Flora blinked at Liam's statement, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.
"I... uh... but what about class?" She inquired unsurely.
Liam smiled, a dimple appearing in his left cheek.
"Don't worry, you are excused. Shall we?" He assured her.
Still dazed, Flora nodded, allowing Liam to lead her away from the group. As they walked down the hallway, she could hear the shocked whispers and gasps from the other students.
"That is a close save." Sophia mumbled to herself as she watched them go, a mixture of relief and concern on her face. She was glad Liam had come to Flora's rescue, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this would only lead to more trouble.
Meanwhile, by the corner, standing observing the scene discreetly as usual was Caleb.
"Great going, Liam. Thank you for providing me an opportunity to deal with you." Caleb thought to himself, smirking evilly.
~~~~~~~~~
"Wait!"
As they turned a corner, Flora finally found her voice.
"Where are we going?" She asked, trying to ignore the warmth of Liam's hand around hers.
Liam glanced back at her, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"Somewhere you need to be. Don't worry, all will be explained soon." He assured her.
"I wonder where he is taking me..." Flora thought to herself. Her heart raced as Liam led her to a somewhere.
Finally, they stopped at a secluded area behind the dorms.
The trees provided a natural barrier, shielding them from prying eyes. Liam gently tugged her down to sit beside him on a wooden bench.
"He is so carefree. It is as if we have been friends for years." Flora couldn't help but notice how comfortable the boy seemed to be around her. His movements were fluid and assured.
"Hey! Are you calm now?" Liam asked her, staring at her intently. But before Flora could respond, he continued speaking.
"I brought you here so you can be free of those troublemakers for a moment and breathe." He told her.
Flora blinked, still dazed by the sudden turn of events. She found herself staring at Liam, taking in his striking features up close. His eyes, a mesmerizing shade of blue, seemed to pierce right through her.
"I... why are you being so nice to me? You don't even know me." Flora blurted out.
A warm smile crept on Liam's lips, revealing that adorable dimple in his left cheek once again.
"I can't really explain it, I just felt drawn to you. Like there's this... connection." He admitted, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair.
Flora's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to deny it, to brush off his words as mere flattery, but she couldn't. The pull she felt towards him was undeniable, almost magnetic.
"I'm Liam, by the way, I realize I never properly introduced myself." He said, extending his hand towards her.
Flora hesitantly placed her hand in his, marveling at how perfectly it seemed to fit.
"Flora." She replied softly.
"So, Flora, How have you been coping since you arrived? It can't be easy, being the new girl." Liam began, his thumb absently tracing circles on the back of her hand.
Flora sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly.
"It has been... challenging. I have only spent a day here and I feel like it has been years." She admitted.
"Everything is so different from what you are used to?" Liam prompted gently.
"Yes." Flora nodded in defeat.
"I wish I could just go back home... Back to what I was used to, back to being myself." She said, swallowing hard. And knowing that she couldn't just go back made her feel more unhappy.
Liam noticed a shift in her countenance and heaved a sigh.
"Don't worry, you are going to get used to being here, soon. Then, you will know it is not as bad as you currently think." He assured her.
"Uhn, I hope so..." Flora replied sullenly.
Like that, the duo continued their conversation, unaware of the storm brewing elsewhere, at another part of the campus.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Caleb strode purposefully through the halls, his dark eyes scanning the faces of passing students until he spotted his target.
"Yeah, there she is!"
Clarissa stood by her locker, engaged in animated conversation with her friend Lena.
"Ladies..." Caleb greeted smoothly as he approached the girls, turning up his charm to full force.
"Clarissa, might I have a word?" He asked the girl.
Clarissa raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Lena Marshall before nodding.
"I will catch up with you later." She told her friend, who took the hint and quickly took her leave.
"What do you want, Caleb?" Clarissa asked in a wary tone.
Caleb leaned against the lockers, his posture casual but his eyes sharp.
"I thought you might be interested in some... information about your betrothed."
"What about Liam?" Clarissa questioned, narrowing her eyes.
"Well, It seems he has taken quite an interest in our new student." Caleb drawled, a smirk playing on his lips.
At that information, Clarissa tightened her jaw.
"What are you talking about?" She inquired.
"I saw them together just now. He pulled her out of class, led her away. They seemed... rather cozy." Caleb continued, pretending to be concerned.
Clarissa furrowed her eyebrows, she had a disbelieving look on.
"I'm just telling you what I saw. But if you don't believe me, why don't you go see for yourself? Last I checked, they were headed towards the dorms." Caleb said.
"Why are you telling me this?" Clarissa asked, looking hesitant.
"Consider it a friendly warning. I would hate to see you get hurt." Caleb replied, his voice dripping with false sincerity.
"Besides, don't you think it's... odd? A powerful guy like Liam, suddenly so interested in a nobody like the new girl?" He added.
"What are you implying?" Clarissa demanded.
"I'm not implying anything. But you have to admit, it's suspicious. Maybe they know each other outside the school walls and are hiding something?" Caleb shrugged.
Clarissa's eyes flashed with a barely contained fury.