Third Person Point of ViewThe next moment, Eash suddenly stood up, pushing his chair backwards with a deliberate, loud sound."Riley!" he spoke up as he walked toward Riley and Ezra."Eash..." Riley said nervously. She was genuinely afraid, thinking Eash might make a scene because of the unintentional things that had just happened."Let's take a break. Come, let me show you my room," Eash said without even asking if others wanted to take a break right now."We are in the middle of something. We can't take a break right now," Ezra said coldly, looking at Riley."I see you're in the 'middle of something'," Eash sneered."Riley, let's finish changing this diagram and concluding this part before we take a break," Ezra said without even looking at his brother."Eash, can we wait just a few more minutes? We're about to finish this part," Riley held Eash's hand and asked."I want to have a break now!" Eash removed Riley's hand from his and said firmly."So go and have one with your teammate
Third Person Point of View"You..." Eash seemed speechless. For a moment, he stared at Riley's face as he combed his hair backwards with his fingers, something he does every time he is nervous."You are my closest friend... the person closest to my heart..." he said, avoiding her eyes and focusing strictly on the road. After that, he resumed driving, the two-minute journey to the store passing in tense silence."He could still steal you from me. Make you the closest to him instead... leaving me alone again." The words slipped out in a murmur as he parked the car.Riley's heart ached. Eash looked so vulnerable; his usual confidence was nowhere to be found. She hated seeing him like this. Kimberley's plan was supposed to help him realize his feelings. Still, now, faced with his raw sadness, she wanted to abandon it entirely.Yet Kimberley's warning echoed in her mind: "It'll hurt him at first, but it's the only a kiss to his cheek before stepping out of the car."Will you pick me up aft
Third Person Point of View"Eash, I didn't mean it like that. What I'm saying is, stop always accusing your brother. He may have done terrible things to you, but that doesn't mean he treats everyone like that," Riley said calmly."What do you mean? Do you think he treats you so damn well?" Eash snapped."When did I say that? I just said I don't think he has ulterior motives toward me. We've met a few times for group work now, and he's never said a word to me apart from work. I doubt he even thinks about me outside of it," Riley explained."So, you want to invite him home?" Eash sneered."No! I thought maybe I could come to your place. That way, I can work with him while you're there. You could even invite Daan. We'd all work together, it'd be less boring.""I don't wanna spend all night with that idiot!" Eash frowned. "But fine. Since you're eager to work with Ezra, come to my place. At least then you're near me. If that asshole tries anything, I can stop him." Reluctantly, he agreed
Third Person Point of View"So, would you do that?" Kimberley asked."I don't know... Maybe I should..." Riley replied thoughtfully."Don't think too much, Riley. Just act accordingly. Let's see what happens," Kimberley said, patting Riley's back."Hmm... I just hope I won't hurt Eash too much by doing this..." Riley said, still hesitant."He'll be hurt at first, but once he understands his feelings, it'll be good for him," Kimberley reassured her.************************************Since she couldn't suddenly start showing interest in Ezra or talking about him with Eash, Riley had to wait for the right opportunity.After their conversation following the football match, Ezra hadn't approached Riley again. She noticed him glancing at her as usual, and when they crossed paths in the hallway, he would nod to acknowledge her presence, but nothing more. How could she pretend to develop sudden feelings for him when they barely interacted?However, two weeks later, an opportunity finally a
Third Person Point of ViewAfter Eash left her house, Riley fell onto her bed without changing her clothes or washing up. It had been an exhaustingly long day, so much had happened that Riley was excited, nervous, sad, and drained all at once. The emotional whiplash was overwhelming, and she needed to slowly piece together every moment, as if some of the things that happened felt almost like a dream, too good to be true.She began reconstructing the day's events, starting from Eash's football match that afternoon. As she recalled each conversation with Eash and Ezra, she marvelled at how drastically her life had transformed in such a short time.The two most powerful and sought-after men on campus had opened their hearts to her, sharing secrets they'd never told another soul. Just months ago, Riley had been basically friendless except for Kimberley. Now, she held the trust of men whom others could only dream of approaching.Her chest swelled with joy when she drifted to their intimate
Third Person Point of ViewEven though seeing such a primal, lustful expression in other people's eyes made Riley feel disgusted and afraid, seeing the exact same look in Eash's eyes felt different."Eash..." Riley whispered, her whole body beginning to tremble with an unknown sensation.Eash's hands cupped Riley's face, his thumb gently brushing her blushed cheeks as if he was caressing a fragile rose petal. They were so close that their breaths caressed each other's faces. Then, with a quiet sigh, Eash closed the distance between their lips.The kiss was softer than Riley expected. Eash's lips were warm and gentle, as if he were scared he might be too rough and hurt her. But that gentleness didn't last long. As Riley melted into him, her fingers clutching his shirt tightly, his fear of hurting her seemed to vanish. His arms embraced Riley's tiny waist tightly, pulling her as close as possible to him, and the kiss deepened, slow, deliberate, and unbearably sweet.This was not the fir