It's my last year in college, and I want to enjoy it—because soon, I'll be the one taking over my father's company. Of course, the obligations and responsibilities feel like a huge weight on my shoulders.
"Hey, Eris! Hey! Eris Loren Monclair! Come on! What's on your mind? I've been calling you for so long!"
I snapped out of my thoughts. I had been completely lost thinking about my future. Haha. That's Andrea Crestwood—my best friend. A talkative girl who just goes with the flow of life.
"Sorry… I just have so much on my mind right now."
"Geez, calm down, girl! We should enjoy our last year in college, right? Let's go to the café and grab breakfast. I'm hungry, Eris!"
She said this while literally jumping in the air and grabbing my hand, pulling me toward the university café.
"Alrightttttt," I replied, my face blank as ever.
As we entered the café, I noticed a lot of students looking at us—as if amazed by our beauty. Typical.
"Hey, gorgeous!"
And there he is—Jacob Drayven. The infamous playboy of our university. He's been courting me for ages, but I always turn him down. Yes, he's handsome, but I really don't like him.
"Hi, Jacooob hihi."
That was Andrea. She has a huge crush on him, but unfortunately for her, Jacob doesn't see her as a woman—just as a sister.
geez
I walked over to the buffet, grabbed my food, and made my way back to our table. As soon as I sat down, Jacob took the seat beside me and started talking nonstop.
Honestly, I wasn't even listening. I just nodded every now and then while focusing on my food. My mind was somewhere else-
Jacob kept talking like I wasn't clearly zoning out. Typical. Stupid.
Just as I was about to take my first bite, I noticed a girl stood by the café window, holding her bag close, her hair dancing in the wind like silk kissed by the sun. In that moment, she looked like a goddess—and I was powerless to look away.
In that fleeting moment, I felt my heart stutter—and all I could think was how deeply I wanted her to be mine.
She wasn't someone I'd seen around campus before.
There was something about her—maybe the way she carried herself: confident but joyful, like she knew exactly who she was but didn't take life too seriously.
She smiled politely at the students staring at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked around the room—calm, composed, and… radiant.
For a moment, I forgot about my food, forgot about Jacob rambling beside me, forgot about everything.
Andrea noticed me staring and leaned in.
"Do you know her?" she asked, following my gaze.
I shook my head slowly. "No… I've never seen her before."
God....she's so beautiful.
After we finished eating, Andrea and I made our way to our first class. Jacob tried to follow us, of course, but luckily one of his friends called him over. We didn't even wait—we just walked faster and laughed as we escaped him.
As usual, the classroom buzzed with low chatter and rustling notebooks. I sat near the window—my favorite spot—and Andrea sat down in front of me, already pulling out snacks she wasn't supposed to have.
Then our professor walked in, but this time he wasn't alone.
"Settle down, everyone," he said, placing his things on the table. "Before we begin, I'd like you all to meet someone."
The class quieted instantly.
And then she walked in.
The girl from the café!
Her presence filled the room like sunlight through an open window. Calm, warm, and unbothered by the curious eyes staring at her. She stood beside the professor, hands behind her back, with that same confident but joyful expression I couldn't stop thinking about.
"This is Anastasia Carrington. She's transferring here for her final year. Please make her feel welcome."
"Hi everyone," she began, her voice smooth like silk, "my name is Anastasia Carrington. Nice to meet you all."
My heart skipped a beat.
Anastasia. Even her name sounded like poetry.
Andrea leaned closer, whispering with excitement, "That's her! The girl from earlier!"
"I know," I whispered back, unable to look away.
Our eyes met. Just for a second. But in that moment, something shifted inside me.
She smiled—not one of those polite smiles, but something softer… warmer… like she recognized me too, even though we'd never spoken.
And just like that, I felt it.
That flutter in my chest.
The beginning of something I wasn't expecting.
As Anastasia scanned the room, looking for a seat, my heart was racing like crazy. I quickly looked down at my notebook, pretending to be busy, but I could feel her walking closer.
Then she stopped—right beside me.
"Can I sit here?" she asked, her voice soft but clear.
I froze.
I wanted to say something cool or at least sound normal, but my throat betrayed me. I just nodded silently, feeling my face heat up as she took the seat next to mine.
Andrea, of course, was already dying. She bit her lip, trying to hold back a laugh, elbowing me gently under the desk.
Anastasia sat down, and for a moment, everything around me just blurred.
I could feel her beside me.
And then… I noticed it.
She was staring at me.
Not in a weird way. It was more like… curious. Like she was trying to figure me out.
I dared to glance her way. Our eyes met again. She smiled—and this time, it reached her eyes.
I quickly looked away, pretending to write something in my notebook that didn't even make sense.
Andrea, of course, didn't miss a thing.
She leaned in with a smirk and whispered loud enough for me to panic,
"Oh my god… you're blushing, Eris!"
I shot her a death glare, but it only made her snort with laughter.
"Shut up," I whispered back, pressing my hand against my cheek, trying to cool down.
"I knew you liked her the moment you saw her at the café," she teased, wiggling her eyebrows like some annoying love guru.
I rolled my eyes, but my heart was pounding.
Andrea wasn't wrong.
And just when I thought it couldn't get worse—Anastasia leaned slightly closer to me and whispered, "You okay?"
Her voice was so close, I felt it in my chest. I turned to her, completely caught off guard, and nodded quickly.
"Y-yeah. Just… warm in here," I muttered, trying not to sound like a total mess.
She smiled again. "Same."
And just like that, the butterflies in my stomach doubled.
I wanted to disappear into the floor.