Evaline:
The moment he stepped inside, his eyes landed on me, and his face shifted from composed to something softer.
On the other hand, I felt my stomach tensing - not with hunger, but with nerves. Rowan gave him a short nod, then turned to me with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I’ll wait outside," he whispered.
"No-" The word caught in my throat before I could push it out. But it was already too late. He had stepped outside and gently pulled the door closed behind him, leaving me alone with the man who had been avoiding me for past two weeks.
Kieran didn’t say anything at first. He just quietly sat down on the visitor stool near my bed, and started unboxing the meal he brought. He then placed one portion in front of me.
The silence was... heavy, but not uncomfortable. He looked calm, but there was something unreadable in his eyes.
"You should eat," he said, his voice soft, the same warm baritone I had grown to associate with safety that always came with his presence.
I nodded and picked up the spoon, letting the familiar scent of warm porridge settle my stomach a little. I took a bite. It was simple, comforting.
"How are you feeling?" he asked gently after a while.
"Better," I replied quietly. "Tired."
He gave a small nod. "You scared us. Rowan especially. He seems like a really good friend."
I smiled faintly at that, but I didn’t look up.
He was still the same - gentle, supportive, kind... and my professor. That last fact clung to my thoughts like a thorn.
It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right, either. The way my heart reacted to Kieran sometimes. It was almost like betrayal. I hated myself for it. I was bonded to Oscar and Draven. I had no right to be feeling this way about their elder brother... and my professor.
And it wasn’t like Kieran had ever given me a reason to think he saw me that way. No. He had always been careful, respectful. He was just... him. The one who gave me a chance when no one else did. The one who saw something in me when I was surrounded by darkness.
Maybe that’s why it hurt so much when I thought he was avoiding me these past weeks. I had convinced myself I didn’t care... but I had. I still did.
I waited for the questions. About what happened. About why I fainted. I was also worried that he might have learned about my pregnancy from the doctor. So I waited for his questions. But they never came.
Instead, he filled my container with more porridge and said, "You need to rest. Let your body recover. And take better care of yourself from now on. There are people who worry about you."
I blinked at him.
"I have already approved a leave request on your behalf for tomorrow," he added.
"What?" I sat up straighter. "No-Professor, I’m fine. I’ll be okay to attend classes."
He gave me a look. The kind that wasn’t up for debate. "You’ll rest. That’s an order. You are a student, yes. But you are also a person who needs to heal right now."
I opened my mouth again but he raised a brow, and I shut it.
He nodded, looking satisfied. "Good."
He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and typed something quickly before standing. "I have to get back to the Academy, there’s an important matter that needs my attention. But I’ll come by in the morning to pick you up."
I was quick to decline. "You don’t have to, Professor. Really, you have already done so much."
His lips pressed into a line. "It’s no trouble."
Rowan chose that moment to step inside again. Kieran looked between the two of us, then gave Rowan a short nod. "She’ll need rest and care. Keep an eye on her."
"I will," Rowan promised easily.
I could have sworn something flickered in Kieran’s eyes as he looked back at me, something that looked suspiciously like disappointment or sadness, but he quickly masked it and gave me one last nod.
"Get well soon, Evaline," he said.
"Thank you... for everything."
Then he turned and left.
I slumped back against the pillows, feeling... heavier. Like I had just exhaled a storm I didn’t know I was holding in.
"You okay?" Rowan asked as he took the seat Kieran had vacated.
I nodded, focusing on my food again. "Yeah. Just tired."
He watched me for a while as I ate, then said, "The others know."
I looked up. "What?"
"About you being in the hospital," he clarified. "They are worried. Mallory’s almost lost it."
Guilt stabbed me.
"She’s been trying to talk to you all week, Eva. You have been keeping things from her. I’m not saying you have to teel her everything, but at least don’t make her feel left out."
"I know," I whispered. "I’ll talk to her."
He smiled. But then his face shifted to something more serious. "Do you want to ask me something too?" he asked, studying my face. "You have been eyeing me like I’m hiding your favorite book."
I hesitated.
"I... do," I admitted. "You know, don’t you?"
"About the pregnancy?" he provided in a low voice.
I immediately froze.
He sat down beside me on the bed and sighed. "Yeah, I know."
I stared at him. "How?"
"Eva, we share a room. Even if I’m not there all the time, I’m not blind." His voice was soft but firm. "I noticed the nausea. The exhaustion. The way you would avoid certain smells. And then... the night when I helped you get your pajamas, I saw the clinic paperwork tucked in your closet."
My throat tightened. "You didn’t say anything..."
"Because it wasn’t my place. You were already carrying too much. I figured you would tell me when you were ready."
I looked down at my lap, feeling both exposed and strangely relieved. "I was scared. Of what people would say. Of what my mates would think. Of being judged before I even got to prove myself."
"You don’t need to prove anything," he said gently. "You are already stronger than anyone I know."
Tears pricked my eyes again and I quickly wiped them away.
"I’m here, Eva. Always. Whether you are okay or not. Whether things are light or dark. I have got your back."
I nodded, unable to speak through the lump in my throat.
He reached over and ruffled my hair again. "Eat. Sleep. Heal. That’s your only job right now, kiddo."
"Thanks... Rowan."
We sat in silence after that, with just the hum of machines and the low rhythm of peace after chaos accompanying us.
It felt good to have a friend who was ready to accept me with all the mess I was carrying, but... what he didn’t know was that I was still guarding my darkest secrets.