The afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Ere'ana and Jack walked together through the quiet campus courtyard. Most students had already gone back to their dorms, leaving the area peaceful and almost serene. It was a rare moment of calm, and Ere'ana found herself enjoying the quiet companionship of Jack.
They strolled along the cobblestone path, talking about nothing in particular. Jack had just finished recounting a particularly ridiculous story about Ira attempting to impress a girl and failing miserably.
"I swear, the guy tripped over his own feet and knocked over her entire drink," Jack said, chuckling. "And then he tried to blame the wind!"
Ere'ana laughed, covering her mouth. "No way. Please tell me she at least found it funny."
"She laughed, but mostly out of pity," Jack said, shaking his head. "Poor guy couldn't catch a break."
Ere'ana smiled, her heart feeling a little lighter. Jack had a way of making her forget about all the stress and drama, even if only for a little while.
As they continued walking, Jack gestured animatedly, reenacting Ira's clumsy movements. "And then he was like—"
Before he could finish, Jack's foot caught on a loose stone in the path. He stumbled forward, arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance.
"Whoa!" Ere'ana exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to steady him.
But Jack's hand shot out too, and in the chaos of the moment, it landed squarely on her chest.
Time seemed to freeze.
Ere'ana's eyes went wide, her face flushing a deep shade of red as she stared at Jack in shock. Her heart felt like it had stopped entirely.
Jack, equally frozen, looked down at his hand, then back up at her, his face rapidly turning crimson. "Oh my god—Ere, I didn't—"
"It's fine!" she blurted out, taking a step back and hugging her arms around herself. "I-I mean, it's not fine, but I know it was an accident!"
Jack yanked his hand away like it had been burned, his expression one of pure panic. "I swear, I wasn't—I didn't mean—"
Before either of them could say another word, a loud voice rang out.
"What the hell is going on here?!"
Ere'ana and Jack whipped around to see Avarina and Ira rushing toward them, their expressions a mix of outrage and disbelief.
"We leave you two alone for five minutes, and this is what happens?" Avarina said, hands on her hips as she glared at Jack.
"It wasn't what it looked like!" Jack protested, holding up his hands in defense.
"Oh, really?" Ira said, crossing his arms. "Because it looked like you were groping her in the middle of campus."
"It was an accident!" Jack snapped, his face still red. "I tripped, okay?"
Avarina turned to Ere'ana, her eyebrows raised. "Is that true?"
"Yes!" Ere'ana said quickly, her cheeks still burning. "It was an accident. He didn't mean to!"
Avarina narrowed her eyes at Jack, clearly skeptical. "Well, you better watch where you're grabbing next time, buddy."
"There won't be a next time!" Jack said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
Ira snorted. "Good, because if there is, you'll have to deal with me."
Jack shot him a look. "I didn't realize I needed a bodyguard for my own girlfriend."
That word—girlfriend—made Ere'ana's heart skip a beat. It was still new, still strange to hear, but she couldn't deny the way it made her feel.
"Okay, okay," Ere'ana said, stepping between them. "Can we all just calm down? It was an accident, and it's over now. Let's move on."
Avarina sighed, still looking annoyed but letting it go. "Fine. But you two seriously need to get it together. You're spending so much time together, you're starting to look like one of those cringy couples from a rom-com."
Ere'ana's face turned red again. "We are not!"
"Uh-huh," Avarina said, smirking. "Sure you're not."
Jack groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Can we just forget this ever happened?"
"Oh, don't worry," Ira said with a wicked grin. "I'll make sure to remind you about it every chance I get."
Jack glared at him. "You're the worst."
Ira shrugged. "That's what friends are for."
The awkward encounter eventually ended, and Ere'ana and Jack parted ways to head back to their dorms. As Ere'ana walked, she replayed the moment in her head, her cheeks heating up all over again.
She knew it had been an accident, but the memory of Jack's hand on her chest—and the look of sheer panic on his face—was burned into her mind.
When she finally reached her dorm, Avarina was waiting for her, lounging on her bed with a knowing smirk.
"So," Avarina said as Ere'ana walked in, "anything interesting happen while you and Jack were alone?"
Ere'ana groaned, throwing her bag onto her bed. "Please don't."
Avarina laughed. "I'm just saying, you two have the weirdest luck. First a kiss, now this? What's next, getting locked in a closet together?"
"Don't even joke about that," Ere'ana said, flopping onto her bed and burying her face in her pillow.
Avarina grinned, clearly enjoying her friend's embarrassment. "Relax, Ere. I'm just messing with you."
Ere'ana mumbled something incoherent into her pillow, and Avarina laughed again.
"Come on," Avarina said, patting her on the back. "You know I'm rooting for you guys. As long as he doesn't pull any more stunts like today, I think you'll be fine."
Ere'ana lifted her head, giving her a halfhearted glare. "It was an accident."
"Sure it was," Avarina teased, dodging the pillow Ere'ana threw at her.
Despite herself, Ere'ana couldn't help but laugh.