No matter how hard Nora tried, no matter how much she reminded herself of what she had seen, of what he was, Jaytee lingered in her thoughts like a shadow she couldn't shake. Nora couldn't escape him. She liked him.
Her hands gripped the edges of her textbook, her eyes were unfocused on the printed words. It was no use. She wasn't reading. She wasn't even thinking about class anymore. Just the way Jaytee had looked at her before like he wanted to say something, like he wanted to reach for her but held himself back.
This was ridiculous. She had every reason to stay away. And yet, despite the warnings screaming at her from the back of her mind, her body was already moving.
She needed answers. And she needed them from him.
The corridors were half-empty as she made her way toward the back of the library where she knew Jaytee would be. He always went there when he wanted to be alone.
Her heart pounded with every step. What would she even say?
She wasn't sure. But the moment she reached the open doorway, all thoughts left her mind.
Jaytee was alone. Nora hesitated at the doorway, her breath was uneven. It felt strange seeing him like this, his usual sharp gaze lowered, lost in thought, his fingers idly tapping against the table as if he were working through something in his mind.
For a moment, she almost turned back. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe she didn't want to hear what he had to say.
But she had come too far to leave now.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
Jaytee looked up at the sound of her footsteps, his expression unreadable.
"Nora," he said, his voice was filled with acknowledgment.
She swallowed hard. "Hey."
Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. Neither of them spoke, but the weight of everything that had happened, the secrets, the distance, the fear, pressed down on them like an unspoken force.
Nora forced herself to meet his gaze. "I need to talk to you."
Jaytee exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I figured."
He didn't sound surprised. He didn't even sound guarded. Just… tired.
Nora stepped closer. "What's going on with you?" she asked, her voice softer than she intended. "I know something's wrong, and I don't…" She hesitated. "I don't like not knowing."
Jaytee studied her for a moment as if weighing his words. Then he said, "You already know part of it."
A chill ran down her spine. He wasn't denying anything.
"I don't know enough," she admitted.
Jaytee's jaw tensed. "Knowing more won't make it better."
"Maybe," she said. "But I still want to hear it from you."
There was something raw in her voice, something vulnerable. And for the briefest second, Jaytee's expression softened.
But before he could answer, before Nora could press him further, the door swung open. It was Adel.
Nora stiffened immediately, her instincts on high alert.
Adel's sharp green eyes flicked between the two of them, and in an instant, her expression shifted. A slow, knowing smile curved her lips.
"Oh," she said smoothly, stepping inside. "I didn't realize you had company."
Jaytee straightened, his expression darkening. "Adel…"
She ignored him and strode forward, closing the space between them in a few easy steps. Then, to Nora's shock, Adel placed a hand on Jaytee's shoulder and leaned in slightly, tilting her head as if she belonged there.
"You left me waiting," she murmured, her voice just loud enough for Nora to hear. "You know I don't like that."
Jaytee stiffened. He was confused about the act his mother was putting on. Nora felt the air leave her lungs.
It wasn't just the words, there was something in the way Adel touched him, the way she looked at him with familiarity, with possession.
Like they were together. Like she was his.
Adel turned her gaze to Nora then, her eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "Oh," she said again, her tone laced with false sweetness. "Were you two in the middle of something?"
Nora opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She felt stupid.
What had she been thinking, coming here like this?
Jaytee hadn't even pulled away from Adel's touch. He wasn't saying anything to deny it.
And maybe that was all the answer she needed.
Her fingers curled at her sides, but she kept her expression carefully blank.
"No," she said quietly. "We were done."
And before Jaytee could say anything, before she could let herself make a bigger fool of herself, she turned and walked away. She didn't stop.
Not even when she heard Jaytee's voice, low and sharp, cut through the air behind her.
"What the hell was that?" Nora didn't wait for an answer. She just kept walking.
The moment the door clicked shut behind Nora, Jaytee pushed Adel's hand off his shoulder and rounded on her.
"What the hell was that?" he repeated, his voice colder this time.
Adel only smiled, completely unbothered. "I was helping."
Jaytee's fists clenched at his sides. "Helping?"
She tilted her head. "She was getting too close. You don't need that."
Jaytee's jaw tightened. "You had no right Adel"
"I had every right," Adel interrupted smoothly. "You're my son."
Jaytee exhaled sharply, turning away. That was the part that no one else knew.
To the outside world, Adel was just another student. Someone new, Someone no one had any reason to suspect.
But in reality, she was his mother. And she would stop at nothing to keep him under her control.
Jaytee raked a hand through his hair. "You don't get to decide who I talk to."
Adel's eyes darkened, her amusement fading just slightly. "I decide what's best for you. What's best for us."
Jaytee let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah? And what if I don't want that?"
Adel's gaze stayed steady. "Then I make sure you do."
A chill ran through him.
Because he knew she meant it.
And suddenly, the cold distance between him and Nora felt even more suffocating.