Confessions Of An Exorcist

I finally got the nerve to write a love letter to my crush.

Later that evening, he cornered me in the hallway and said, "So you like me, huh? What about your boyfriend?"

I could feel my cheeks heat up.

I mumbled, "I don't have a boyfriend."

He crushed his cigarette, playfully pinched my cheek, and laughed.

"Well, now you do."

And just like that, he cupped my face and kissed me.

1

I've had a crush on Adrian Saunders for two years now.

Since we were in the same department, I secretly signed up for all the same elective classes.

I would always sit behind him, resting my head on my desk while watching him flirt and date other girls.

I always felt jealous.

I finally decided to write him that love letter on Christmas Day, but it fell out of my hands before I could send it.

This led to the letter being discovered and posted on social media.

And, to make matters worse, I accidentally signed it with my best guy friend's name.

Suddenly, the entire university was gossiping about it.

They all shipped them as a couple.

This led to a close fight between the two guys.

That Saturday, I found myself shivering at the basketball lounge, water bottle in hand.

"Adrian's been giving me a hard time all afternoon."

My friend Jaxon Warren strolled over and said.

"What?"

Just hearing Adrian's name made my heart flip.

He was my best guy friend.

Jaxon had no clue about my crush on Adrian.

And I had no idea how to confess that the letter was mine. It totally twisted my tongue.

"Speaking of the devil..."

All of a sudden, a group of tall boys strolled into the lounge.

And I spotted Adrian right in the middle with his messy hair as he glanced at me.

Instinctively, I ducked behind Jaxon.

Adrian approached us casually and offered Jaxon a cigarette.

"No thanks, I don't smoke."

Jaxon said.

Adrian's gaze flicked back and forth between us before he broke into a smile.

It was the first time he had ever smiled at me.

I was starting to get nervous.

"Is it because your girlfriend won't let you smoke?"

He joked, tilting his head and taking a drag from his cigarette.

He thought I was Jaxon's girlfriend.

Just as I was about to clear that up, he continued.

"Why did you write me a love letter if you have a girlfriend. Isn't that kinda gross?"

He puffed out smoke, then casually raised his hand.

Soft thuds echoed as a basketball bounced sharply against the floor. It was as if I saw what was going to happen to me.

"Seriously?

Are you just messing with Adrian?"

"Jaxon, that's not cool at all.

You've totally sabotaged Adrian's chances with girls."

"Right!

And you kept him up all night!"

I felt my skin crawl at their teasing.

These guys really knew how to stir things up.

"Shut up."

Adrian shot back, glaring at them.

They instantly quieted down.

"Me? Mess with you?" Jaxon looked innocent.

It has nothing to do with me. That love letter wasn't mine.

I'm into girls."

"So you're saying someone just randomly wrote a love letter to annoy us both?"

Adrian's expression darkened.

"Who knows? If I find out who it was, I swear I'll kill them."

Jaxon groaned, looking fed up.

That someone was me.

Panic hit me out of nowhere.

"I don't care!"

Adrian kicked a chair in frustration, venting his anger.

"Whoever created this mess should clean it up.

Just leave me alone."

The loud crash of the chair startled me.

Jaxon frowned at Adrian's mood, saying, "Who caused this chaos is still up for debate.

I just know I like girls.

And you... well, who knows?"

Adrian halted mid-stride and turned slightly, his tone suddenly intense.

"Huh?"

This tone of his voice was a bit intimidating.

Jaxon looked a bit rattled and softened his tone, "I mean, you should trust me.

I'm really only into girls."

Adrian fully faced him, casually responding, "I've already been the butt of jokes for a month.

If I believe you, I'll get mocked for a year."

"That won't happen!

We've just got to figure out a plan to clear things up."

Jaxon insisted, moving closer to chat.

"Don't come near me!"

Adrian stepped back, creating some space.

"No!

I wasn't trying to touch you!"

Jaxon frowned.

"Enough!

Let's just settle this with a fight," Adrian declared, taking off his shirt.

I didn't want to watch, but I was worried they might actually throw punches.

I stepped in closer and caught a glimpse of Adrian's toned body.

Seriously, he had an eight-pack.

My throat went dry.

Just then, someone bumped into me, and I stumbled into Adrian's arms, my lips pressing against his chest.

"Hmmm."

He said, his deep voice rumbling above me as he looked down.

My face went beet red.

"Still checking me out?

Haven't you had enough of Jaxon?"

He chuckled at me.

"N-No, I was just..."

I stuttered.

I wanted to explain that I had been bumped.

He didn't say anything else.

He shot me a knowing look that was soft yet made my heart race.

I wished I could sink through the floor.

2

Jaxon thought Adrian was getting too aggressive.

He pulled me over and reluctantly took off his jersey.

"Alright, how about this?

The loser has to handle this mess."

I was in shock.

Here I was, caught between sixteen-pack abs and a dilemma.

I couldn't believe that the two towering guys, both around 6 feet tall, were really about to fight.

"Jaxon, please don't..."

I panicked and tried to intervene.

But as I rushed toward him, my height worked against me, and I felt someone tugging my neck aside.

Someone leaned in closer to me.

"It has nothing to do with you. Step back," he instructed!

It was Adrian.

I froze, remaining still as he held me in place.

"Why are you grabbing her?"

Jaxon frowned when he saw me in Adrian's grip.

"Come on!

Is a light touch really considered grabbing?

You have no idea what real grabbing looks like."

Adrian scoffed.

To prevent things from escalating further, I quietly said, "I'm fine.

You guys just need to talk this out."

But Jaxon ignored me, standing beside me and saying, "Adrian, are you even a man?

Why are you so worked up over something so silly?

Or is there something you're hiding?"

The moment he said that, I could feel the tension in the air from Adrian.

"Forget it. We won't fight."

Adrian suddenly said, as if deciding something.

He started picking up his clothes.

Then he turned to me, gesturing with his fingers.

"Me?"

I pointed to myself, confused.

"Yeah, you."

His tone was gentle and completely calm.

Before I knew it, I took a step closer to him, my heart pounding.

He bent down, resting his hands on his knees, looking at me with a smile.

"What's your name?"

I could see droplets of sweat on his long lashes, and his lips looked red from exercising, making my heart race louder than ever.

I nervously opened my mouth.

"Maisie Thomas."

He paused for a second.

Then, the smile spread across his face.

"Maisie."

"Yeah."

I replied softly.

I never thought my name would sound so beautiful coming from his lips.

I was completely mesmerized by him and couldn't help but lick my lips.

He laughed and straightened up, ran a hand through his hair, then turned to Jaxon.

"Your girlfriend is quite cute," he said.

"I..."

I wanted to say that I wasn't Jaxon's girlfriend.

Just as I was about to retort, a shadow suddenly loomed over me, and I saw his face magnified before me.

A wave of youthful energy mixed with sunlight hit me, and in the next moment, my lips were pressed against something soft.

My brain went silent in an instant.

In just a few seconds, he pulled away and stood up.

He said to Jaxon, "Now do you get it?

Do you know if I like girls or not?"

After saying that, he glanced at me.

He added, "By the way, your girlfriend smells pretty good."

3

"Adrian!!"

Jaxon sprinted over and threw a punch right at Adrian.

Adrian just stood there, taking the hit without flinching.

I was completely freaked out. And when I turned over, I noticed some blood dripping from Adrian's nose, which made his already pale face look even more striking.

"What are you doing?!"

His friends quickly rushed in to see what was happening.

The whole situation escalated way too fast.

I felt a mix of anger and fear, frozen in place as I clenched my fists.

Adrian wiped his jersey with a casual flick of his hand and looked at his friends, "Don't do anything.

Can't you see there's a girl here?"

His friend instantly went quiet.

"Kissing her is totally worth it, even if I get hit."

Adrian chuckled at Jaxon.

I can tell he did it on purpose.

"You're that desperate for girls?

How dare you even touch her?"

Jaxon shouted, looking furious.

"Oh, I'm desperate," Adrian replied, glancing down at me.

"I'm desperate for a girl like this," he added.

"Damn you!"

Jaxon was ready to charge at him again.

But this time, Adrian didn't hold back.

He tackled Jaxon to the ground and warned him in a low voice, "Don't mess with me."

I stood there, and out of nowhere, tears started streaming down my face.

I wasn't sure if I was scared or just upset that I had kissed my crush, only for him to use it to rile up Jaxon.

And Jaxon was my friend.

I'd dreamt about kissing Adrian so many times, but I never imagined it would turn into this mess.

I regretted writing that love letter.

My tears kept flowing. Jaxon now ignored Adrian. He came over to me and wiped my tears away.

"Hey, don't cry."

He said, sounding a bit flustered.

Suddenly, I threw myself into his arms, crying even harder.

"Don't fight anymore,"

I said.

He held me tight.

"Okay, I won't fight."

After a while, Adrian left, but not before handing me a pack of tissues, which Jaxon promptly threw out.

Once I finally calmed down, Jaxon walked me back to the dorm.

Once we got back, I felt a heavy guilt weighing on me from the love letter drama.

I felt like I'd lost something important. My mind stuck on Adrian kissing me and the angry words he'd thrown out.

I grabbed my phone, scrolled through the social media post, and couldn't help but write a comment.

"Adrian, I hate you."

I just needed to vent.

After hitting send, I crashed into bed.

4

When I woke up the next morning and opened my social media again, I was totally shocked.

My comment had gotten much attention.

It was because Adrian actually replied to it!

"About to cry again?"

He wrote.

It seemed like he was doing it on purpose.

Why else would he reply to me among thousands of comments? Suddenly, the whole university was invested in this drama.

Everyone was paying attention to me now.

Some even posted photos of Adrian and Jaxon's fight from yesterday, titled "Two Campus Heartthrobs Clash Over a Girl."

It sounded as if it were true.

A few of their fans slid into my DMs to humiliate me.

"Why are you trying to break them up?

They love each other!"

"How dare you interfere?

"

"Drama queen.

"

Ugh.

Those DMs were giving me a real headache.

I thought about Adrian.

I wondered how he could act like this.

I could accept that he wasn't into me. But why did he drag me into the online chaos?

I was fuming.

Later in the afternoon, we had a public class. Jaxon sent me a message saying he'd gamed all night and needed me to help him sign in.

I headed to class with my roommates.

Luckily, no one had posted any photos of me, so I went unnoticed. Plus, my roommates were on my side, which was a relief.

But then, halfway through class, the professor started calling out names.

There was no way for me to help Jaxon respond.

"Maisie, cover for me," he texted.

I glanced at his WhatsApp message, feeling anxious.

With no other choice, when my name was called, I replied, "Here," I quickly shuffled to the back, pulled the hood of my jacket over my head, and slipped on some glasses.

When Jaxon's name was called, I quietly said, "Here."

Just as I finished speaking, someone kicked my chair from behind.

I was so freaked out that I buried my head in my arms on the table.

The professor noticed the commotion, and I was too nervous to lift my head.

Luckily, he only paused for a moment before moving on to the next name.

I let out a huge sigh of relief. I was shaking in my boots.

Once I calmed down, I turned around to see who was behind me and locked eyes with Adrian.

He caught my gaze and tilted his head slightly.

He seemed like he was saying, "So what?"

I instantly froze.

I then looked away.

I couldn't believe he was in this class, too.

I didn't want to deal with him, so I acted like he wasn't there.

Then, out of nowhere, he kicked my chair again.

"You..."

He was really pushing it.

I spun around and shot him a glare, but he just shrugged it off.

He said, "You're doing a great job as his girlfriend."

"What's it to you?"

I wanted to say something fierce, but when I looked at him, my voice came out more hurt than angry.

"Ha…"

He scoffed.

"Of course, it's not my business. I don't want someone like you anyway."

"What?

How can you say that?"

I was genuinely steamed.

"I don't just say that. I also throw punches," he said with a sigh.

"Just stick to being a nice girl. I can't deal with your problem."

"You...

You're seriously annoying."

After that, I stood up and went back to my original seat.

The whole class went by in a blur. He had me so rattled I couldn't concentrate on anything.

5

Back at the dorm, my roommates were all on my side, feeling sorry for me.

"Why does Adrian always pick on you?

He hardly knows you."

"Right!

It's hard to believe someone so cute can have such a terrible attitude."

"But he totally fits the Capricorn stereotype.

The more they like someone, the more they tease them."

"Wait!

Do you think he might actually like you?"

……

As I listened to them trash-talking Adrian, I felt too embarrassed to mention the love letter.

They'd definitely laugh if they found out I had a crush on him.

A week passed, and that social media post somehow disappeared. Jaxon nearly forgot the whole thing.

He would still occasionally rant to me about it.

Jaxon was my best friend. We got way back to high school and ended up at the same university.

He looked out for me, though we were definitely not each other's type.

He treated me really well, although he was a bit lazy and often skipped classes, sometimes asking me to do his assignments.

"Maisie, you're too good to me.

What if I end up with a girlfriend and can't forget you?" he once joked with a playful grin.

I always roll my eyes at him.

"Stop saying that."

"Maisie, I mean it!

If I'm still single by 22 and you're free too, I'm totally marrying you."

"What? You're cursing me!"

I punched him.

He really wasted such a cute face with all his antics.

I never told him I actually had a crush on someone else.

"Hey, wanna hit the bar tonight?"

Jaxon texted me on WhatsApp.

"You know I'm not great at drinking."

Jaxon loved dragging me around to eat and drink.

We had plenty of adventures at clubs and bars.

"It's just for fun.

I swear I won't make you drink."

"If you don't go, who's going to drag me home if I get wasted?

Right?"

I had no idea how to respond.

I wasn't sure what Jaxon was thinking, always pulling these stunts.

6

Even though I had been to bars a bunch of times, I still felt out of place dancing or anything.

I usually just sat quietly, scrolling my phone, waiting for Jaxon to get tipsy enough for me to drag him back to campus and dose him with some hangover remedy.

Halfway through the night, I found out it was actually Jaxon's birthday.

A bunch of girls showed up with a cake.

"It's your birthday?"

I asked, surprised.

"Uh…

yeah, so sad that you don't remember."

He pouted.

I felt resigned.

"Wait, didn't you say you were older than me?

You're younger!"

He kept silent.

There was a short, awkward silence.

He leaned in closer, grinning.

"If I'm a bit older, it gives you a sense of security."

"Enough!

You two might as well hug it out by now."

Our friends teased us.

But I stayed chill about it.

Our friends were just kidding. If he and I were gonna be together, we'd already be together.

Out of nowhere, just when the laughter died down, we had an unexpected visitor.

"Adrian?"

Someone pointed at a nearby table.

I turned to see him sitting there, his piercing gaze locked onto me.

I freaked out a bit.

I quickly turned back, too scared to look again.

"Adrian's here. Should we invite him over?"

Someone asked.

"Sure."

Jaxon glanced at me, then stood up to go get him.

A shiver ran down my spine, wondering how I was going to handle it.

Then Adrian and his friends actually joined us.

Just seeing him sitting there, even when he wasn't looking at me, made me feel super tense.

7

A group of people kicked off a birthday song for Jaxon while he blew out the candles.

I kept my head down the entire time.

Every time I mustered the courage to sneak a glance, I caught Adrian's piercing stare locked on me.

"Jaxon, did you really write that love letter?"

A few drinks in, things started getting lively, and someone decided to dig up the drama.

Jaxon laughed, "Come on, do you really think I wrote that?

I'm just as curious as you about who did!"

"Oh, it had to be you."

Someone said confidently.

"No way, it wasn't me."

Jaxon insisted.

"The handwriting matches your assignments exactly!

Want me to prove it? I took a picture for evidence!"

I felt the color drain from my face.

If they compared notes, they'd discover I was the one writing Jaxon's assignments!

They would find out the truth.

It felt like I couldn't breathe.

Just then, Jaxon interrupted.

"No way, that letter was written by Maisie.

She helps me with my assignments."

I was left speechless.

My nightmare had come true.

The room went completely quiet for a moment.

My instinct was to see how Adrian was reacting. He was chuckling to himself, clearly entertained by the mess.

I felt like everyone's eyes were on me, while I just wanted to disappear.

I waited for their reaction.

"Hey, Maisie, is that love letter yours?"

Jaxon asked, half-joking.

Silence filled the air as I bit my lip.

The sweat trickled down my forehead.

"Where's the bathroom?"

Adrian's voice broke the tension.

"Just around the corner..."

Everyone seemed confused by the question.

Adrian stood up and casually strolled over.

He said, "You can show me."

"Me?

Are you serious?"

I looked up, surprised.

"Yeah, you're not drinking, so you can lead me there."

He said with a relaxed smile.

"You all keep partying. I'll be back with her soon."

I glanced at Jaxon.

I felt unsure if I should go or not.

"Just go by yourself., Adrian."

He replied, gripping my arm.

"Don't leave."

"I'll just be gone for a bit."

Adrian chuckled lightly.

"I promise not to keep her too long, no worries."

They both held their ground.

I felt torn.

I really didn't want to go, but I had a few things to sort out.

"I'll be back shortly. Just don't drink too much."

I finally said.

"Okay."

Jaxon shot Adrian a cautious glance.

"Well...

Call if you need anything."

"Got it.

"

I stood up and led Adrian to the bathroom.

I walked slowly since I was unsure how to explain everything.

He followed me without making a fuss, maintaining silence, which only made my anxiety worsen.

8

When we reached the bathroom door, I pointed towards it.

I said, "It's right there…

"

He stared at me for a second and sighed.

"Let's go somewhere else."

He said.

"Huh?"

I asked.

I didn't fully grasp what was happening as he pulled me into a hallway.

He closed the door behind us.

It was dimly lit, and I felt a wave of fear.

"Go on, say it."

He said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"About what?"

I feigned innocence.

He chuckled.

He took his time to enjoy his smoke while gazing at me.

"A cigarette takes about five minutes to finish."

He said.

"What?"

I wondered if he was actually trying to discuss smoking with me.

"I've never tried it."

I said.

"Want to give it a shot?"

He raised an eyebrow.

In the faint light, his features seemed sharper, and that eyebrow raise made my heart race and my palms sweat.

"Maybe just a bit."

I mumbled, still unsure.

"Brave but shy."

He teased, getting straight to the question.

"Did you write that love letter?"

My heart skipped a beat, and I looked down.

"Yes."

He paused for a moment, pulled out his phone, and seemed lost in thought.

"If I were just a bit prettier, would you notice when I sneak a look at you?"

I was shocked.

I realized it was from the letter I wrote him.

He really read it.

Shame washed over me, and I couldn't think clearly.

I felt so ashamed that my mind went blank.

"Am I just supposed to watch you fall for someone else?"

He frowned.

"What does that supposed to mean?"

I didn't answer.

I chewed on my lip, hoping he wouldn't press further.

"Do you have a crush on me?"

He took a drag from his cigarette and turned to meet my gaze.

The weight of his question made my secret crush I'd held for two years feel exposed.

My heart softened, then surged, as I whispered, "Um...

Yes."

"Then why did you write his name?"

He fired off more questions.

My heart raced. Admitting my feelings felt overwhelming, and I was on the verge of tears. But he kept asking me questions, like an interrogation.

"What if I said I wrote his name out of habit since I help him with his assignments, and it slipped out?

Would you believe that?"

The air went still for a moment.

He burst into laughter.

"I'd believe anything silly you do.

I know you're capable of that."

"You!"

I lost my cool.

With my secret out, I felt exposed and wounded, tears welling in my eyes.

He noticed and froze, staring.

After what felt like forever, he sighed, stepped closer, and backed me against the wall.

Being this close to him made me so shy I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I looked up, wanting to say something.

He leaned in, locking eyes with me seriously.

"Now that you've made all the girls around me run away.

What are you gonna do about it?

You little brat."

I didn't answer.

The nickname made me blush as he held my gaze.

"Why are you cursing?"

I felt small as I tried to back away, but he moved in closer.

"What's wrong with that?

Don't you wanna bite back?"

"Huh?

What does that even mean?"

I asked.

"What do I mean?"

He leaned even closer, then whispered, "When I kiss you, there'll be plenty of chances for you to bite me."

Before I could wrap my mind around it, he cupped my face and kissed me.

As the kiss deepened, he whispered.

"You're really beautiful."

9

My head was spinning. I felt frozen in that moment.

Finally, he pulled away.

"That was incredible."

He wiped a trickle of blood from his lips with a smirk.

"You've got sharp teeth."

Leaning against the wall, he looked at me, a playful glint in his eyes.

"I..."

I was at a loss for words.

I was completely stunned.

This was my first kiss, and I never imagined it would happen like this. He didn't even give me a second to catch my breath.

"Don't look at me like that."

He said with mock seriousness.

"I can't handle it."

"Oh..."

I quickly looked down, feeling intimidated.

"Stop.

You first."

He said, walking over to ruffle my hair and pulling out another cigarette.

My heart was still racing, and I didn't have the guts to ask why he kissed me or what this meant for us.

I returned to my seat. Jaxon immediately started chatting, but I was too distracted to catch any of it.

I finally realized that I might have just shared my first kiss.

"What's up?"

Jaxon asked, concerned.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No."

I couldn't meet Jaxon's eyes.

I was worried he'd sense something was off.

The dim light thankfully concealed my flushed cheeks.

"Don't be scared of him. If he tries to hurt you, I'll be the first one to step in."

Jaxon assured me, noting my discomfort.

"No…

Nothing happened."

I pretended to check my phone to distract myself.

"Fine.

Where did Adrian go off to?"

Jaxon wondered aloud.

"Probably got tangled up with some girl.

We all know what he's like."

Someone else joked.

My heart sank at the mention of Adrian.

I felt afraid that someone would find out something.

"Yeah, maybe it's that art student from earlier.

He's probably busy at the hotel now. He's got no time hanging around with us single people."

"Right? T

hat guy breezes in and out for dates and still seems full of energy."

Hearing all of this felt like my heart was being ripped apart.

It was almost painful to breathe.

"Is your phone really that fascinating?"

Jaxon asked, leaning in to sneak a peek at my screen.

In a panic, I downed a drink in one go to hide my nerves.

I didn't realize it was wine until I drank it.

The strong alcohol burned my throat.

It choked me and made me want to shed a tear.

But I held it together.