Still Daring Next Time

Flirting with Dax was the sweetest thing ever. Normally, I did not even use his real name.

Whenever we were alone, I would playfully call him, "Husband." He would immediately blush from his collar up to his hairline, muttering stiffly, "Don't say that." Sure, got it. I would absolutely do it again next time.

Until I saw the comments. [Stop shouting, sister.

The moment his childhood best friend gets back, he is going to tell you to stop joking like that in front of everyone.] [She is happily calling him husband now, but he is really just too polite to embarrass her.] I froze in my tracks.

Dax was standing by the entrance of the corner store, holding the strawberry milkshake I had mentioned wanting. "Anything else?" I took the bag, the smile fading from my face. "No, that is it." "Thanks, Dax."

1 Dax visibly hesitated. He stood there holding the plastic bag from the store, the thin material rustling softly in the cool night breeze. Just minutes ago, I had casually mentioned wanting a strawberry milkshake.

He had scoffed, saying, "You are not a kid," but his feet had already carried him inside. In the past, I would have pressed my face against the glass window, beaming at him.

When he walked out, I would have drawn out my words, teasing him. "Thanks, husband." Then I would watch him turn red. Dax was incredibly shy. It was not a fake, performative shyness either. It was genuine.

The first time I called him that was at the diner near campus. I had forgotten my wallet, and he swiped his student ID to buy us both burgers and fries. Holding my fork, I grinned and said, "Thanks, husband." Dax nearly choked on his soda.

His ears flushed so red they looked sunburned. "Sadie," he muttered, lowering his voice, "don't say that." I blinked. "Should I call you babe instead?" He looked even more uncomfortable. "No." "Mr.

Dax?" "..." "Boss?" "Just eat your fries." That was when I figured him out. Dax looked cold and distant, a quiet, straight A student with the kind of sharp, handsome face that regularly ended up on the campus confession pages.

He was the classic untouchable heartthrob. But a little teasing, and he completely unraveled. It was adorable. I did not have any bad intentions. I just loved seeing him try so hard to keep his cool when he was actually panicking inside.

And he never got truly angry. Every time he told me to stop, he would still bring me coffee the next day, save me a seat in class, and wait for my lectures to end. I thought it was a mutual flirtation. I thought we both knew what we were doing.

But the comments said otherwise. They said he was just too polite to push me away. The wind outside the corner store felt cold. I pulled the milkshake out of the bag and tried to push the straw through the lid.

My hand shook slightly, and I missed twice. Dax reached out. "Let me." I instinctively went to hand it over. Halfway through, the comments flashed in my mind.

My hand went rigid. "No, it is fine." Dax looked at me. "You are going to spill it." I looked down. He was right. Before, I would have pushed it into his hands without a second thought. Help me, husband.

He would scowl, tell me to stop calling him that, and then carefully pierce the lid for me. Now, I pulled the straw back, lined it up, and forced it through myself. I pushed too hard, and a drop of pink liquid splashed onto the back of my hand.

Dax's forehead creased, and his hand moved toward his pocket for a tissue. I was faster. I pulled a napkin from my bag and wiped it off. "All set." Dax's hand hovered in midair. I pretended not to notice, taking a sip of the sweet milkshake.

It was sugary, but a bitter taste settled in my mouth. "Is something wrong today?" Dax asked.

I kept my teeth on the straw. "Nothing at all." He watched me. "What did you just call me?" My chest tightened. "Dax." "Why?" I looked up at him, forcing a smile. "Weren't you always telling me not to call you those other names?" Dax was quiet for a few seconds.

The streetlights cast long shadows from his eyelashes across his cheeks. "I didn't mean it like that," he said quietly. I wanted to ask him what he did mean.

But the comments were already drifting across my mind again. [Of course he didn't mean to be harsh, he is just too nice to say it track blankly.] [The worst part of being the side character is mistaking his politeness for affection.] [Once his childhood friend Isla gets back, he will start keeping his distance.

She will realize then how embarrassing her wishful thinking was.] I swallowed the question. "Yeah, I know," I said, keeping my tone light. "I won't do it anymore." Dax stared at me. "I wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea," I added.

His forehead creased instantly. "Who would get the wrong idea?" "Everyone," I said. "Do you care what everyone thinks?" I wanted to say no. But as the words reached my lips, I realized there was no point in denying it.

I did not want to get the wrong idea either. I did not want to be standing there like a fool when he finally told me to stop joking in front of a crowd. I took another sip. "Yeah." Dax did not say another word.

We walked back to the dorms side by side. Normally, I would fill this walk with useless chatter, complaining about homework, pointing out a cute dog, or joking about wishing the school would burn down before my 8 AM class.

Dax usually did not say much, but he would listen. Sometimes he would look at me when my rants got too ridiculous. Even that quiet look felt sweet back then. Tonight, I was silent.

It was so quiet that when we reached the steps of my dorm, Dax suddenly stopped. "Sadie." I paused. "Yeah?" He pressed his lips together, looking like he wanted to say something.

But in the end, he only managed, "Are we still going to the library tomorrow?" Before, I would have said, Of course, wait for me at our usual spot, husband. Now, I just nodded. "Sure. Thanks, Dax." His face darkened completely.

But I waved and turned away before he could say anything else. "See you tomorrow."

2 When I got back to the room, my roommate Tessa was putting on a face mask. Seeing me, she immediately sat up. "Back so early?

Didn't your boy Dax keep you downstairs for another ten minutes of lingering goodbyes?" I set the milkshake on my desk. "No." Tessa squinted. "Did you guys fight?" "No." "Your face says otherwise." I sat down and unzipped my backpack. "Really, we didn't." Tessa leaned closer. "Then what is up?

Usually you come back grinning like you won the lottery. Tonight you look like you are about to fail calculus." I let out a weak laugh, but my eyes quickly cast downward. "I was just thinking, have I been a bit too much lately?

Like, crossing boundaries?" Tessa blinked. "You?" "Yeah." "With Dax?" I nodded.

Tessa ripped the face mask off. "Aren't you guys literally flirting every single day?" My hands paused on my books. "Do you think so too?" "Duh," Tessa said. "If he didn't like you, would he save you a seat every morning?

Would he run down to get you a milkshake just because you mentioned it? Would he just blush and tell you to behave when you call him husband?" "Maybe he is just really nice," I murmured.

Tessa stared at me in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" I looked at her. "Dax? Nice?" she scoffed. "He doesn't say more than three words to anyone else." I did not answer. She did not know about the comments.

She did not know his childhood friend was coming back. She did not know that one day, Dax would tell me to stop making those jokes in front of everyone.

Seeing that I was genuinely upset, Tessa softened her tone. "Sadie, did someone say something to you?" I shook my head. "No." "So you are really going to stop teasing him?" I pushed the milkshake a little further away. "Yeah.

I'm going to stop." Tessa sighed. "Well, Dax is going to lose his mind." I smiled faintly. "No, he won't." The comments drifted across my vision again. [Of course he won't lose his mind.

It saves him the trouble of dealing with her.] [The worst thing in a situationship is when one person gets too ahead of themselves. It is smart of her to pull the brakes now.] [Isla comes back tomorrow. The school forum is going to blow up.

They grew up together, who is this random girl compared to her?] Looking at those words, my heart took a slow, heavy dip. The next day, news of Isla's return spread everywhere.

She was Dax's childhood friend and had been a prominent figure on campus before she took a year off to go abroad for medical treatment. Now she was back. People on the campus forum were digging up old photos of them.

High school academic competitions, family dinners, and one incredibly blurry photo from a sports meet. In that photo, Isla was standing by the finish line, and Dax, looking exhausted after a run, was leaning over with his hands on his knees.

She was handing him a bottle of water, and he was reaching for it. I stared at that photo for a long time. It was just a bottle of water. I had given him water before too. But the comments kept coming. [The classic childhood friend entry.

High school memories always win.] [Dax was never the type to accept water from just anyone back then.] [A corner store milkshake really can't compete with years of shared history.] I put my phone face down.

Tessa muttered beside me, "People on the forum are so annoying. It is a bottle of water, and they are writing a whole romance novel about it." I smiled. "Maybe people just like a good story." "And you?

Aren't you mad?" I shook my head. "Why would I be mad?" I was not his girlfriend. I did not even have the right to be jealous. When I went to the library that afternoon, I deliberately arrived ten minutes late.

Normally, Dax would be the one waiting for me, and today was no different. He was sitting by the window, a vacant chair saved next to him. On the desk sat an iced latte. Half sweet. No ice. Exactly how I liked it. My steps faltered.

Dax looked up, and the tension in his eyes seemed to ease slightly when he saw me. "You're here." I sat down and pushed the cup back toward his side of the table. "You don't have to buy things for me anymore." Dax looked at the cup. "You're not drinking it?" "I just had water." He was quiet for a moment. "You said yesterday you wanted one." I froze.

I had indeed casually mentioned it because the classroom had been freezing during our late lecture. Before, knowing he remembered such minor details would have made me ecstatic. Now, it only made my chest ache.

The more he remembered, the easier it was for me to get the wrong idea.

I pushed the cup right to the center of the table. "Thanks, but you really don't have to go to the trouble." Dax's grip on his pen tightened. "Sadie." I kept my eyes on my book. "Yeah?" "Since yesterday, you've done nothing but thank me." I blinked slowly. "It is polite to say thank you." He watched me. "You never used to say it before." I thought about it.

Before, I would have said: You are the best, husband. How did you get so perfect, Dax? Are you secretly in love with me or something? And his ears would turn bright red.

Now that I thought about it, I really had lacked boundaries. "I was being childish back then," I murmured.

The tip of Dax's pen stopped on the paper. "Childish?" I nodded. "Yeah." He let out a short, frustrated breath that sounded almost like a laugh. "Who told you that?" I shook my head. "No one." The comments rolled by. [At least she is self aware now.] [Isla is almost at the library.

Get ready for the drama.] [Backing off now keeps things graceful. Better than waiting for him to shut her down in public.] My chest tightened. Almost immediately, there was a quiet murmur near the entrance of the library.

Someone whispered, "Isla's here." I looked up. Isla was wearing a soft blue sweater, her long hair falling over her shoulders. She looked a bit pale, but she was beautiful. As she walked in, several heads turned.

She saw Dax and smiled. "Dax." It sounded so natural. Unlike me and my ridiculous, teasing nicknames. Isla walked over, her gaze landing on me. "And who is this?" Before Dax could speak, I quickly smiled. "I'm Sadie.

We are in the same department." We are in the same department. Clean, polite, and distant. Isla nodded. "Nice to meet you." She sat down across from Dax and pulled out a binder. "I just got back and I've missed so much.

You mentioned I could borrow your notes?" Dax looked at me, not answering her right away. I began packing my books.

He asked, "Where are you going?" "I'm going to study vocabulary over by the stacks," I said. "You can't study here?" I smiled. "You two should catch up.

I won't disturb you." Dax's brow furrowed deep. "Sadie." But I had already gathered my things and walked behind the bookshelves.

3 I spent half an hour behind the shelves trying to memorize words, but none of them stuck. My ears kept straining to hear the quiet conversation from their table. Isla's voice was soft, and Dax barely spoke, just giving brief answers.

They really were just looking at notes. There was no flirting, no crossing of lines. But a heavy weight settled in my chest anyway. There was an effortless familiarity between them.

Without needing much explanation, the moment Isla mentioned a topic, Dax knew exactly which textbook she meant. When she said, "You still have that old habit," Dax paused before replying, "Can't seem to break it." I had no part in that history.

I had only known him for six months. In those six months, I had used jokes and teasing to slowly chip away at his silence. I thought I had gotten close to him. But the moment Isla returned, I realized how shallow that closeness really was.

The moment I took back the nickname, we were nothing more than ordinary classmates.

My eyes grew hot as I stared at the vocabulary list. [Don't look, it only hurts more.] [Isla didn't even do anything, but the power of a childhood friend lies in how natural it is.] [She thought she was special, but she is realizing there is a line she can't cross.] I closed the book.

When I left the library that evening, Dax came running out after me. Isla was already gone.

He stood at the bottom of the steps, holding the untouched latte. "Sadie." I stopped. "What's wrong?" He held the cup out to me, his lips parting as if to speak, but he hesitated.

I did not take it. "It is fine, you drink it." Dax looked down at the cup. "It is half sweet." "Yeah." "I don't drink sweet things." My heart gave a small squeeze. He did not like sweet things. This was meant for me, and I knew it.

But I could not take it. Taking it would mean slipping back into old habits. I forced a smile. "Then throw it away." Dax's face darkened instantly. "What is wrong with you lately?" The evening wind swept up the library steps.

I clutched my books, my fingers completely numb from the cold. "Nothing's wrong." "Yesterday you called me Dax." "That's your name." "You didn't use to call me that." My chest ached. What did I use to call him? I wanted to ask, but I did not dare.

Those nicknames were just my one sided jokes. Husband. Babe. Boss. No matter how happily I said them, they were never real. I lowered my eyes. "I didn't have any boundaries before." Dax stared at me. "Say that again." My nose tingled.

It was rare for him to speak in such a cold, sharp tone. But it only proved the comments were right. He had probably been tolerating me for a long time.

Now that Isla was back, he finally had a reason to draw the line. "I won't make those jokes anymore," I said softly. Dax was silent. After a long pause, he asked, "Including those names?" I nodded.

His grip tightened, slightly crushing the paper cup in his hand. "Why?" I tried to keep my voice steady. "Weren't you always telling me to stop?" Dax froze. "I'm finally listening to you," I added. [Damn.] [That actually hurts.] [He spent all this time telling her to stop, and now he is realizing she actually did.] Dax stared at me, the usual cold calm in his eyes completely shattered.

He opened his mouth to speak. But from a distance, a voice called out, "Dax!" Isla was standing under a streetlight, holding her phone. "Did you leave your keys in my bag?" Dax looked back. I took a step backward. "Go ahead." He did not move.

I gave him a small smile. "My dorm is close by." With that, I turned and walked away. This time, he did not follow. Behind me, I heard Isla catch up to him. I heard her ask, "Did you two have a fight?" Dax did not answer. I quickened my pace.

At least I had walked away first. I had not let it reach the point where he would tell me to stop in front of a crowd. I had saved some of my dignity.

4 Over the next few days, I became an expert at keeping my distance. When we met, I called him Dax. My texts were strictly about coursework. When he saved me a seat, I said thank you. When he asked to get food, I told him my roommate was waiting.

When he offered me a drink, I declined. At first, Dax would scowl. But as the days went on, he grew quieter and quieter. I figured he would get used to it soon.

After all, having one less person constantly teasing him and calling him husband should have been a relief. But Tessa could not stand it anymore.

While I was brushing my teeth, she snatched my phone. "What is going on with you two?" I wiped my face with a towel. "Nothing." "Nothing?

Dax sent you eleven texts, and every single one of your replies reads like an official university announcement." I reached out. "Give me my phone." Instead of handing it over, Tessa read aloud. "Dax: I can grab you breakfast before our 8 AM class tomorrow." "You: No need to trouble yourself, I'll get something on my way.

Thanks." "Dax: I thought you hated the dining hall eggs." "You: I eat them now." Tessa looked up at me. "Sadie, you eat dining hall eggs now?" I stayed silent.

She scoffed. "Just yesterday you said those eggs smelled like a midlife crisis." "..." Tessa kept reading. "Dax: Are we still going to the movie on Saturday?" "You: I can't go, I need to work on my paper." She slammed the phone onto the desk. "Didn't you buy those tickets two weeks ago?

You literally said you wanted to watch it with your future boyfriend." "I said future boyfriend," I mumbled. "I didn't say it was him." Tessa looked like she wanted to shake some sense into me. "Sadie, cut the crap." I looked down, saying nothing. [The side character is officially exiting the stage.] [This is graceful.

At least there is no big dramatic scene.] [But his mood has been terrible lately, even Isla noticed.] My chest tightened. Tessa suddenly said, "Isla came to find me today." I froze. "To find you?" "Yeah.

She asked if you were misunderstanding something." Tessa leaned against the desk, crossing her arms. "She said she and Dax aren't like that. She only came back to catch up on classes.

She also said Dax looks like he is going through a devastating breakup." My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly forced the feeling down. "She's probably just joking." "I don't think so," Tessa said. "And do you think he is enjoying the peace?

He was watching you sit next to someone else in the library today, looking like he was about to snap his pen in half." "I was sitting next to a project partner," I protested. "A guy." "It was schoolwork." "You wouldn't have cared about schoolwork before." She was right.

Before, if Dax had sat next to another girl, I would have slid right in next to them with a grin. Am I interrupting your chat with this pretty girl, Dax? He would blush and tell me to stop playing around, and I would sit right beside him anyway.

Now, I did not play around anymore. I did not have the right to. I took my phone back. Dax's latest message was still on the screen. "Are you free tomorrow?

I want to talk." I stared at the words for a long time before replying. "Sure." I hesitated, then added: "Dax." The screen immediately showed "typing..." but it took a long time before a single word came back. "Okay."