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“I can see that.”

Loud beeps announced yet another defeat, and she turned to glare at me, as if it had somehow been my fault.

I shrugged, let my lips tug into the smirk she hated, and met her stare head-on, while inside, a dozen images flashed through my mind, much as I tried to suppress them: playing against her and winning, the scowl she’d wear, her little grin if she ever managed to beat me.

My teeth ached.

Before I could say anything, my phone rang. Liam.

I groaned, stepped a few paces away from her, and answered.

“Yeah?” I bit off.

“Hey, man, where’d you go for that cigarette, North Pole? We’re gonna leave without you.”

A slow exhale left my lips, and I ran my hand through my hair, messing it up.

“I had to go buy some,” I lied. I cast her another glance as Liam retorted with a chuckle and something I didn’t hear because Mia was leaning forward, engrossed in the next attempt, and a soft curl fell over her cheek before she blew it away.

The game beeped, and someone let out a booming laugh behind her. Her tongue peeked out again, and my chest pinched painfully, like leaving now meant waking up from a dream I couldn’t return to.

I considered making up an excuse just so I could linger.

Swallowing hard around the sudden dryness in my mouth, I blew out a breath and answered, “I’ll be right there.”

I cut the call and allowed myself an indulgent moment of taking her in, knowing she wouldn’t catch it.

As I passed her, I threw her a “Good luck defending space” over my shoulder. The words came out in a teasing, almost affectionate tone—the one that was starting to piss me off.

She didn’t even spare me a split-second glance, just shot back a smug little “Will do” and carried on jabbing at buttons. A huff of air that might have been a laugh or a sigh escaped me, torn from the depths of my chest.

Then, my jaw cemented shut, I turned on my heel and stepped out, heading back to my pocket of the world and away from Mia, the neon-green glow, and the stolen glimpse I hadn’t been supposed to see.

Chapter twelve

Mia

Having him stumble upon me at the old arcade felt like he’d caught me changing. To make matters worse, my assignment grade arrived soon after, but instead of relief, the 90% dredged up the memory I’d shoved down into the recesses of my mind.

Sandalwood, strong hands on my waist—

A shiver zapped through me.

I shook my head and shoved the thought away.

The coffee cup warmed my hand against the autumn chill, and sunlight draped over me, tugging my scarf loose.

Rows of maple trees hedged one of the little squares in the Norhaven city centre, dappled sunlight spilling through the thick crimson and gold canopy.

The damp air smelled like sodden leaves and rain-kissed asphalt, and I was a mess of desperate Google searches for Pri’s birthday party.

I wanted to get her something nice.

But what do you even get someone who has everything?

Perched on a bench, I looked up as a group of university students sat down across from me.

How would my life had been, if I hadn’t got this scholarship? Would that be me, wrestling Anne’s phone away to peek at her disastrous texts? A memory rose up inside me, dredging up a fond chuckle I stifled.