A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs-Chapter 65: A friend in Cambria

{Elira}

~**^**~

The hallway was quiet when I stepped out of the elevator. No voices, no footsteps. Just the hum of the lights above and the sound of my own heartbeat thudding steadily in my chest.

When I reached my dorm room door, I paused. I didn’t hear anything from inside—no chatter, no laughter, no clatter of books or drawers. That meant they were in there... likely asleep.

I exhaled slowly and turned the handle.

The room greeted me with stillness, a soft sort of dimness pulled down by the lowered blinds. But one sharp pair of eyes met mine almost immediately.

Tamryn.

She was sitting up on her bed with her back against the headboard, a thick book resting open on her lap. Her expression was unreadable as she stared at me. Then, without a word, she turned back to her reading.

I closed the door gently behind me and remained standing there, unsure of what that silence meant.

Still, I padded across the room as lightly as I could, heading toward my bunk. A quick glance across the room confirmed it—Nari and Juniper were both fast asleep on the opposite bunk. Their faces were relaxed, and the faint sound of breathing came from under their duvets.

I let out a quiet breath of relief.

But when I looked to the top bunk—Cambria’s—I noticed it was empty.

Where had she gone?

I hesitated again, my eyes flicking toward Tamryn. I was tempted to ask, but the idea of being met with cold silence or a shrug that said "not my problem" made me let the question die in my throat.

Instead, I slipped off my backpack and began unpacking.

Notebook, textbook, folder—everything went back to its place on the shelf, neatly arranged just the way I liked them. My movements were automatic, like muscle memory trying to distract me from the heaviness still sitting in my chest.

All I wanted now was to shower, change, and lie down.

I walked to the wardrobe and pulled out one of my flower dresses, soft and simple. Just as I shut the wardrobe door, a voice startled me.

"Where have you been?"

I turned.

Juniper was sitting up now, her blanket pushed back and her hair slightly tousled from sleep. Her voice was steady but carried a quiet edge of concern.

"Cambria’s been worried about you," she added. "Unfortunately, she doesn’t have your contact, so she couldn’t call."

I blinked, unsure of how to respond. The truth felt too complicated... and a little too pathetic.

I didn’t say anything.

Juniper let out a quiet huff. "You really have a knack for making people worry about you," she muttered, then lay back down and turned her face away.

I was just glad it wasn’t Nari who woke up. With her, the words would’ve stung.

I clutched the dress in my arms and went straight to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me with a quiet click.

The warmth inside soothed me almost instantly. I peeled out of my uniform, stepped into the shower, and let the water wash away what was left of the day—the ache, the anxiety, the memory of standing in front of everyone and feeling completely exposed. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Afterward, I changed into the flower dress and pulled my damp hair loose from the towel. I plugged in the hand dryer and slowly started to dry it in gentle strokes, watching my reflection in the mirror.

That was when the door creaked open.

I looked up—and there she was.

Cambria.

Our eyes met through the mirror, and I froze.

But she smiled.

And then she stepped inside fully, closing the door softly behind her.

I turned off the dryer and unplugged it. My hand hovered, unsure of what to say. I half-expected a scolding. Or questions. Or even worse—pity.

But Cambria simply walked up to me with that same calm energy she always carried.

"I was worried about you," she said, her voice low. "It’s a good thing you’re back. Are you okay?"

I nodded quickly. "I’m fine," I said, though my voice came out smaller than I intended.

Cambria exhaled in quiet relief and gave a soft smile. "That’s all that matters."

I looked at her carefully. "You’re... not mad at me?"

She chuckled and reached over, hooking her arm around my shoulders. "Why should I be mad at you?"

I didn’t have a good answer for that.

"I just... I’m sorry for making you worry," I said, guilt tugging at my chest again.

Cambria gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It’s okay. Your feelings are valid, Elira. You don’t need to apologize for needing space."

I stared at her for a second, caught off guard. But what struck me most wasn’t her kindness—it was her restraint. She didn’t bring up what happened at the Power Channelling class. She didn’t mention the whispers or the humiliation. She was avoiding the topic on purpose.

She didn’t want me to feel small.

And that... touched me more than anything else could have.

"Come on," she said, releasing me gently. "You should get at least thirty minutes of rest before dinner."

I hesitated, then asked, "What about you? When I walked in and didn’t see you, I was... a bit worried too."

Cambria smiled again. "You’re the one who needs rest more than I do. But if you insist..." she tilted her head, "we’ll both rest."

I nodded quietly.

Together, we left the bathroom and returned to our bunks.

Cambria climbed onto the top bunk while I slipped into mine. I pulled the blanket up over my legs, and before I could even close my eyes, I heard her voice again.

"Want some chocolate?" she asked in a whisper, peeking down at me from above.

I smiled for the first time in hours and shook my head. "I’ll wait until dinner."

She mouthed an okay and lay back down.

I turned on my side and stared at the wall, the softness of the blanket finally comforting me the way I needed.

Somewhere between exhaustion and quiet gratitude, I realized something.

I’d taken Cambria as a friend.

Without even meaning to.

And somehow, in that tiny realization... I finally began to breathe easier.