Page 3

ANYA

I feel like I have been pranked. I have been waiting here for half an hour, but there’s still no sign of Daniel. On top of that, I don’t even know what he looks like. For all I know, he might already be here, laughing at how oblivious I am. But he should know who I am. My profile picture has my photo, so unless he’s completely clueless, he should’ve spotted me by now. I glance at my watch for what feels like the hundredth time. The minutes tick by, each one making me more frustrated and angry. I check my phone for any messages or emails, but there’s nothing.

I let out a sigh. Is he not coming? Did he forget? Or worse. Is he blowing me off? I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. It’s only seven-fifteen. Maybe he’s just running late. I will wait till seven-thirty, then I am leaving. I open his contact, looking at his profile picture. It’s a golden retriever dog. Cute . It seems like he is a dog lover; at least we can bond over that if he’s unbearable.

I glance around the library, noticing the other students engrossed in their studies. The soft sound of pages turning and whispers fill the quiet space. I take out my own laptop and notebook. Might as well get some work done while I wait. I am done with scrolling through business news for today.

I like being up to date about the business world, and mindless scrolling through social media makes me feel guilty. I open the recent case study I was looking at the previous evening. It is about a tech startup’s rapid growth and subsequent challenges. When I study, I love to highlight everything and make my notes colorful. Black and white notes make me want to sleep. I love annotating; it keeps me engaged.

After a while, I glance up at the clock above the entrance. It’s now seven twenty-five. Only five minutes left until my self-imposed deadline. I am not known for my patience. I sigh. I might just call it a day. I am exhausted.

I gather all my things and place them in my bag, ready to bolt. I hoist my bag over my shoulder and stand up, pushing back the chair. The sound of its legs scraping against the floor echoes in the otherwise quiet library, earning me a few annoyed glances from nearby students. I turn to apologize to everyone, but no one’s paying me any heed. I push the chair inside the table, leaving it the way it was when I arrived. As I turn to exit, I bump into a hard wall, the impact making me stumble back.

“Ow,” I say, rubbing my forehead.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” A familiar male voice rings in my ears. I have heard him somewhere. Slowly, I look up. Standing right in front of me—looking apologetic and a bit sheepish—is the guy from this morning. What the hell? Is he some type of stalker? Or is the universe playing a joke on me? He can’t stop bumping into me. I open my mouth to give him a handful of curses, but he raises his hand in surrender. “Before you say anything, it wasn’t intentional, I swear.” I don’t buy the innocent look he has on his face.

I narrow my eyes at him. “You like bumping into me or what?” My voice drips with sarcasm.

I press a hand to my forehead. The corner of his lips curls up in a crooked grin. “Trust me, as fun as it is, bumping into you was not my idea of a good time today.”

“I see you have changed,” he says, gazing up and down.

“Of course, I did. You expected me to remain in those clothes all day?” I scowl at him.

“No, I was just observing, Firecracker.” He chuckles as I fume at the nickname.

“Don’t call me that,” I whisper-yell, giving apologetic looks to people who are now noticing us. I huff in annoyance, glaring at him. “What? Now, get out of my way.” His lopsided smile is almost irritating. The sight of his perfectly white teeth and jawline is pissing me off. But I’d be lying if I said he isn’t attractive, which obviously makes him even more annoying.

“Oh, come on. I know I am late, and I apologize for that, but since you’re here, let’s discuss that assignment,” he pleads.

My eyes widen in surprise. “You’re Daniel?”

“Yup, the one and only.” He grins arrogantly. His eyes roam over my face, a mix of curiosity and something else I can’t quite pinpoint. “You didn’t know me?” he asks, amusement evident in his eyes.

I raise an eyebrow at his question, feeling a pang of annoyance. What does he mean by that? “Of course, I didn’t know you,” I say with a defiant note in my voice. “Who do you think you are? Some kind of celebrity that everyone is supposed to be aware of?” I roll my eyes.

He lets out a soft chuckle, seemingly unbothered by my bluntness. Instead, he takes another step closer to me, closing the distance between us. My breath catches slightly, but I refuse to back down. I can feel the heat radiating off of his body now, and damn it, he smells good.

“Well, I happen to be the new captain of our basketball team,” he says casually, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “You’ve probably heard of me.”

I roll my eyes. Typical . Another arrogant athlete who thinks the world revolves around him. “How original of you to assume that!” I comment. He chuckles again. He seems to find our conversation amusing, and it’s driving me up the wall. He leans casually against one of the tables, his arms crossed over his chest, and I am annoyed to note that his loose T-shirt does nothing to hide his muscular physique.

“You have a sharp tongue,” he observes, his eyes glittering with amusement. “Did anyone ever tell you that?”

“Yeah, several times actually, smartass,” I retort, folding my arms across my chest. No way I am letting him get the upper hand.

He tilts his head to the side, studying me with a keen interest. It makes me feel like a specimen under a microscope. His gaze feels too intense, almost invasive. After a moment of silence, he speaks again.

“Did someone also mention you’re cute when you’re angry?” He smiles softly. I feel my cheeks heating up at his words. Cute? Me? Pfft. I quickly regain my composure though, trying to seem unaffected.

“If you think I am cute when I am angry, get ready, because I am about to become gorgeous,” I retort. He grins widely at my snarky comment.

“I highly doubt that because you look gorgeous right now,” he replies smoothly.

His unwavering confidence only seems to rile me up more. I scoff at his compliment, crossing my arms defensively across my chest. “Oh, please, save the cheesy lines for someone who cares, pretty boy,” I snap, but even as the words leave my lips, I can feel my heart rate picking up. Why does he have this effect on me? Probably because of his annoyingly handsome face .

“You think I am pretty?” A smirk graces his features as he sees my reaction, clearly enjoying the effect he’s having on me. His ego must be soaring through the roof right now. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my heart rate in check. I wouldn’t be surprised if I am shaking with anger. God, he infuriates me.

I roll my eyes at his comment, trying to appear completely unfazed. “Oh yes, I am forgetting that I’m talking to the captain of the basketball team, the most sought-after guy on campus. How silly of me for not expecting some light flirting as part of your daily routine.” I take a deep breath, steadying my words. “And just because you’re good-looking doesn’t mean your charms work on me.”

“Ah! You’re calling me good-looking and charming; that’s a double win, I guess.” He winks.

He opens his mouth to say something again, but I walk to the other side of the table, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. Distance. I need a bit of distance. “Now, can we focus on this assignment?”

“Oh, right. The assignment,” he says, feigning disappointment. “But I was just starting to enjoy our little banter.”

He sits across from me, his eyes still sparkling with mischief. I roll my eyes again, feeling a mixture of annoyance and something else I can’t quite identify. I take out my notes from today’s lecture. “Okay, so we’re still not sure about the guidelines. Professor Brown will be emailing them to us by the end of this week.”

“Alright, before that…” He puts his hand in his pocket. I can’t help but notice his muscular arms are on display. Wait, why am I noticing that? I quickly shake my head to snap out of it. Focus, Anya.

“Here.” He holds out a twenty dollar bill. I frown.

I blink at the twenty dollar bill in his hand, confused. “ Are you paying me to do the assignment on my own?” I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms. He probably thinks he can buy his way out. Honestly, I am okay with it. He chuckles, his eyes glittering with amusement.

“No, it’s for dry cleaning. I spilled coffee on you, so it’s fair if I pay for it.” Oh, so he does remember.

“No, thanks. It’s okay. I just said it in the heat of the moment,” I reply.

“Is there any moment in your life that isn’t heated?” He snickers.

“Oh yes, there is when you’re not around. You, especially, make me…incredibly patient,” I riposte, emphasizing the last words with a pointed look. Why do I even engage with him?

He chuckles. “Wow, I didn’t know I had that effect on you.”

I shrug nonchalantly. “Consider it a special skill of yours.”

“Does that mean you look forward to our encounters?” he asks teasingly.

I meet his gaze squarely, resting my chin on my hand to hide my flushed cheeks. “Let’s just say they’ll never be boring.”

He leans in slightly, his voice dropping to a softer tone. “Good to know.” The space between us feels charged.

I am fighting the urge to roll my eyes, trying to maintain my composure. I need to escape this tension. “Anyway, it’s late, and I don’t live on campus. So, let’s meet tomorrow.”

He nods, still wearing a cheeky grin. “Alright, see you tomorrow. Good night, beautiful.”

His words linger in the air and I can’t help but feel my heart skip a beat at his words. “Don’t call me that,” I whisper, my tone sharp.

“Why not? It’s just the truth.” He shrugs. I feel my cheeks flush at his words, but I quickly try to hide it with a scowl.

“Just because it’s true doesn’t mean you have to say it,” I mutter, crossing my arms defensively .

He smirks at my reaction. I feel he is deliberately playing with me. “Whatever…” I roll my eyes. “Let’s meet at three in the afternoon tomorrow,” I reply, getting up again.

“Okay. Will Deja Brew Cafe work for you?” he asks. I nod, trying not to think about how much time I will be spending with him.

“What a waste of time,” I mutter as I walk away, leaving him behind. I give him one last look over my shoulder, he has an amused smile on his face. I turn away quickly. This isn’t going to be easy.

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