Bella froze for a few seconds, trying to process what had just happened. 'What the heck was that? ' she thought, her mind going completely blank. Adrian had just wiped mustard off her lips in front of everyone. 'why would he do that ' Her face burned with embarrassment, and she could hear the people around them murmuring.
"Senior Adrian, we want to know what you told her!" someone called out from the crowd.
"You can't just whisper in her ear!" another voice added.
"Maybe he said, 'Baby, you made the game worth it!'" a girl from the crowd shouted, making Adrian laugh..
"I wish I'd said that as well," Adrian replied, chuckling..
Another girl from the crowd added "I wish it were me you were after, Senior Adrian. I would've jumped into your arms already!!"
Bella's blush deepened as the whispers grew louder. She wished she could melt into the floor.
"Too bad our crown princess is the shy type," someone joked.
"No matter what, she stole Eldor University's first love, and for that, she needs to be held captive!" another voice teased, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.
Adrian watched Bella closely, his gaze steady and calm while she fidgeted under the pressure. "Don't you agree with them on that last part?" he asked in a soft in a teasing voice, his eyes glinting with amusement.
Bella shook her head quickly, not trusting herself to speak. But when she finally met his eyes, her heart skipped a beat. ' Melon...' The name rushed into her mind. 'No, it can't be him, ' she thought frantically. 'He can't possibly be Adrian.'
Without another word, Bella turned to Mia. "Mia, let's go. The game's over."
Mia, clearly enjoying the unfolding drama, pouted playfully. "But I'm loving all this PDA…"
"Mia!" Bella snapped, cutting her off with a desperate look. She needed to get out of there, away from the whispers, the teasing, and most of all away from Adrian's intense gaze.
"Alright, alright, let's go," Mia sighed, though she didn't hide her disappointment. She glanced at Adrian as she stood. "Senior Adrian, I feel bad for you."
Adrian raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why?"
"Well," Mia said, "it's obvious you're into her, but she's completely ignoring it."
Adrian let out a low laugh, shaking his head at Mia's bluntness.. "What's your name again?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Mia. Mia West," she replied, grinning.
He looked at her, then at Bella, who was already gathering her things. "Well, Miss West, don't worry about me. Your friend Bella will be mine, eventually." Adrian chuckled, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he didn't seem to notice the way his words made Bella freeze in place.
'Bella will be mine.' The words echoed in Bella's head, over and over. 'What does he mean, I'll be his?' She felt a strange mix of confusion and frustration. Was Adrian playing some kind of game? Why did he always have to make things so complicated?
"Oh my goodness!!" Suzy, who had been quietly watching the whole scene unfold, gasped in excitement. "Is this a confession? Are you saying she's going to be your girlfriend?"
Adrian smirked, glancing at Bella. "You can take it like that if you want," he said confidently.
Bella, completely overwhelmed, stood up abruptly. "I'm leaving. Mia, I'll meet you back at the dorm," she said, her voice strained as she tried to maintain her composure.
"Bella, wait up for me!" Mia called after her, quickly getting to her feet.
"I'm coming with you guys!" Suzy added, hopping up eagerly.
Mia turned back to Adrian with a wave. "Don't worry, Senior Adrian. She'll come around eventually. But for now, I have to catch up with her. Bye!"
As the girls hurried off, Adrian watched Bella's retreating figure, his expression unreadable. Ben and Jack, approached him, shaking their heads.
"Adrian, let's head back," Ben said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Jack grinned at Adrian. "You're something else, man. I can never predict what you'll do next."
Ben nodded in agreement. "But are you sure she'll fall for you within a month? You know, you did kind of look like a love-struck fool out there."
Adrian's gaze lingered on the door Bella had just exited through. "That doesn't matter," he said quietly. "I just don't want you to get played by this girl, Adrian," Jack said more seriously. "A few minutes ago, you were acting like a lovesick puppy."
Adrian didn't respond immediately. He knew what his friends were saying, but there was something about Bella that made him certain she was different. Sure, they barely knew each other, but there was a pull between them , something deeper that he couldn't quite explain. He was determined to figure it out, to understand why she had this strange effect on him.
' Is it love, or just possession? ' Adrian wondered briefly, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. Whatever it was, one thing was clear in his mind , he wanted Bella, and he wasn't going to stop until she was his.
"Let's go back to the dorm," Adrian said finally, his tone more focused.
"Alright, cool," Ben replied, and the three of them made their way out of the court .
Meanwhile, Bella walked briskly with Mia and Suzy, her mind spinning. Adrian's words echoed in her head relentlessly. 'Bella will be mine.' She couldn't shake the strange feeling that had settled in her chest. What did he mean by that? Was he just teasing, or was he serious?
"Bella, are you okay?" Suzy asked, concerned.
"I'm fine," Bella replied, though her voice was tense.
Mia glanced at Bella and sighed. "You know, I think he really likes you, Bella. You shouldn't be so quick to shut him down."
Bella stopped walking for a moment, turning to face Mia. "It's not that simple, Mia. He's... complicated. And I'm not sure I'm ready for this kind of attention."
Suzy, always optimist, said as she smiled. "Sometimes the best things come when you least expect them."
Bella wanted to believe that, but there was too much swirling in her mind to make sense of it all. For now, she just needed space to breathe, to figure out what this strange connection with Adrian meant.
As they walked back to the dorm, Bella knew one thing for sure is that her life had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.