Alex’s father gave a look to his wife—a tight, silent exchange. Without another word, he stepped back into the hallway.

  Her mother followed, muttering, “We’ll be speaking with Pastor Emil about this.”

  The words weren’t aimed at Hazel. They were meant for Alex. And they nded with the weight of finality.

  Once they were gone, the air in the room felt thinner somehow. Abigail hovered awkwardly for another moment, then gave a quick, mumbled goodbye and disappeared down the hall.

  Hazel exhaled softly and gnced to the side. “That went well.”

  Alex gave a short ugh—more breath than amusement. “You’ve got a dark sense of humor.”

  Hazel smiled faintly. “Helps keep the fangs sharp.”

  Alex turned, then flopped onto the edge of her bed with a groan. “They’re going to drag me into prayer meetings and try to exorcise the gay out of me again. I can already hear the incense swinging.”

  Hazel stepped forward, resting her fingers lightly on the windowsill, gaze cast out. “Do you want to stay here and wait for the oil and fire… or would you prefer a walk?”

  Alex blinked, caught off guard by the sudden gentleness in Hazel’s voice.

  “A walk?”

  Hazel turned, her amber eyes catching the sunlight just right—glowing softly. “I was heading to campus to pick up Stel. You're welcome to join me.”

  Alex looked toward her bedroom door, where tension still lingered like smoke. Then she looked at Hazel again.

  “I’ll grab my jacket.”

  ...

  Outside, the cool afternoon air cut through the tension that clung to Alex’s chest. She walked beside Hazel, shoulder-to-shoulder, though her eyes lingered on her companion more often than they should have.

  Hazel moved like liquid moonlight—silent, elegant, somehow always in control without looking like she was trying. People noticed her even when she didn’t speak. They always would.

  “I’m surprised you’re still willing to hang out with me,” Alex said after a while, kicking a stray pebble along the path.

  Hazel gnced at her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Alex shrugged. “My family basically decred holy war on you.”

  “They don’t know me,” Hazel replied softly. “And they never will. That’s not your fault.”

  The two walked in silence for a few more paces.

  Campus came into view—a patch of buildings nestled between manicured wns and old stone walkways.

  Alex gave her a sidelong gnce. “Do you always come get Stel?”

  “When I can,” Hazel said. “She’s not fond of being swarmed.”

  Alex raised an eyebrow. “And you are?”

  Hazel’s expression turned unreadable. “I’m used to being stared at. It doesn’t mean I enjoy it.”

  Alex let that hang in the air for a moment, her earlier sarcasm fading into something softer. “You’re kind of… incredible, you know.”

  Hazel didn’t answer, but the faintest ghost of a smile passed her lips.

  They stepped onto campus proper—students lounging in the grass, walking briskly between csses, a few turning heads when they saw Hazel.

  She didn’t even blink at the attention. Her eyes were already scanning the walkways, searching.

  “There she is,” Hazel murmured.

  At the far end of the pza, Stel stood outside her building, hugging her bag to her chest, eyes scanning the crowd.

  Alex watched as Hazel’s entire posture changed. Not in any obvious way—just a subtle shift, a softening in her shoulders, the way her mouth moved slightly like she was already smiling.

  Alex looked between them, something warm threading into her chest. She still didn’t fully understand Hazel. But she was beginning to understand what she meant to the people who really knew her.

  And it wasn’t monstrous.

  Not at all.

  Stel spotted them a moment ter—her eyes locking onto Hazel first with visible relief, then darting briefly to Alex. She straightened, brushing down the front of her shirt like she’d been caught off guard.

  Hazel raised a hand in a small wave, and Stel’s face flushed instantly.

  Alex smirked.

  “Well, someone’s got it bad.”

  Hazel tilted her head, amused. “I could say the same.”

  “I did say it first,” Alex pointed out, then nudged Hazel with her shoulder. “Look at her. Blushing like she’s in a romance drama.”

  Hazel said nothing, but her lips curved faintly.

  As they neared, Stel stepped forward, her fingers twitching nervously against her bag. “Hey, I didn’t know you were bringing… company.”

  Alex offered a zy smile and swept into an overly formal bow. “Alex. A pleasure to meet Hazel’s lovely younger sister.”

  “I’m not younger,” Stel said, flustered. “I mean—I am, but not like—ugh, shut up.”

  Alex chuckled, and Hazel gave a quiet sigh like she was already regretting the pairing.

  Stel looked between them and blinked, her expression shifting from flustered to vaguely suspicious. “You two seem… friendly.”

  Hazel gnced at Alex. “We’ve spent some time together.”

  “She’s charming company,” Alex said, eyes glinting. “And you, dear Stel, are even cuter when you’re jealous.”

  “I am not jealous,” Stel snapped, voice an octave higher than she meant.

  Hazel touched Stel’s arm lightly. “She’s just teasing.”

  “I know,” Stel mumbled, folding into herself a little. “She’s good at it.”

  “I practice in front of the mirror,” Alex said proudly. “And sometimes at nuns.”

  That got a sudden snort of ughter out of Hazel. Stel tried to stay grumpy, but the moment cracked her composure.

  “I think you’re both monsters,” she said quietly, but there was no heat in her voice.

  “Only one of us is,” Hazel replied smoothly, offering her arm.

  Stel took it, and as the three began walking, Alex lingered just a step behind, hands in her pockets.

  She watched them with something that looked like fondness, but also like distance. Her teasing mask slipped just a little.

  Hazel gnced over her shoulder, caught it, and said nothing.

  Stel leaned into Hazel’s side. “You’re te,” she murmured.

  “I had a detour.”

  “A good one?”

  Hazel smiled. “I think so.”

  As they reached the front steps of the university, Stel’s trio of friends were already gathered near the entrance. Erin, the petite redhead with a fiery energy barely contained by her size, waved enthusiastically the moment she spotted them. Jordan, who always seemed a little too shy for the group’s rowdy dynamic, stood beside her, clutching her tote bag. Marcus, tall and awkward with a crooked smile, gave a casual salute when he saw Stel.

  “There you are,” Erin called, bouncing forward. “We thought you got abducted by—oh.”

  Her words trailed off as she caught sight of Alex beside Hazel. The air shifted with an immediate and silent appraisal.

  Alex’s presence—graceful, elegant, more forwardly radiant than Hazel’s subtle composure—drew them in before they realized it. Even Erin’s usual boldness stumbled slightly under the weight of that charisma.

  Stel, feeling the awkwardness build, cleared her throat. “Guys, this is Alex. She’s… a friend of mine. Hazel’s, too.”

  Alex smiled warmly, that same refined poise she wielded so naturally softening as she addressed the trio. “It’s lovely to meet you all. I’ve heard a lot about Stel’s circle.”

  Erin blinked. “Right. Uh. I’m Erin, this is Jordan, and Marcus—” she gestured between them.

  Marcus gave a little wave. “Nice to meet you.”

  Jordan murmured a quiet hello, barely audible, her wide eyes flicking between Alex and Hazel as if trying to process how two people so strikingly elegant could exist together.

  Hazel, standing a little behind the others, offered a faint smile as her golden gaze swept over them, watching. She didn’t need to say much. Her presence had already spoken volumes.

  “Anyway,” Stel said, tugging at the hem of her shirt and gncing at her friends, “we should get going.”

  “Right,” Erin said, still a bit dazed. “Catch you ter, Stel.”

  The trio gave parting waves, though all three couldn’t help gncing back as they walked away, stealing second looks at the two women beside Stel.

  As Stel walked alongside Hazel and Alex, she gnced up at the taller woman with a sly smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

  “Heard a lot about us, huh?” she said, bumping her shoulder gently against Alex’s arm. “Funny. I don’t remember telling you anything about them.”

  Alex arched a brow, amused. “Did I say I heard it from you?”

  Stel’s grin widened. “So you lied?”

  “Only a little,” Alex replied with a soft, musical chuckle. “It helps people feel more at ease. Familiarity makes introductions gentler. Besides…” She gnced back over her shoulder where Erin, Jordan, and Marcus had disappeared into the crowd. “It worked, didn’t it?”

  Stel rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “I’m persuasive,” Alex corrected, shooting her a side gnce that shimmered with mischief. “There’s a difference.”

  Hazel, quietly walking beside them, offered a subtle smile. Watching them trade jabs—pyful but lighthearted—filled the space between them with something warmer than words. A contrast to the tension of the past few days. This, Hazel thought, felt like calm.

  Stel exhaled through a half-ugh and shook her head. “You’re just lucky Erin was too stunned to call you out.”

  “Oh, give her time,” Alex replied smoothly. “She’ll recover and want to interrogate me like any good friend would.”

  “I’m not sure if I should be worried or impressed,” Stel said, looking between Hazel and Alex. “You’re both dangerous in completely different ways.”

  Hazel tilted her head slightly, amusement glinting in her eyes. “Is that a compint?”

  Stel looped her arm through Hazel’s and leaned in. “I’ll get back to you on that.”

  They continued on, weaving through the soft murmur of students drifting between buildings, the sunlight casting long shadows behind them.

  Even without trying, they drew attention—but this time, it didn’t seem to matter. There was a rhythm to their stride now, like something steady beneath the change.

  As the trio walked beneath the rows of budding trees lining the main pathway, Hazel shifted her gaze to Alex, her voice smooth and low.

  “So,” she began, brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear, “where do you pn on staying?”

  Alex exhaled softly through her nose, the corner of her mouth twitching up. “No clue,” she said with a shrug.

  “Not worried, though. I could probably nd something decent without much fuss—temp work, maybe. Something simple. Our kind’s good at picking things up fast.”

  “Good at everything,” Hazel murmured with a hint of knowing amusement.

  Alex smirked, not denying it.

  They walked a few steps in silence before Stel spoke up, voice a little hesitant, almost as if the words were forming as they left her lips. “We… have room,” she said, eyes forward, not looking at either of them. “At our pce, I mean. The guest room’s just sitting there.”

  Hazel’s lips curled slowly into a smile, and she tilted her head toward Stel. “Oh?” she said, voice lilting. “Pnning to offer her your bed instead?”

  Stel halted mid-step, whirling toward her with cheeks already flushed a bright pink. “What?! No—Hazel!” she hissed, swatting Hazel’s arm with the back of her hand. “Why would you say something like that?!”

  Hazel feigned a wince, more amused than hurt. “Ow.”

  Alex, meanwhile, had stopped as well, a clear peal of ughter escaping her lips. “She’s vicious,” she said, still chuckling. “You have to watch her.”

  “I already do!” Stel snapped, flustered beyond recovery now. “She’s worse than you.”

  Hazel’s golden eyes glinted with satisfaction. “I only tease the ones I like.”

  “I’m going to throttle you.”

  Alex wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still ughing, while Hazel smiled as if she’d won something subtle and significant.

  Stel huffed and crossed her arms, but even she couldn’t suppress the twitch of a smile tugging at her mouth as they resumed walking again, the sun warming their backs.

  Despite the embarrassment, there was something light in the air—something that made the walk feel less like an ordinary day and more like a memory in the making.