Betrayal by love-Chapter 5 - : Something off about him

Aaron noticed the shift in her demeanor. He glanced behind her, his brows furrowing as he took in Nate. Who is he? he thought, a hint of possessiveness rising within him. He smiled at Evangeline, a question in his eyes. "Everything alright?" he asked, his voice casual but with an underlying edge.

Evangeline nodded, still looking at her phone. "Yeah... Yeah, fine," she replied, her voice a little too high-pitched. She finally looked up at Aaron, forcing another smile. "Just catching up on messages," she lied smoothly.

Across the table, Zoey and Luna were focused on their own world, laughing about some inside joke. "Oh my god, you did what?" Luna shrieked, clutching her stomach.

"And then he said that...!" Zoey dissolved into giggles, unable to finish the sentence.

Evangeline tuned out their chatter, her mind still preoccupied with Nate. She glanced at him again, this time more discreetly. He was talking to someone else now, a new guy with a friendly face. She quickly looked away, not wanting to be caught staring again, she sighed.

A hand then landed on Nate's shoulder, breaking his focus. "Hey, man."

"I'm Mike. Economic lecture hall.... we sit at the same bench..." Mike offered a friendly smile in front of him holding a plate.

Nate gave a brief nod. "Yeah... yeah, I remember"

"Is that seat taken?" Mike asked, glancing around the crowded cafeteria.

"No... please sit down" Nate replied.

"How was your day?" Mike asked, his smile widening.

Nate hesitated, then shrugged. "Um... Not bad... A lot of nosy around here, right?" Having a single friend doesn't change anything, he thought, his eyes remained fixed on Aaron.

Mike's eyebrows narrowed slightly. "Yeah.... sometimes, especially on Mondays?"

Nate nodded and watched them, his curiosity piqued. His gaze lingered on Aaron's easy smile and thoughts raced, at the way he leaned in closer to Evangeline. Was he a competitor or merely a friend of hers? Nate wondered. I'll find out later. Just then, a voice called out, interrupting his thoughts.

"Nate! Hey, Nate!"

The voice was faint but familiar. He turned to see Kim, his expression shifting to surprise. He hadn't expected him here.

Kim? What the hell is he doing here? Nate thought.

Mike, sitting nearby, asked, "Who's that? You guys know each other?"

Kim walked toward Nate and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey man, long time no see! What are the odds of ending up at the same school?" He lowered his voice, whispering, "Don't mess up," before smiling broadly at Mike.

Nate forced a small smile. "Yeah, small world," he replied, his tone carefully neutral.

"It's okay, Nate. I'm just asking. Well, good to see you here. We can catch up later." Kim turned to Mike. "Hey, I'm Kim Hyun Joong."

"I'm Mike, Nate's classmate. You guys are childhood friends, right?" Mike asked.

Kim nodded. "Yeah, we go way back. Nice to meet you, Mike."

Mike nodded with a gentle smile on his lips. "Well, we should probably head to class; lunch is almost over."

As they walked, Nate's thoughts raced. Kim isn't just a classmate; he's one of my father's guys and my friend too. Four years older, always watching... He glanced at Kim's youthful face. Korean genes, probably. Dad must have sent him. Typical.

Mike paused and glanced at both "Guys, I have Business Development class, see you tomorrow, bye" he waved his hand, and hurried off in the opposite direction.

Nate nodded, Kim grabbed Nate's arm, pulling him into the brightly lit washroom. The door clicked shut behind them, the sound echoing in the small, tiled space. The scent of cheap air freshener and stale water filled Nate's nostrils. He wrinkled his nose slightly.

"Nate, why are you staring like her?" Kim whispered, his voice tight. "If you make like that, she's going to hate you. Be casual, bro. Be cool. I know we have an assignment, but we don't have to be so obvious about the mission." He adjusted his hair and shirt, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

Nate's jaw tightened. He looked away, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. I'm not a kid anymore, he thought, resisting the urge to snap at Kim. "I know, Kim," he said, his voice flat.

"Okay, cool. I know my presence is irritating you, but you don't have a choice," Kim replied, oblivious to Nate's growing frustration.

Nate rolled his eyes. Easy for him to say. He pushed the thought away. He had a job to do. His father was counting on him. "I talked to my father," he said, grabbing his bag and heading towards the door. I'm going to the Business Communication lecture hall."

"By the way, you look handsome and younger... And one thing is absent.... guess what.... your smile," Kim said playfully.

Nate's hand on the doorknob. He paused for a second, a smirk appearing on his lips, and then pushed it open without watching him.

The Business Communication lecture hall buzzed with quiet conversation. Some students flipped through notebooks, others listened to music, and a few applied makeups. The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting long shadows.

Evangeline tried to organize her notes, but she kept looking toward the back of the room. She shifted in her seat so she could see Nate without turning her head. He sat hunched over his laptop, focused as he typed quickly.

"He looks focused," she thought. "Maybe he's just a regular student. Maybe I'm wrong about him." She took a glance at him and then returned to her notes, hoping Zoey wouldn't notice. But there was something off about him—the way he looked —that felt unsettling. She shook her head. "I'm being paranoid. I need to stop this."

Zoey nudged Evangeline playfully. "Ooh, someone's been checking out the new guy," she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

Luna chimed in, "Yeah, I thought he was 'just a man' this morning. What changed?"

Evangeline rolled her eyes, a slight blush creeping up her neck. "I wasn't watching him," she protested, though her tone lacked conviction. "I was just... thinking about something."

Zoey and Luna exchanged knowing glances. "Something? Something involving dark hair, blue eyes, and a mysterious aura?" Luna asked, grinning.

Evangeline sighed, hand over forehead "Guys, seriously..."

Luna pointed her cheeks, "You are blushing, Eve", she teased.

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The bell rang, its sharp tone cutting through the remaining chatter. "Okay, guys, see you tomorrow," Evangeline said, grabbing her bag.

"Don't forget to tell us all about your 'something' later," Zoey said with a wink.

Evangeline rolled her eyes again but couldn't help a smile. She texted Aaron: I'm leaving. If you have time, come to the hallway.

Aaron replied almost immediately: Okay.

She put her phone into her bag and glanced around the room. Nate was gone. She grabbed her bag and left the classroom. Zoey and Luna trailed behind her.

"Finally, my friend Eve got some butterflies in her stomach," Zoey teased as they reached the hallway.

Luna chimed in, "About time! I was starting to think she was immune to cute guys."

Evangeline just shook her head, a smirk playing on her lips, and she glanced walking towards the hallway, students rushing towards their homes, their voices echoing off.

The late afternoon sun warmed Nate's face as he stood on the seventh-floor balcony, a slight breeze rustling his hair. From his vantage point, he could see the sprawling campus below – the manicured lawns, the red-brick buildings, and the distant sounds of students laughing and shouting. But his attention was focused on Evangeline.

She emerged from the college building, her head held high. She moved with a confident stride, her heels clicking against the pavement.

Two men in dark suits stood beside a gleaming black sedan, their eyes scanning the crowd with an almost predatory alertness. Evangeline approached them, a small, genuine smile playing on her lips. She spoke briefly to one of the men, then turned to Aaron, who was leaning against the car, his sports uniform a splash of color against the sleek black of the vehicle.

So, that's Aaron, Nate thought, his gaze fixed on the other boy. He looks... comfortable. Too comfortable. He watched as Evangeline smiled at Aaron, a genuine smile that made a pang of something. Is he just a friend? Or something more? He glanced at the bodyguards.

"You have a practice today", Eve asked while glancing at him from top to bottom.

"Yup," he smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Okay, call me tonight," Evangeline said to Aaron, her voice carrying easily in the calm courtyard.

"Of course, Evangeline. I'll be waiting," Aaron replied, his enthusiasm evident. He waved goodbye before heading off in the opposite direction, presumably toward his practice.

Nate's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out; he already knew who was calling.