Page 10 of The Moment I Knew

“I didn’t realize this was a flat.”

“You opened a door.” His gaze flicked pointedly to the folder on the bed and jaw twitched. “Then again, it seems like you’re very comfortable going through things that aren’t yours, princess.”

Heat crawled up my neck, both at the condescending nickname and from shame. He was right to be angry. There was no justification for me being in here, and even less for me to be going through his things. But would backing down actually help me get out of this? If he really did get expelled from his old school for fighting, who knew what he would do to me now.

“I didn’t read anything!” I said quickly. “I swear.”

I chewed on my lip as I watched him look at the folder, which was still laying open on the bed like a beacon telling him what I’d done. I wondered what else was in the folder that he may not have wanted me to see. Proof of him transferring to Northern was no big deal, but what if there was other paperwork in there about why he got expelled? Or some other incriminating evidence that he didn’t want me to see? Was he going to kill me?

Okay, so maybe assuming his next step would be murder was a touch overdramatic, but still.

“You touched it.”

“But I didn’t read it!” I repeated. “It’s not the same.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly, pushing off the doorframe and stepping into the room. “It is.”

The space felt instantly smaller. He stopped a few feet away from me, close enough that I could see the way his nose was slightly crooked like it had been broken and the scar running through his left eyebrow. Close enough that my instincts screamed to put more distance between us—and my body absolutely refused as I remained on the floor.

“You think you can just wander in here,” he went on, voice low and controlled, “because you’re curious?”

“I didn’t know it was your flat, okay? I thought it was the staff room or something, but then when I saw that it wasn’t…”

His eyes narrowed. “You stayed.”

“I didn’t mean to,” I said quickly. “I just⁠—”

“You just what?”

“I got curious,” I admitted, my voice quieter now. The glare he was sending my way made me feel like I was about to die, so I looked away. “And before you say anything, I know that doesn’t make it okay. I know I crossed a line.”

“Curiosity gets people hurt,” he said.

My stomach flipped. “Is that supposed to be a threat?”

He scoffed softly. “You think I need to threaten you?”

The words landed heavy. Not because they were aggressive—but because he didn’t say them like he was trying to scare me. He said them like he was stating a fact.

I swallowed. “You already decided who I am, didn’t you?”

His jaw tightened.

“Princess,” he said again, sharp this time. “You walked into my space and started touching my stuff. Don’t act like you’re the one being judged.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I said. “I just—downstairs, you acted like you knew me. Like I was some spoiled idiot who didn’t care if I wrecked your day.”

Not that I was really helping my case by accidentally breaking into his flat but I wasn’t going to point that out.

“And?”

“And I did care,” I snapped. “I apologized. Twice.”

“Apologies don’t erase things.”

“They’re supposed to mean something,” I shot back.

Something like annoyance flashed across his face, but before he could respond, voices floated up the stairwell. “It’ll be quiet up here…”