldn't forget.
Meanwhile...
Justin took his usual seat near the window, away from the others, as if the sunlight and silence were better company than people.
His shoulders were relaxed, but there was always something withdrawn in his posture, like he was carrying the weight of something unseen.
He didn't glance around the room. He never did.
But as he pulled out his notebook, a faint image flickered in the back of his mind-warm hands, the scent of antiseptic, and a voice, quiet but steady, speaking to him in the dark.
Amelia.
A vague memory brushed the edge of his thoughts. He'd been drunk, barely holding himself together, bleeding and lost. And she'd found him. Helped him. Sat with him. Hugged him.
The hug. It came back in fragments—her small frame pressed hesitantly against his, her fingers clutching his shirt like she didn't want to let go. He remembered the trembling in her voice, the steadiness in her eyes.
His jaw tensed.
He hadn't forgotten. He had just pretended to. Buried it beneath the armor he wore every day. Getting close meant vulnerability—and vulnerability, for him, had never been safe.
But now, as a quiet breath escaped him, he allowed himself a glance–just a quick one-toward Amelia.
She was staring down at her notes, her expression unreadable, but something in her stillness told him she remembered everything too.
And maybe... she still cared.
Two hours later
Justin POV
"On top of the wing, pressure is lower. Below, it's higher. But air doesn't like pressure differences+ it moves. So the high pressure air from beneath tries to curl around the wingtip to reach the low pressure zone above."
I barely had myself left with any energy to hear to Prof. Reynolds' class. I glanced at my smart watch. It read 12:55 PM. Haashhh! 5 minutes only...
"So class, let's wind up now. And do revise today's topics for the next lecture." I heard the professor say. But wait! We still have 5 more minutes left. And Prof. Reynolds never ends his class before or after time.
"Before leaving, I would like to announce something very important"
"Oh that's why he ended his class 5 minutes earlier", I thought to myself.
"Your first class project is just round the corner. This project will be completely based on data analysis, observations and research. You are free to choose topics of your own. I'll be announcing the groups in a while. Each group will decide their topics within two days and submit it to the class representatives."
I could feel Amelia's slight gaze on me. But I didn't glance at her.
"And class representatives will have to ensure that no two groups choose the same topic", the professor continued.
"The groups are as follows:
Joel and Ariana
Ethan and Grace
David and Hannah
John and Stacy
Justin and Amelia....."
My eyes widened in surprise. God, not again.! How could Amelia and I be a group for this project? I don't even know her properly, yet.
Wait, I can ask the professor to change my group, right? Yeah, right. No no, wait, bad idea! He might think of me as rude or demanding. Moreover, Amelia would get hurt. I don't care about her, but I don't want to hurt anyone unintentionally for my own comfort.
During lunch break
Amelia POV
I was walking down the silent corridor, my footsteps echoing softly against the tiled floor. It was the lunch break. Hence, half of the uni was at the café and the other half was around the campus. I was heading back to my class to fetch my phone, which I'd stupidly left behind.
My hand hovered over the door handle when I heard it—a low burst of laughter, followed by muffled voices. I paused, heart skipping. I hadn't noticed them before. Peering down the hallway, I saw a small group of boys slouched against the walls near the staircase. Their voices carried now-taunting, loud, too relaxed to be harmless.
Recognition hit. They were the ones who tried to rape Sarah.
I turned back slowly, hoping they hadn't seen me. But of course, they had. Their chatter stopped. One of them grinned, and I felt my stomach twist.
I stepped back, unsure what to do—then, suddenly, a hand wrapped around mine. Warm, firm, confident.
I barely had time to react. I was pulled around the corner, down a narrow passage I'd never noticed before. It was cramped—barely wide enough for one person, let alone two.
We stopped, and I realized how close we were. His chest almost brushed mine, his breath fanned across my cheek. I looked up.
It was him - Justin Cole.
He didn't say anything. His eyes flicked toward the corridor we'd just escaped from, listening. Protecting. I swallowed, my heart pounding—not just from fear anymore.
We stood there in silence, breath and tension filling the tiny space between us. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't even sure what had just happened. But in that moment, I knew one thing for certain: He had saved me.
Justin POV
I didn't plan to step in. I never do.
But the second I saw her walking toward them - completely unaware - I couldn't stop myself.
They were laughing the way they always do before they start something ugly. I knew what came next. I'd seen it too many times, heard the stories whispered in bathrooms and behind library shelves. Especially the incident that happened with Sarah. And I couldn't watch it happen again. Not to her.
So I moved.
I grabbed her hand–small, cold, soft and pulled her with me. She didn't fight, just followed. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was trust.
Now we were here. Trapped in this narrow little space behind the old storeroom, barely enough room to breathe, and definitely not enough to think straight.
She was standing so close I could feel the rise and fall of her chest. Her hair brushed against my jacket. I hadn't meant to get this close—but there was no other choice.
I kept my gaze forward. Away from her. Away from her eyes that might ask questions I didn't want to answer.
Why did you help me?
Are you okay?
Do you feel anything?
No. I wasn't okay. And no, I didn't feel anything.
At least... that's what I kept telling myself.
I could still hear them - those guys–laughing somewhere in the distance. But it didn't matter now. She was safe. That was the only thing that mattered.
I should let go of her hand.
But I didn't.
Not yet.
Not when it still felt like the world hadn't settled around us. Not when her fingers were still curled slightly into mine like she needed to hold on just a second longer.
I wasn't going to fall again. Love had already burned me once. Whatever this was, it wasn't that.
Just a moment. Just instinct.
That's all.
Soooo!!!!! Finally Amelia and Justin had shared a moment! Are you feeling excited about their moment? Well, I'm happy for them. Yeah, Justin is not a person who will break his walls so easily but our Amelia is no less than an angel...
Please vote and comment if you liked this chapter. The next chapter will be updated soon. Take care, cuties 💙
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