The winter sun was nothing more than a dim bulb in a dark room. It gave off light, sure—but warmth? Not even close.
At the time, Audrey was just a tenth grader at a plain, nothing-special kind of high school.
She was in that half-rebellious phase—showing up every now and then, then vanishing just as fast. But overall, Audrey was quiet, low-profile, easy to miss if you weren't looking.
Zavier, back then, was what you'd call the embodiment of a bad day—her own personal omen that made Audrey regret ever stepping foot into school that day. It was already the second month of winter.
No, if she really traced it back, this mess wasn't entirely her fault. It wasn't Zavier's either. Bad luck had been tagging along with Audrey from the start.
She knew of Zavier the same way she knew most of the school's popular kids—only from the sidelines. He was a senior, already in 12th grade, and had crossed paths with Audrey a few times.
Back then, the most she ever did was offer a quick "hi," if that. More often than not, she didn't say anything at all—especially when he was with another girl.
They were in the same drama club, but Audrey knew better than to act overly familiar.
That day was Audrey's unlucky one. She really shouldn't have agreed to the club president's request to go find Zavier about some issue she didn't even understand. His phone wasn't reachable, which was how Audrey ended up being sent to track him down.
"Senior! Zavier, wait up!"
He turned. Audrey could always spot him, even in a crowd.
Maybe to others he looked just like any other guy, but for some reason, she could always pick him out—even in a sea of people.
"Senior, I—"
Before she could even get the words out, Zavier was already standing in front of her. Dozens of senior students' eyes followed him like motion sensors. Their heads turned in sync, tracking wherever Zavier moved.
Unfortunately, Audrey didn't get a chance to assess the situation. All she caught was a glimpse—just the barest edge of her girl's back, someone from 12th grade.
The girl was known as one of the prettiest at school, and right then, she was staring—vacantly, almost hauntingly—at Audrey. Or maybe at Zavier.
She wasn't sure. All Audrey knew was that, out of nowhere, her vision was blocked by the fabric of a hoodie—white and gray—and then came warmth, from an arm wrapping around her shoulder.
She felt her long hair bunch up on her shoulder, gently pushed aside by that embrace, as Zavier pulled her in closer. Shielding her from the girl's unwavering gaze.
"She's the one! Believe it or not, that's up to you. But her showing up here looking for me? I think that's proof enough, don't you?" Zavier said, loud and clear.
Audrey's heart slammed against her ribs, a rising panic creeping in. Danger was definitely coming her way.
Cheers and whistles erupted around them, just as her brain finally caught up. It clicked—Zavier was using her. This was his way out of a breakup with the pretty senior who clearly hadn't agreed to it.
What a jerk.
Not that it was a total surprise. Zavier had always been the drama club's golden boy—whenever the school put on a play, he was front and center. His acting wasn't just good onstage. Even now, in real life, he played his part flawlessly.
After school, Zavier bought her a burger to say thanks for helping him break free from the senior who wouldn't let go.
What he didn't know was that, on that very day, Audrey had her first failure at brainwashing herself into not liking him.
The warmth of that strong arm still lingered. It refused to fade from her memory—let alone her heart.
All her efforts to fight off the feeling? Completely useless.
And that was just the beginning. Audrey's days after the incident didn't go smoothly.
The pretty senior—Zavier's now ex—retaliated. She sent her little clique of 10th-grade girls, loyal followers, to make Audrey's school life miserable.
Luckily, the harassment didn't last long. By the time Audrey moved up to 11th grade, the senior had already graduated. And without her around, her minions weren't exactly devoted enough to keep up the bullying unsupervised.
Fate had other plans for Audrey and Zavier. It reunited them when Audrey entered university.
A twist of destiny she never dared hope for—let alone imagine.
Since his graduation, Audrey had buried every thought of Zavier and focused on her studies.
Even when he popped up in her loneliness, or crept into her tired mind during late-night study sessions, she'd shut it down.
She had no idea what had become of him. Not even a scrap of news.
None of her friends told her anything—though that wasn't surprising. Audrey didn't have a single person she could really call a friend to confide in.
Long story short, they ran into each other again by complete accident. Audrey had been shopping at a convenience store near campus.
She didn't have much in her basket—just a bottle of water and a pack of bread. Audrey had been digging through her bag for two minutes, desperately searching for her wallet. Nothing. It was still back at her apartment.
"Please just add her total to mine," said a voice from behind.
The tone—familiar in a way that made something stir inside her—froze Audrey in place for a beat.
Just like some scene plucked straight out of a TV drama, Zavier suddenly appeared beside her, offering help. Audrey could never mistake that presence.
She glanced up, toward a man whose what she remembered about Zavier. At the same moment, he looked down at her too.
Their eyes met—widened in identical surprise.
Audrey's heart doubled its rhythm on impact.
"Audrey Rosewood? What are you doing here?" he asked.
That voice—it really was him. Zavier Lawrence.
He still remembered her.
They ended up leaving the convenience store together, chatting as they walked. Well—Zavier did most of the talking.
Audrey only replied here and there, too focused on her own heartbeat hammering away in disbelief over the absurd coincidence that had just unfolded.
As time passed, they got closer. Zavier even introduced her to his college friends.
A stark contrast from their high school days, where his circle had mostly been made up of rowdy, clueless troublemakers. His college friends, by comparison, were kind and mature. They treated Audrey with warmth and respect.
The early days of university—days Audrey had dreaded for how hard she thought adapting and making friends would be—turned out to be surprisingly smooth and even joyful, all thanks to Zavier and his crew.
It was all going a little too well, to the point that Audrey let her guard down.
Just like the cliché arc of a romance novel, she started to wonder if Zavier's kindness toward her might be something more. If maybe… it meant he liked her.