I close my book with a sigh when the professor finishes the lecture. It's reaching lunchtime.

My mind should have focused on what the professor taught just now, but again, I got distracted because of Aiden. Maya told me that my face looked red and asked me if I wasn't feeling well.

This is not good. Why am I so weak when it comes to him?

He has made me daydream in class a couple of times. I really should compose myself.

But then, how could I do that after what happened between us a few nights ago?

Aiden and I had sex almost the whole night.

Oh, God.

Even when I think about it now, I feel like hot honey is pouring down from my chest to the area between my thighs.

Damn. I remember the warmth of his hold, his tenderness, and the sweet words he whispered to me.

That night was filled with so much passion and feelings. I felt so much, so overwhelmed that I could hardly breathe.

Even now, I can hardly breathe when I think about it again.

It felt like we didn't just have sex. It felt like we were... making love.

I abruptly shake my head in denial, stand up from the chair, and shove my books back into my bag. What the hell am I thinking about? Making love?

Don't be embarrassing, Nevaeh. You're not a poet.

"Nevaeh?"

I snap my head when I hear Ash's voice. She's already standing in front of my desk, with Maya.

"I've called you five times." Ash chuckles, shaking her head knowingly. "You really left earth for a while."

My cheeks heat up. I wonder if Ash knows who I was thinking about.

No, she definitely knows.

"Did something good happen between you and Aiden?" Ash asks giddily. 

Maya stares at me before her mouth drops into an O shape, as though she just figured out why my face was red and that it wasn't because I felt unwell.

I put my bag around my shoulder, ready to leave the class with them. I notice that the classroom is almost empty with only us standing here. I've been acting like a lovestruck zombie, and I have to change that.

"So what's the good news?" Maya asks in a cheerful tone as we walk to the door. "I've always wondered what happened between you and Aiden after that night at the party, but you never gave us the details."

Ash suddenly halts, causing all of us to stop walking. She tosses Maya a mischievous look.

"Oh really?" She smirks at Maya. "You haven't told us either about that new secret admirer of yours. I knew that a guy kept stealing glances at you in our lecture just now." 

Maya looks surprised by Ash's finding but then shakes her head in denial. "It's nothing." She sighs, but there's something in her reaction that tells me more. It's like she's getting tired of it.

"Come on." Ash elbows her on the stomach, teasing her. "That's not the first time he did that."

I watch my two best friends intently, secretly happy that the topic isn't about me and Aiden anymore. I honestly don't know how to explain it to them.

Maya smiles sadly. That makes me wonder how she feels about that guy.

Maya is pretty, kind, and adorable. Since I stepped into this university, I've already noticed two guys who like watching her when she's alone and not looking, but strangely, they never make a move.

There's also this one guy, our classmate, who is super nice to her. One time, he asked Maya out and we were excited because it was going to be Maya's first date. In the end, we got disappointed because he apparently invited the entire project team to celebrate their assignment mark.

Maya resumes her steps while Ash keeps persuading her, "Maybe you should toss him a smile. Or say hi for the first time?"

Maya shakes her head again. "He's just not that into me. If he was, he would approach me, or do something about it."

Ash sighs. "Okay. I've noticed that he's been watching you for months, but maybe he just needs a boost. Like, a green light?"

Maya stops walking again, now rolling her eyes. "It's not months." She huffs. "I've been experiencing this my whole life. I thought that some guys were interested in me, but it never happened."

She speaks as if it's no big deal, but somehow, I can hear her disappointment and it breaks my heart.

Before Ash can speak another word, Maya cuts her off, "Can't you see it? 19 years. I've been living my life for 19 years, but until today, I have never received any confession from a guy. Not even a single one. None of them even said that they liked me. They gave me the impression that they were into me, but I was the one who read the signs wrong."

Both Ash and I are at a loss for words.

We didn't expect that Maya, who rarely shared about guys, would suddenly blurt out her feelings like that.

Another sad smile touches Maya's lips. She shrugs. "I guess I just have no charms." She chuckles to lighten the atmosphere. "And I've accepted that fate."

"Maya--" Ash follows her when Maya walks out the door.

I can't stop thinking about what Maya said. I imagine being in her position, but I may not understand what she has been going through because I had guys confessing to me before.

I was aware that they liked me, and they did tell me about their feelings, which I refused mostly because I feared Dad's disapproval.

My heart sinks so low for Maya. To have guys giving you hope only to be crushed with nothing, absolutely nothing, must be disheartening.

I've overheard a group of our girl classmates chatting during lunch about how pretty Maya is. They think that Maya is one of the cutest girls on our faculty, and I totally agree. So what the hell is wrong with all the guys who are not brave enough to step up their game?

Ash switches the topic to the food we're going to eat in the cafeteria, and I smile in relief as I see them hooping their arms around each other's shoulders.

Not long after we step out of the classroom, a voice calls, "Maya."

I watch as Kai strides toward us. He hurries as soon as he spots Maya. He says hi to me and Ash, but when his eyes return to Maya, he goes silent.

Maya shifts her attention to him before looking at me. "Um... If you want to talk to Nevaeh, we can--"

"No," Kai blurts out. "I'm actually here to talk to you. I've been busy, but I don't even have your number. I've been looking for you."

Silence falls before he speaks again, "Can we talk for a while somewhere?" He looks unsure but also hopeful.

Maya stares at him with a lost expression before looking at me and Ash. "Well, we can talk here?"

Kai goes silent again. He throws a glance at me and Ash before looking around. He seems a bit uncomfortable that he has to speak to her here with other people watching.

"About what happened after the party," he starts, "thank you. Thank you for being there with me."

I raise my eyebrows. The conversation turns interesting and it makes me want to hear more.

"Some of the things you said really opened my eyes," Kai says to Maya.

Ash and I don't dare to interrupt their conversation even though our curiosity is all over the air. Kai is talking to Maya with an expression so serious I doubt that he doesn't even care anymore that the two of us are still here.

Kai hands Maya a book. "This is the book you mentioned."

Maya gasps. "How did you get this? I've been looking for this edition everywhere."

He chuckles. "I know. I must admit that it wasn't easy to find. They don't publish it anymore. You can borrow mine."

Maya looks even more surprised.

"You're right," Kai says. "It's a nice story. They were meant to be."

"You've read it all?" she asks in disbelief.

Before Kai can answer her, Ash whisper shouts at me, "We should go. They're gonna take ages. They're talking about a book."

I nod. It feels like we're disturbing their privacy as well.

While Ash and I are walking down the corridor on the way to the cafeteria, I glance back at Maya and Kai. I can't help but smile. What a pleasant surprise to find out that Maya and Kai are getting along well. They seem to grow close.

"So what happened?" I finally ask.

Ash lifts her shoulders. "Well, Kai looked absolutely heartbroken at the night you left with Aiden. Maya was there to cheer him up. They spent a long time talking. I wanted to leave the party but didn't want to bother her, so I left my car keys with her just in case she needed it."

"I see," I mumble before snapping my head toward her. "Wait. So you went back alone? In the middle of the night? Without a car?"

"Don't worry. Flynn--" Ash stops short, as if she just realized blurting that out.

A blush suddenly creeps on her cheeks, and the sight makes my jaw drop.

"What happened?" I echo.

Ash shuts her eyes, slapping her forehead with the back of her palm. "Okay. Nevaeh..." She takes a deep breath. "I actually fucked up."

The curiosity is killing me, and I hate that I know nothing about this.

"I made mistakes at the party." Ash sighs, looking slightly embarrassed. "But luckily, Flynn helped me."

What?

I did not know about that.

Maybe I was too consumed with Aiden at that time. Because I was not aware of what was happening to all my friends.

***

AN:

Hi everyone. Anya's here. As some of you have known, there will be bonus content for Ash and Maya in my other book called 'Anya's Writer Room'. If you want to know what really happened and what would happen next to Ash, Maya, Flynn, and Kai, feel free to add the book to your library. However, I don't have any specific dates for their special chapters, since WWMTB is still my priority right now.