Vansh POV:
When the message popped up, Vansh froze.
"Oh, so you're all flirty online but suddenly rude in person? Wow, impressive. Tell me—how many other girls have you recycled those same lines on? Hmm, let me guess… that adorable little account you follow—@love_peace?"
He blinked hard, rereading the words. He wasn't expecting that. Not from Pearl. Not tonight.
She was smart—too smart. And clearly catching on.
The name @love_peace made his stomach twist. Of all things, why that account? It wasn't a lie that it wasn't about her… but it wasn't a full truth either. That account held something—someone—he wasn't ready to talk about. Not yet.
He quickly typed back, trying to be direct without revealing too much."Wait,what? No. I don't flirt with anyone else. Just you."
And that was the truth. He hadn't even meant to flirt with her at first—it just happened. The looks, the sarcasm, the way she challenged him every time they crossed paths. Pearl wasn't just another classmate. She made him feel seen. And that was dangerous.
Because Vansh wasn't ready to be seen.
When her teasing reply came, accusing him again—this time playfully—it stirred something deeper than irritation. It was like she wanted to get under his skin. And maybe she already had.
He deflected, again. "It's not about me."Not a lie, he reminded himself. Just... not the whole story.(she is not ready to know the whole story,it was the traumatic past that i want to forget)
She kept poking. Asking questions. Smiling through the screen like she knew exactly what she was doing.
And god, maybe she did.
When she asked if she was "special," Vansh felt the words slip out faster than he could second-guess himself:"You're more than you think. Don't act like you don't know that."
And that's when he realized… he was already in too deep