The party faded into memory, but the feeling it left behind didn't.
Rea wasn't sure what had changed. Nothing looked different. The hallways were still crowded, classes still dragged, and she still hated walking into the cafeteria.
But Aster wasn't a passing thought anymore.
She saw him everywhere now. In English class, where he sat in his usual spot, pretending to care about assignments. In the halls, where he leaned against lockers like he owned the place. Even outside, where he sometimes disappeared behind the bleachers, always looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
And sometimes—too often—he caught her looking.
"Gonna start charging you for staring, new girl," Aster murmured one day as he slid into the seat beside her.
Rea snapped her head forward, cheeks burning. "I wasn't—"
Aster smirked. "You were."
She gritted her teeth, flipping open her notebook. "You're annoying."
"I get that a lot."
The way he said it made her glance at him. His usual teasing expression was there, but something about it felt off.
Like maybe he actually meant it.
Rea should have let it go.
But she didn't.
"You don't care what people think about you, do you?" she asked.
Aster leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. "Depends on the person."
She frowned. "So... you care?"
His smirk faded slightly, just enough for her to notice. He shrugged. "People are gonna think whatever they want. Doesn't mean they know me."
Rea thought about that.
People assumed things about her, too. That she was quiet because she was shy. That she was lonely because she hadn't tried hard enough.
No one ever thought that maybe she just felt safer this way.
But Aster wasn't safe.
Not in the way she was used to.
She told herself she'd stop noticing him. Stop thinking about him.
But then Friday came.
And he gave her a reason not to.
It was after school when she saw him. The parking lot was mostly empty, just a few lingering students heading to practice or waiting for rides.
Aster stood near his car, hands clenched into fists, jaw tight.
Rea barely had time to register that something was wrong before another voice cut through the air.
"You think you're tough, Westwood?"
Rea turned.
A boy she vaguely recognized—one of the football players—was walking toward Aster, flanked by two others.
Aster's expression didn't change. "Depends. You looking for a fight or just bored?"
The guy scoffed. "I'm looking to remind you that you don't run this school."
Rea's stomach twisted.
Aster wasn't even trying to fight back—he just stood there, bored, like he'd done this a hundred times before.
The football player shoved him.
Rea flinched. Aster didn't.
Instead, he sighed. "Yeah. Thought so."
Then he moved.
Fast.
Before the other guy could react, Aster grabbed his wrist and twisted, shoving him back with enough force to make him stumble.
The other two lunged.
And that's when Rea did something incredibly stupid.
She stepped forward.
"Stop," she said, louder than she meant to.
They all turned.
Aster's gaze landed on her first, something flashing through his expression—surprise, then something else.
The football player scowled. "Stay out of this."
Rea's pulse pounded. She should have. She should have.
But she didn't.
She didn't know why she spoke, why she moved closer, why she even thought she could stop this.
Maybe because, for the first time, she wasn't afraid of a crowd.
Maybe because, when she looked at Aster, she saw someone else standing alone.
The moment stretched.
Then someone muttered, "Whatever, man. Not worth it."
The football players backed off.
Aster watched them leave, his hands still clenched.
Then, finally, he looked at her.
"Rea," he said slowly, "what the hell was that?"
Her heart was still racing. "I—"
"You don't just walk into something like that." His voice wasn't sharp, but it wasn't teasing, either. It was something else.
Something worried.
"I didn't want you to get hurt," she blurted before she could stop herself.
Aster stared at her for a long moment.
Then, to her absolute disbelief, he laughed.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't mocking. It was just... surprised.
"You didn't want me to get hurt?"
Rea folded her arms, trying to ignore the heat rising to her face. "Yes."
Aster shook his head, still grinning. "New girl, you might be the weirdest person I've ever met."
Rea scowled. "I was trying to help."
"I know," he said.
Something about the way he said it made her stomach flip.
Silence settled between them.
Then Aster sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You really don't have to worry about me, Rea."
She wanted to believe that.
But she didn't.
Because something told her that Aster Westwood was a lot better at getting hurt than he let on.