Heartbreak Hypothesis

t w e n t y - t w o

Subconsciously, I licked my lips. People cast us weird looks as they walked by, probably wondering why we couldn't do this elsewhere. Meanwhile, my heart hammered away in my chest. I could feel Daniel's chest rising and falling with each breath he took. And when my eyes caught his, I held my breath again.

"How was your game on Friday?" I asked him.

He clicked his tongue and exhaled. "Not very good. We drew for the first time in this season and Asher had to be subbed."

My gaze narrowed slightly up at him. "Why? What happened?"

"Don't worry, it's a Natasher thing." When my brows furrowed in confusion, he elaborated with a chuckle. "The entire team ships them."

I couldn't help but smile. So Asher and Natalie were also going through a situationship. How convenient.

"And what about you? I heard you were distracted through the game."

"I wasn't in the best place." Daniel peered down at me so intensely, that I felt my sanity get swallowed by his essence. "And you weren't there. I looked everywhere for you."

I bit down on my lip. I probably shouldn't have been so happy that he searched for me but I was. This was supposed to be forbidden. This thing between us. It was so right, it became wrong.

"Well, you kind of freaked me out two days before so—"

Daniel interrupted me with a laugh that reverberated from his chest to mine. "Let's focus on the good things that came out of it. Like Saturday and right now."

Yes. This was good.

He ran his thumb over the side of my face and pursed his lips. "What are you doing tonight?"

I furrowed my brows at him. I was supposed to add the final touches to my painting of Dad but that could wait. infact, it was pretty much ready.  I had about six days left with Daniel so I wanted to make the best out of them.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Would you like to come over and watch a movie?" He grinned.

Seeing how cute he was just made my heart clench and the burning desire to kiss his waxed hot in my veins. I bit down harder on my lip.

Not mine.

"Sure." Even if it was going to kill me.

A glimmer passed Daniel's eyes and that grin widened. "Let's go then."

My eyes went wide. "Wha—Right now?"

His grin morphed into a pout and he stepped back but still held on to my hand. "You're right. You're staying over so you'd probably need a change of clothes for classes tomorrow. But you could just throw on one of mine. They probably won't fit, but I'm sure you'd look pretty either way." God. He was so cute when he rambled like that.

"I don't have classes till ten tomorrow, so I'd probably just hurry back to the hostel."

"Great! I'll drop you off before practice. Maybe even get you some of that liquid sorrow you drink."

The laugh that left my lips was soft, nothing like the monster it usually was. It almost startled me.

"But Ali and Manu. I can't just leave them."

Honestly, I didn't think they'd mind. The two of them seemed eager for the both of us to date and if it was left to them, we'd probably get married. However, leaving without telling them would come off as rude.

Before I could protest further, Daniel was already tugging me back into the library. "Let me handle that."

And he did.