Chapter 2 Careful it’s easy to trip!
ARABELLA
Ziven was still staring at me from across the room like he couldn’t decide if I was a mistake or something worse.
And as for the party behind him, it kept moving as if nothing in the world had paused for this moment, music was still playing, people were laughing but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him even if I tried.
“Why are you in my room, Belle?” he asked again, calm enough to cut through the noise without raising his voice.
“Stop calling me that,” I said immediately, pushing my glasses up because they had already slipped again and I really did not need that on top of everything else.
He looked amused, not even slightly sorry.
“I’ll call you whatever I want,” he replied “now answer the question.”
“This is my dorm,” I said, and my voice came out steadier than I felt because my brain was still catching up with the fact that I was actually standing in front of him, not watching him, not thinking about him, but he was here.
Behind him, someone laughed.
“Wait, she’s staying here?”
“No way Callahan’s got a roommate like that.”
Ziven didn’t even turn fully, he just shot them a look and they shut up instantly. Then he looked back at me with a raised eyebrow.
“This is a male athlete dorm,” he said flatly, like that ended it.
“That's not my concern,” I said before I could think and that made his brows lift slightly.
“I’m serious, Arabella.”
“So am I.”
For a moment neither of us moved, we just stared at each other, and I could feel my bag digging into my shoulder, my heartbeat too loud in my ears, and the way his presence made the air feel smaller.
Then I pulled out my phone and called the dorm office.
“There’s a mistake with my room assignment,” I said quickly, stepping slightly away but not taking my eyes off him completely, “room 302 is already occupied with a male.”
A tired voice came through almost immediately, explaining overbooking, temporary placement, no other rooms available, and that this was something that happened all the time and I was just unlucky enough to be part of it.
Then the call ended. I lowered the phone slowly and looked back at him.
“So,” I said.
“So what?”
“So I’m not lying.” I countered and Ziven exhaled through his nose like the situation physically offended him.
“Great,” he muttered, dragging the word out, “Now i'm stuck with Rowan’s little sister.”
That hit harder than I wanted it to, mostly because he said it so easily, Rowan’s little sister. Not the girl who crossed states just to be near him, not the girl who spent years watching his games until she could predict the way he moved before he even touched the puck.
Just Rowan’s little sister, the awkward kid who used to trail behind them growing up, and somehow hearing him say it out loud made all those years of quietly wanting him feel embarrassing.
I didn’t respond anymore instead I just moved to walk past him, needing space more than pride at that point.
“Don’t touch anything,” he said and I rolled my eyes.
“I wasn't planning to.”
“Good.”
“Can I move now?” I sighed and he stepped asides
and I walked past him and dropped my bag near the chair.
The party noise filled the room again like nothing had happened and then Ziven looked around once, like he was finally registering it.
“Party’s over,” he yelled and a few groans followed immediately.
“Come on—”
"It's over, let's take it to another place." He added and more groans followed.
“Move now.” He snapped and that was it, people started leaving.
No argument, no discussion, like the decision had already been made before they even heard it.
When the room cleared, I grabbed my purse again too.
“Where are you going?” Ziven's voice came from behind me.
“To the party,” I said, turning.
“No you’re not.”
“Why not?”
“Because you look like you’d call security if someone handed you alcohol.”
My face went hot instantly.
“I’m nineteen.”
“Exactly.”
He grabbed his jacket and walked past me.
“Stay here.” He ordered and then he left and I stood there for ten seconds before following anyway.
—
The second party was louder and tighter, with too many people in the small space, and I spotted Ziven almost immediately because he didn’t blend into anything, he just existed in the middle of it.
I was trying to figure out how to get closer without making it obvious when someone grabbed my arm.
“Arabella, what are you doing here?”
Rowan, my brother looked like he was already halfway between angry and stressed.
“I’m socializing,” I replied, pulling my arm back.
“You’re what?”
“I came to meet people.”
“You don’t know anyone here.”
“I know Ziven.”
That made his expression change instantly.
“Since when?”
“He’s your best friend, Rowan.”
“That’s not what I mean,” he said, lowering his voice. “Go back to the dorm.”
“No.”
I slipped away from him before he could grab me again, moving into the crowd until I found Ziven near the back door, cup in hand but not drinking.
Rowan caught up again.
“Ziven,” he said sharply.
“Rowan,” Ziven replied, calm.
“Tell my sister to go home.”
Ziven looked at me for a second, then back at Rowan.
“Let her stay.”
Rowan stared at him and then he exhaled.
“She’s your problem now.” Rowan snapped and he
walked away.
What has got his panties in a twist. Humph
I stayed there beside Ziven, slightly frozen, until he held out his cup.
“Don’t drink it,” he said.
“What is it?”
“Something you won’t like.” He added but I still tried it and his mouth twitched at the sheer disgust on my face.
—
I stayed near him after that without really deciding to, asking questions I didn’t need answers to, watching the way people kept looking at him.
“They all stare at you,” I said.
“Yeah because they want me,” he replied and I rolled my eyes.
“Proud much.” I muttered and he smirked at me as he took a sip of his drink.
“You know you ask too many questions Belle.”
“And you don’t answer enough.” I shot back and then he turned quiet.
_
The room shifted later, people started whispering a name.
Tiffany.
She walked in like she belonged to the space before she even entered it, her eyes immediately finding Ziven.
He didn’t react the way she expected that I know.
He didn’t look at her, instead he looked at me or maybe it was my delusional self speaking again.
But I watched her smile flicker but she came closer anyway.
“Ziven,” she said with an overly sweet voice.
“Tiffany.” He answered as her eyes slid to me.
“And you are?” She asked looking at me.
“Rowan’s sister,” he answered.
“Oh,” she smiled, “I didn’t know he had one.”
“Nobody did,” I replied before I could stop myself and in her expression tightened slightly.
Then she turned back to him like I had already disappeared and I stood there while she talked like I wasn’t there.
A girl near me leaned in slightly.
“Careful,” she whispered and I didn't even ask why she gave the warning but I found out soon enough.
Meanwhile Tiffany was still beside Ziven talking about something I couldn’t even focus on anymore, her hand brushing his arm every few seconds while he listened with that calm expression that somehow made everything worse, and after another minute of standing there feeling awkward and stupid.
I muttered something about finding the bathroom and walked away before I embarrassed myself.
The second I passed Tiffany’s group, one of the girls shifted slightly and something caught against my foot.
At first I thought I’d just lost my balance because my drink slipped from my hand and cold liquid splashed down the front of my shirt, but then the ground disappeared under me completely and I fell.
Cold water hit instantly, stealing my breath before I could even react, everything above me turning into distorted noise, shapes, panic.
Water filled my ears and mouth, dragging me down harder every second I didn’t reach air.
I broke the surface once, just long enough to see him.
Ziven pushing through the crowd toward the edge.
And then I went under again and sank.
