Part 2

My eyes froze for a moment when he caught us staring, and to my shock, he started walking toward us."Shit, he's coming this way!" Emma whispered urgently as he pulled out a chair and sat down right next to me. I felt myself freeze on the spot, completely caught off guard. The suddenness of it all made me feel uneasy. He had hair the same shade of brown as mine, stunning green eyes, and lips that were almost distractingly perfect."I'm William, Jacob's friend, and your new classmate." He introduced himself with a smile that could make any girl's heart skip a beat. His voice was smooth and deep, and those dark green eyes sparkled when I quickly looked down at my plate. My heart was pounding so hard, I was sure he could hear it.I've never felt so self-conscious around guys before, but something about him had me instantly hooked. I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze again. Everything around me blurred into the background—except for him.My friends looked at him with wide eyes. He chuckled, bringing us out of our trance."Hi! I'm Emma, and this is Lucy and Kristen," Emma said, introducing us to the green-eyed hottie."Pleasure to meet you," he replied, his gaze lingering on each of us."I'm sorry, but Jacob never mentioned you," Lucy chimed in, her tone flirting."Oh? Maybe you should ask him about that," William suggested, glancing behind us just as Jacob approached with a tray of food. William waved at him, and I couldn't help but wonder how he knew Jacob was there without even turning around."I see you've met my friends," Jacob said, sitting down across from me."Well," he added with a playful wink and a grin directed at me, "I just had to come see these gorgeous girls you always talk about." His comment made us blush even harder."Jacob, you never bothered to mention William to us!" Lucy teased, her voice still flirtatious."Sorry," Jacob said, giving her a look that seemed to say, I know exactly what you're up to. She rolled her eyes but kept her focus on William."We met while I was on a research study," Jacob explained. "He recently moved here." His tone suggested that was all he knew about William."William! Professor Arthur wants us to meet in his office to discuss the project," Jacob said after finishing his juice."Let's go," William agreed, and they both got up to leave."Wait, that was weird," I said, feeling a bit unsettled."Definitely," Emma replied, her voice filled with curiosity. I watched William walk away, but just before he turned the corner, he glanced back and winked at me. I gasped and quickly turned my head away.Lucy caught my reaction and gave me a knowing look. "Well," she murmured, raising an eyebrow."What?" I asked, trying to sound innocent."He winked at you. Looks like you've got an admirer," she teased, giving me a playful wink of her own. My face flushed bright red."Seems like the handsome hunk wants your attention more than ours," Emma added, grinning and joining in on the teasing."Shut up," I muttered, blushing even more as they both chuckled.When the bell rang, we all split up for our next classes. I found myself glancing back over my shoulder, searching the crowd for him.Why am I looking for him? I wondered, frustrated with myself. He was just a stranger, yet my heart skipped a beat at the thought of him. I'd never felt this kind of instant attraction to any guy before, but there was something mysterious about him that had captured my attention.I can't afford any distractions, I reminded myself, shaking off the thoughts as I headed to my class. Unfortunately, Emma and I had different classrooms for our elective subjects.When I arrived at the music class, it felt as if I had stepped into an alien spaceship—everything was unfamiliar and a little overwhelming. I squeezed through the crowd of students and took my usual seat by the window, my favorite spot. As I watched the rain trickle down the glass, a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts."Is this seat taken?" William asked. Startled, I tried to stand up too quickly and ended up losing my balance. Before I could catch myself, I felt his hands wrap around my hips, stopping my fall just in time.I quickly straightened up, mortified by my clumsiness. Great, I was looking forward to seeing him, and now I've made a fool out of myself.When our eyes met, his sparkling green ones made my heart race even more. He chuckled softly, clearly amused by the situation.Embarrassed, I quickly spun around and sat back down, avoiding his gaze."Are you always clumsy, or is it just while I'm around?" He asked in my ear. His lips lightly brushed against my ear which made my heart fast a million times faster. I gasped and pulled myself away from him."I'm sorry. I was just startled." I said, looking at my hand. I avoided looking into his eyes. "I guess I am making you nervous." He chuckled. I blushed beet red. I didn't notice when the class fell silent upon Mr Will's arrival."We have a new member," the professor announced, his eyes landing on William. "Please introduce yourself," he added with a welcoming smile."Huh...Hmm... Hi. I'm William Mikaelson from Canada," William began, sounding a bit hesitant. "My major is history. I recently transferred here to continue my research." He glanced around the room, clearly a bit nervous under the spotlight. He looked both cute and handsome, which didn't go unnoticed—most of the girls were gazing at him dreamily, whispering about how hot and attractive he was. I felt a twinge of jealousy but kept it hidden behind a neutral expression."A history major with an interest in music?" the professor remarked with a chuckle, which made the rest of the class smile at William."Welcome to the music club. You can pair up with Ms. Kristen," he said, pointing directly at me.William's face lit up with a bright smile, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Looks like you're stuck with me," he said playfully, nudging my shoulder.Not once did I turn my head to his side; if I did, I would end up staring at him again. The thought alone diverted my attention from the class. I felt his gaze on me the whole time, making it hard for me to concentrate on the class.When the bell rang, I started gathering my things and suddenly realized the room was empty, except for him. When did everyone else leave? I wondered, feeling a bit disoriented.He sat quietly in his seat, watching me. "You're staring at me," I mumbled, getting up from my chair. Just then, my phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a loud bang.I muttered something under my breath, embarrassed by my clumsiness."Clumsy," he teased, bending down to pick up my phone. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.His smile was so warm and genuine that it made my heart flutter. "Now you're staring," he said with a laugh. "Come on, let's go," he added, gathering his notes as he stood up.We walked out in silence. ""You're one of the first girls I've met who speaks so little," he said, still staring at me.My heart raced a little faster.My heart raced a little faster."I guess I am," I replied, keeping my gaze fixed on the ground, avoiding his eyes."Why won't you look at me, Kristen?" he asked in a deep, accented voice, running his hand through his hair, messing it up in a way that only made him look more attractive.Nobody has ever pronounced my name in such a deep way before. I lifted my head and looked into his eyes. I noticed a glint of something, but it passed before I could get a good look at him.Our eyes remained locked, the world around us fading into the background. Suddenly, a group of girls rushed past us, bumping into him and causing him to stumble forward. Before I knew it, my back was pressed against the locker, and he was right in front of me, his hands on either side of my head, trapping me. His lips were so close to mine that I could feel his breath against my skin. His gaze dropped to my lips, lingering there for a moment before slowly moving back up to meet my eyes. The closeness of our bodies made my heart flutter wildly, and a surge of desire twisted in my stomach."You are gorgeous," he whispered, gently brushing a strand of hair away from my face and tucking it behind my ear. The simple touch sent electric sparks through my body, leaving me breathless. I swallowed hard and quickly looked away, trying to steady my racing heart.His lips were inches away from mine. He arched his beautiful eyebrows. The look in his eyes made my heart flutter. "Emma must be waiting for me; I must go." I stuttered nervously. He noticed my discomfort and took a step back. His smile was glued to his face."I will see you around." He said smiling. I smiled lightly with a nod and walked in the opposite direction."Exhausted?" Emma asked and sat beside me on the bench. "Extremely". I replied."I guess the hotness has a thing for you," Emma said with a curious look, clearly eager to know what happened."Who?" I asked, playing dumb."William, of course," she replied with a teasing tone. "I've never seen you so interested in a guy before." She giggled."I saw you both in the corridor—almost kissing," she added, leaning in and puckering her lips as if kissing the air."Shut up," I said, blushing and pushing her away. She just laughed."He seems nice," I admitted hesitantly."Awww, that's cute. You two would make a great pair. I can tell he has eyes only for you," Emma said with a teasing tone. "I heard all the girls in the music class are head over heels for him and are trying to get his attention, but he won't even glance their way.""Why not?" I asked, genuinely curious."Because of you, idiot," she replied, nudging me playfully."Don't tell me you didn't notice that," she said with a mock shocked expression.I rolled my eyes. "Ah, you're hopeless. Get a grip and make a move, girl."I just hummed in response, playing with my hair. A few girls walked by, giving me dirty looks. They must have seen us together in the hallway. I sighed and looked away.The rest of the day went by quickly. Since Jacob and Lucy were tied up in the library and couldn't drop me off, Emma and I took a taxi home."By the way, have you heard about the new coffee shop that just opened near campus?" Emma asked."No, I haven't." "What's so special about it?" I asked her, looking out of the window."I heard they serve the best lattes in town and have a cozy outdoor seating area," Emma said excitedly. She has a thing for lattes and goes wild for coffee, having visited almost every coffee shop in town."That sounds great. We should definitely check it out after classes tomorrow," I said, chuckling. Emma gave me a look that said, Are you serious? which made us both laugh. She knew I wouldn't miss a chance for coffee either."It'll be a nice break from the usual routine. And who knows, maybe it'll become our new hangout spot," she said cheerfully."Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. It'd be nice to shake things up and have a new place to hang out. It's been a bit boring lately," I agreed.Emma lives a few blocks away from me, and her mom and my aunt are friends who've known each other since college. That's how Emma and I met.When I got home, I found a note on the dinner table saying that Anne would be late tonight. She prefers leaving notes over texting; she finds it more fun. I crumpled the note and tossed it in the bin, smiling.Finally home after a long day! It feels so good to step into my cozy room, kick off my shoes, and sink into the comfort of my bed. The warm ambience and familiar surroundings instantly lift my spirits and make me feel at peace. As I settled into a comfortable position and closed my eyes with a deep sigh, my mind replayed the events of the day. He was charming, witty, and had a smile that could capture hearts. Just thinking about him gives me butterflies. He was so different from anyone I'd ever met, and I can't shake the feeling that I need to see him again.I grabbed my phone and started scrolling through my contacts, wondering if I should reach out to him. But then I stopped myself, realizing that I didn't even have his number. How ridiculous. I decided I should play it cool and see where fate takes me. For now, I'll just lie here, dreaming about our next encounter, and smiling like a teenager."Why can't I stop thinking about him?" I sighed, gathering my clothes to head for the shower. As I stepped into the warm water, it cascaded down, easing away the stress of the day. But my mind kept drifting back to William. I closed my eyes and let my imagination take over, picturing us laughing and talking, our bodies entwined in the steam of the shower. It felt so real that I couldn't help but smile at the thought. I let myself indulge in these feelings for a moment before snapping back to reality and finishing my shower.I must be going crazy, I thought to myself as I stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed. I wrapped a towel around my body and opened the bathroom door.A low scream escaped my lips when I saw the person standing in front of me.