"Who do you think has to pick up the pieces every time you break her heart?" Fabian attested,
"I'd appreciate it if you'd let Armani speak for herself, last I'd checked she's quite capable." River retorted, a faint grin playing on his face, “She does talk quite a lot.”
"I've always particularly despised exchanging words with you River but I must ask," Fabian countered, stepping closer towards him, "do you care about anyone other than yourself?"
"I care enough to allow her and anyone else to make their own choices, regardless if I agree with them or not." River defended, he held a serious expression, "And believe me when I say j'ai essayé."I've tried,
"Well then tryharderbecause Armani deserves better." Fabien declared and for a second I thought I saw a flash of emotion in River's cold blue eyes.
“Better than me?” River responded sarcastically with a knowing smirk that brought heat to my cheeks.
“Yes better than you.” Fabian scoffed,
"I know." He simply replied,
"Do you even feel anything towards her?" Fabian asked, stepping closer but River pressed an effortless hand to his chest to stop him from moving any closer.
“You and I both know that’s not a good idea.” River warned, “Masculinity contests aren’t really my thing.”
“Just answer the question.” Fabian urged swallowing and stepping back nervously.
"Not that I owe you any explanations but if you must know, Armani to me is-" but before he could complete his sentence I found myself interrupting him.
All I knew was that some part of me couldn't bear to hear the truth about what he felt towards me, I couldn't bear to hear an answer that'd break my heart any further.
"Hi!" I exclaimed and their heads turned to face me, Fabian saw me and flushed taking a step back away from River who held an all-knowing smirk on his face almost as if he knew I’d been there all along, but that wasn’t possible, was it?
"Are you guys here to study too?" I asked,
“I don’t study,” River responded plainly. “I have a photographic memory.”
“We’re still yet to confirm that medically.” Fabian coughed rolling his eyes.
“He claims he also never lies,” I added jokingly,
“Is that so?” Fabian asked, almost as if he knew something I didn’t. “How fascinating, so tell us more Kennedy?”
“You’re both rather excruciating to converse with.” River deadpanned and Fabian and I laughed.
“I was actually about to work on my commerce assignment, if you have anything to work on we could study together?” Fabes offered,
“Of course!” I insisted, and I watch as River’s gaze narrows slightly at us, no one else would’ve noticed the subtle change in his demeanour, no one else butmewho had been completely enamoured by him since the moment I saw him.
“I will leave you two alone then…” he concluded glancing away and furrowing his eyebrows in distaste.
“Hey man we never said you had to leave—” Fabian begun but River just shook his head, appearing slightly disoriented.
“It’s okay, À la prochaine.” He waved off,until next time.
River doesn’t think I noticed but he glanced back to look at me that day, with eyes anew, it was almost as if I too had awakened something long dormant inside him. Something ravenous and insatiable that would never rest again.
"Okay, I'm sorry if things with River seemed tense for a moment there, I know you noticed it's just that I-
I really care about you Armani and River and I haven't been seeing eye to eye lately, that's all." Fabian apologized and I could've sworn if he didn't immediately turn away that his eyes began to fill with sadness.
“It’s okay, let’s just get to work yeah?” I suggested and he hooked an arm over my shoulder with a smile.
I sighed and made my way to the study area to do my math and geography homework, which took a very long time, much longer than I'd expected. And by the time I was done, I gazed out the window, it was dark and the sun had completely set in the sky. I checked my watch, it was three hours to midnight, at 9 PM. Fabes left an hour earlier because his roommate was giving him hell about cleaning. I packed away my books and made my way across campus and back to my dorm, a couple was making out with their door wide open in the room next to mine, which explained the constant sounds of a squeaky bed frame almost every night.
