Tangled Hearts

Chapter 4

It had been a month since I last saw Finn. A whole month of silence after that night. I told myself it was just a one-night stand, that I shouldn't expect anything more. But the memory of his touch, his smile, and the way he looked at me lingered. The absence of any word from him gnawed at my mind.

As I sat in my criminal law class, my thoughts drifted back to that night with Finn. Mr. Johnson's monotone voice droned on in the background, a dull hum I barely registered. My mind was elsewhere, lost in a loop of what-ifs and lingering glances.

"It's been a month," I thought, feeling a pang of disappointment. "Why haven't I heard anything?"

I stared at the notebook in front of me, its pages filled with half-hearted notes and doodles. The memory of Finn's arms around me, his lips on mine, played like a movie in my head.

But since then, nothing. No calls, no texts. Just silence.

"Lily, could you explain the difference between Mens Rea and Actus Reus?" Mr. Johnson's voice suddenly sharpened, his tone carries a hint of impatience, drawing my attention back to the classroom.

I blinked, snapping back to reality. "I...uh, sorry, I..."

My feeble attempt at a response was drowned out by a classmate's eager interjection. "Actus Reus refers to the physical act of committing a crime, whereas Mens Rea is the mental intent to commit the crime," he recited confidently.

Mr. Johnson, without missing a beat, added a sarcastic remark, "Thank you, Mr. Thompson, for rescuing Miss Garcia from her reverie. Perhaps she should be more attentive next time."

Kam's stifled giggle beside me only added to my frustration. I felt my cheeks heat up, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance swirling inside me. I shot Kam a glare, but she just smirked, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

With the class finally over, we make our way to the campus café, where I try to shake off the lingering tension.

"Intense class, huh?" I laugh.

She chuckles. "More like intense daydreaming on your part.

I roll my eyes, as we both make our way to the till. "Can I please have a caramel latte, with a slice of lemon drizzle cake?" I ask, Kam orders as well. I leave Kam to get the drinks and snacks so I can get us a booth.

She walks over and brings the drinks and snacks.

"Still no word from Finn?" she asks taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

I force a nonchalant shrug. "Nope, and frankly, I'm fine with that. One night was enough," I reply, pretending not to care.

Kam sees through my façade with ease. "You're a terrible liar, Lily," she remarks with her teasing tone

Unable to keep the charade, I relent. "Yeah, well, what about you and Shawn?" I deflect, eager to change the subject.

She looks flushed, "erm this isn't about me" she quickly replies, laughing.

"Sure," I say rolling my eyes, whilst I start getting up from my seat. "Bathroom, be back in a sec" I continue

I finish up in the bathroom and head out. I feel myself collide with someone, sending my bag to the ground

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I stammered, bending down to gather my scattered belongings.

"No harm done," a familiar voice replied, sending a shiver down my spine.

As I looked up, I found myself staring into the eyes of Adam, my heart crushing in my chest.

"Adam..." I whispered, my voice trailing off as a flood of emotions washed over me.