Finding light in the darkest places—through love

Chapter 14 – Beneath the Surface

The air outside was crisp, carrying the distant hum of the city beyond campus.

Evelyn pulled her jacket tighter around herself as she and Adrian strolled down the empty sidewalk.

The quiet between them wasn't uncomfortable, but it felt charged—like something was lingering just beneath the surface, waiting to be spoken.

Adrian kicked a loose pebble ahead of him.

"You know, I don't get why people think silence is awkward."

Evelyn glanced at him.

"Maybe because they're afraid of what they'll hear in it."

He shot her a look of mock surprise.

"That was deep. Who are you, and what have you done with Evelyn who glares at me every five minutes?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I still glare at you. I'm just tired."

"Uh-huh."

He smirked before shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Still, I think you've got a point. People fill silence with noise because they don't want to be left alone with their thoughts."

Evelyn frowned slightly.

"And what about you?"

Adrian tilted his head.

"What about me?"

"Do you ever… I don't know, run from your thoughts?"

For the first time that night, Adrian hesitated.

Evelyn expected a quick-witted remark, something sarcastic or dismissive.

But instead, his expression shifted—just for a second. Like he was weighing his answer carefully.

"Not as much as I used to,"

he admitted, looking ahead.

"There was a time when I drowned myself in distractions. Parties, noise, anything to keep from thinking too much."

She studied his profile.

"And now?"

He exhaled, a small, almost wistful smile forming.

"Now I think there's more to life than just keeping busy. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still love a good distraction."

He shot her a playful look.

"Like dragging you into midnight adventures."

Evelyn snorted.

"Midnight art therapy?"

"Exactly."

He grinned.

"But I've learned that facing things—your fears, your past, all of it—it's the only way to move forward."

She absorbed his words in silence.

Because deep down, she knew he was right. And it terrified her.

They reached the entrance of her dorm, and she hesitated before turning to him.

"Adrian?"

"Yeah?"

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something—thank you, maybe, or you don't realize how much you help me but the words wouldn't come out.

Instead, she simply said,

"Good night."

Adrian studied her for a beat before smiling softly.

"Good night, Evelyn."

And with that, she stepped inside, the warmth of the dorm contrasting against the coolness of the night.

But even as she climbed the stairs to her room, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them.

Something she wasn't quite ready to name.