Grave lessons

Kayla wasn't imagining it.

At first, she thought Caston's sudden protectiveness was just some weird, one-time thing. Maybe he was still on edge from the whole almost-being-consumed-by-an-entity situation. But after what happened with Jason?

Something was off.

And now, as she leaned against a cafeteria table, laughing at something Liam Carter—one of the few genuinely decent guys at Ridgewood—had said, she felt it again.

A burning stare.

She turned her head slightly, already knowing what she'd see.

Caston.

Sitting at his usual spot across the room, gripping a water bottle way too tightly, jaw clenched like he was ready to break something. His blue eyes were locked on her and Liam like they were the most offensive thing in existence.

Kayla raised an eyebrow. Seriously?

Liam didn't notice, still chuckling. "I swear, if I have to hear one more speech about 'teamwork makes the dream work,' I'm dropping out."

Kayla laughed. "Please do. Let me watch."

"Tempting," Liam grinned. "I just might."

Before she could respond, she heard a loud thud behind her.

Kayla turned—just in time to see Caston standing up abruptly, shoving his chair back so hard it nearly tipped over. His entire focus was on her, his expression unreadable.

She frowned. What is his problem?

And then—he started walking over.

The Confrontation

Kayla barely had time to process before Caston was there, standing way too close, his towering frame casting a shadow over the table.

Liam looked up, blinking. "Uh. Hey, Caston."

Caston's jaw was tight. "Carter."

Liam hesitated, glancing between him and Kayla. "Everything okay?"

"Fine."

Kayla gave him an are-you-kidding-me look. "Really?"

Caston ignored her, still staring at Liam like he was personally offended by his existence.

Liam cleared his throat, obviously picking up on the weird tension. "Right. Well, uh, I gotta head to class early, so—later, Kayla."

He walked off without looking back.

Kayla folded her arms and turned to Caston, unimpressed. "What the hell was that?"

Caston shrugged. "Nothing."

"Nothing? You just scared him off like a psycho!"

"I didn't scare him," Caston muttered, looking away.

Kayla scoffed. "Wow. You're not even denying it."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking irritated—at her, at himself, at everything. "I just—" He exhaled sharply, his fists clenching. "Forget it."

And then, just like that, he turned to leave.

But Kayla wasn't letting this go.

She grabbed his arm—actually grabbed it—and Caston froze.

He looked down at where her hand was wrapped around his wrist, then slowly up at her, his expression unreadable.

"Kayla," he warned.

But she didn't let go.

"You're jealous," she said, her voice quieter now, but definite.

His jaw tightened. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

Silence.

Kayla could feel the shift between them, the air thick with something neither of them wanted to name. She should've let go. She should've walked away.

But she didn't.

And neither did he.

Unspoken Tension

That night, Kayla lay awake in bed, replaying everything over and over.

The way Caston looked at her. The way he reacted. The fact that he didn't deny it fast enough.

And worst of all?

The way her heart raced because of it.

Kayla wasn't imagining it.

At first, she thought Caston's sudden protectiveness was just some weird, one-time thing. Maybe he was still on edge from the whole almost-being-consumed-by-an-entity situation. But after what happened with Jason?

Something was off.

And now, as she leaned against a cafeteria table, laughing at something Liam Carter—one of the few genuinely decent guys at Ridgewood—had said, she felt it again.

A burning stare.

She turned her head slightly, already knowing what she'd see.

Caston.

Sitting at his usual spot across the room, gripping a water bottle way too tightly, jaw clenched like he was ready to break something. His blue eyes were locked on her and Liam like they were the most offensive thing in existence.

Kayla raised an eyebrow. Seriously?

Liam didn't notice, still chuckling. "I swear, if I have to hear one more speech about 'teamwork makes the dream work,' I'm dropping out."

Kayla laughed. "Please do. Let me watch."

"Tempting," Liam grinned. "I just might."

Before she could respond, she heard a loud thud behind her.

Kayla turned—just in time to see Caston standing up abruptly, shoving his chair back so hard it nearly tipped over. His entire focus was on her, his expression unreadable.

She frowned. What is his problem?

And then—he started walking over.

The Confrontation

Kayla barely had time to process before Caston was there, standing way too close, his towering frame casting a shadow over the table.

Liam looked up, blinking. "Uh. Hey, Caston."

Caston's jaw was tight. "Carter."

Liam hesitated, glancing between him and Kayla. "Everything okay?"

"Fine."

Kayla gave him an are-you-kidding-me look. "Really?"

Caston ignored her, still staring at Liam like he was personally offended by his existence.

Liam cleared his throat, obviously picking up on the weird tension. "Right. Well, uh, I gotta head to class early, so—later, Kayla."

He walked off without looking back.

Kayla folded her arms and turned to Caston, unimpressed. "What the hell was that?"

Caston shrugged. "Nothing."

"Nothing? You just scared him off like a psycho!"

"I didn't scare him," Caston muttered, looking away.

Kayla scoffed. "Wow. You're not even denying it."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking irritated—at her, at himself, at everything. "I just—" He exhaled sharply, his fists clenching. "Forget it."

And then, just like that, he turned to leave.

But Kayla wasn't letting this go.

She grabbed his arm—actually grabbed it—and Caston froze.

He looked down at where her hand was wrapped around his wrist, then slowly up at her, his expression unreadable.

"Kayla," he warned.

But she didn't let go.

"You're jealous," she said, her voice quieter now, but definite.

His jaw tightened. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

Silence.

Kayla could feel the shift between them, the air thick with something neither of them wanted to name. She should've let go. She should've walked away.

But she didn't.

And neither did he.

Unspoken Tension

That night, Kayla lay awake in bed, replaying everything over and over.

The way Caston looked at her. The way he reacted. The fact that he didn't deny it fast enough.

And worst of all?

The way her heart raced because of it.