The next day at the university, she was walking down the hallway again. She was dressed in a lab coat over a white, long-sleeved shirt with a black corset and a close-fitting red skirt that matched her high boots. A few guys turned to look at her as she passed them on the stairs. She ignored them, not paying the slightest attention. She knew she was turning heads. She had dressed up. She couldn't help it after the frustration she had felt the day before, after coming home from the café, replaying their conversation over and over in her head. He was still missing Charlotte, wasn't he? Even after all these years... And it was clear she was still only a child in his eyes, just now dressed in far less ridiculous clothes and wearing makeup. And she was determined to change that. Just once, even if it made her look foolish. To make him see — even for a second — that she was beautiful. Her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her bag as she walked. It was ridiculous, really — caring this much about what he thought. And yet she couldn't seem to stop herself. She might have been living in her sister's shadow in the past, but times had changed. And she wasn't about to go back to that. She walked on, heading to her math class.

  "Hey, spout!" she heard as soon as her steps left the last stair, turning around to notice Aiden.

  He was her classmate from the biology lab. Definitely a playboy, with brown hair and a handsome face. The kind he could easily use to advertise a line of soaps or toothpaste, but they were good friends. He called her ?spout" most of the time, just as she called him ?princess". Sleeping princess. They had become friends at the freshman welcome campfire, where he had been loudly telling everyone how drunk he was going to get and how many parties he would go to — only to fall asleep after one beer. She had almost choked, laughing in tears, and couldn't help but call him sleepy beauty right then and there, wounding his masculinity the moment he woke up and forcing him to defend himself.

  That was how it started.

  He called out to her with a grin, closing his locker. "Looking sharp. Going to break someone's heart before noon?"

  "Just trying not to fail my statistics project," she answered smoothly, stepping toward him. "Which is harder than it looks. You found your lab coat today?" she asked out of politeness.

  She didn't usually pay much attention to guys like him. Too loud, always seeming like trouble. But he was good company after all and funny to be around — as long as you didn't fall into the trap of his charm.

  "Yeah, it's giving me a hard time too," he laughed as she started heading to class, following her. "And yes. It seems I left it at my friend's place... accidentally," he added reluctantly, turning his gaze away for a second.

  "That's good," she answered lightly, as her eyes drifted over the passing strangers.

  "So?" he pressed, clearly not ready to drop it. "Got a date today?"

  "Don't you have anything better to do, Aiden?" she asked, glancing at him as she walked down the hallway, head high, her lab coat swaying, drawing a few lingering looks as she passed.

  "Plenty," he shot back with a grin. "But watching you ignore everyone like they're background characters? That's my favorite pastime."

  He dodged her light shove with a laugh.

  "Come on, spout. You can't walk through here looking like that and expect guys not to lose brain cells."

  "Not my fault, they can't keep their eyes to themselves. You done the biology assignment?" she asked, utterly unconcerned. She wasn't doing it for them — only for herself, for reasons more selfish than she would ever say aloud.

  "Please." He scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I already finished it. Unlike some people, I don't wait until the last minute. Why — struggling with it?"

  "You can give me a look." she said simply, not denying it, letting him pull his laptop out of his bag.

  They stepped over to the wall in the corridor as she listened to his explanation. She was just looking above his shoulder as Theo stepped downstairs. Aiden was mid-sentence, rambling about mitosis and "not my fault, Miss Karty's boring," when she stiffened beside him. Her eyes flicked past his shoulder, down the stairwell.

  There.

  Theo.

  He wasn't supposed to be there. Not in this building. Not walking down the stairs like he owned the place, a leather jacket slung over one arm, his gaze scanning the hallway with a lazy confidence that made her breath catch. And then, of course, he saw her. A beat. His eyes dropped briefly to Aiden at her side, then returned to her face. He didn't wave. Didn't smirk. Just gave her a small nod — so subtle it could have been mistaken for nothing at all — and kept going. But she felt it like a pulse in her chest.

  "Earth to Lyn. " – Snapped her out of it sleeping princess – "Still with me or did you just get lost in my genius?"

  She blinked.

  "Yeah," she said quietly, straightening up. "Keep going." but part of her had already followed Theo down those stairs.

  She couldn't help the flicker of disappointment. She had dressed up... for him. To impress him, somehow, after yesterday. Just a little. And maybe — maybe — to make him stop texting her sister in France. It was stupid, wasn't it? She knew that. And despite it, she had done it anyway. She couldn't stop thinking about it through the rest of her classes, lost in her own head as she pushed through the main doors and stepped outside the building. She took a deep breath, stepping into the fresh air. The sun was setting, bathing the campus in gold. Her thoughts were somewhere between her statistics project and—

  "Lynnie."

  She froze at the sound of her name.

  "Oh." she turned around, nearly slipping on the step, her hand catching the railing just in time. "Theo," she said, caught off guard as she noticed him standing by the door.

  "Scared you?" he asked, standing there with his hands in his pockets and gaze steady on her. Not smirking this time. Not teasing. "Just wanted to make sure you made it home okay," he added casually, too casually. "You know, since I'm not around to carry you anymore." but the joke didn't land as he intended. His eyes flicked over her, in that coat and skirt, and something unreadable passed behind them. – "Thought I doubt you need me for anything these days."

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "You want another lift, don't you?" – She said, smiling a bit. Noticing the lack of his usual teasing grin, chalking it up to the tiredness from classes. He must have been stressed a lot over the past year.

  He smirked faintly at the sarcasm.

  "Nah," he said, shaking his head. "Not a lift. Got my bike."

  He jerked his chin towards a black motorcycle a few parking spaces away, propped up on a stand. It looked older, well-taken care of, not much unlike its owner.

  She turned her head in that direction.

  "Oh." She sounded surprised again, blinking.

  She had noticed it that morning as she'd been heading into the building. She had thought... he might like it.

  "So you finally got a motorcycle, huh?" she said, admiring it.

  "Finally?" He raised an eyebrow at her, amused. "Took me long enough, right?" His voice was lighter now, warming back into the familiar tease. "Thought I'd die before getting one." he nodded toward the bike, walking up and clapping a hand on the polished leather seat. "Needed something for my commute. Found her cheap. Fixed her up. She runs better than most people I know." he shot her a crooked smirk. "Not too much of a grandpa bike for you?"

  She blinked again, looking at him with arms still tangled in her coat. "What do you mean...?" she asked, not quite understanding. It almost sounded like he was offering her a ride.

  He shrugged.

  "Was just thinking I'd return the favor..." The corner of his lips tugged into a playful curve. "Want me to give you a ride like the old days?"

  She looked at him, catched of guard, almost shocked. As if a meteor had just fallen to Earth from the sky.

  "I... I have a skirt," she pointed.

  Suddenly, feeling oddly self-conscious admitting that. In the past, she hadn't exactly been a particularly feminine dresser. Things had changed in high school, when she'd grown up, and when her sister had left town, finally giving her room to spread her wings.

  "Oh, right." he glanced at her skirt – really looked this time and swiftly turned away, clearing his throat. A flicker of something warm passed through his eyes, quickly hidden. "Forgot you've... grown." the words came out quieter than he meant them to. "We can forget it. Just thought I'd ask." but he didn't move toward the bike yet. Just stood there, hands in his pockets again, watching her under the soft glow of the fading sun. "You heading home now?"

  "I... I was thinking of..." she started, trailing off. It sounded like he wanted to ask her somewhere. Watching him, feeling something strange crawl along her spine — like she was stepping onto unfamiliar ground. She was secretly regretting the choice of the skirt now. Actually, she was having trouble with it much of the day, but... she wanted to look stupidly good for him. Everything... so... maybe catch his eye. And make him think twice before running back to the Charlotte. Even if she probably didn't stand a chance. Just like before.

  He could almost read the uncertainty on her face... and something else.

  "I know a place you might like." he said quietly, "If you want to give it a try." his eyes caught hers and didn't let go.

  "Place I might like...?" she repeated, watching him with still confusion in her gaze.

  He smiled faintly, leaning back against the bike.

  "Yeah. A place I go sometimes to clear my head. Nothing special — I just thought..." he shrugged, casual as always. "Thought you might want a change from campus life. Get away from all the studying for a bit."

  She watched him, feeling her heart skip. She... she wanted to see.

  "Well... I don't mind. Just... don't think I really... can ride in a skirt. But-" she remembered something. "Wait — wait here! I'll be back!" she said, before hurrying up the stairs and disappearing through the main doors.

  He stared after her, a little stunned.

  "Wait — where are you going?" he called, but she was already gone. She ran back toward the building — just like in the old days, when she'd still been a kid trailing after him at her sister's house. For a minute, losing the grown-up composure she'd been trying so hard to maintain. Even jumping in heels up stairs.

  He watched her disappear, shake his head faintly. What the hell was he getting himself into... He leaned back against the bike again, running a hand through his hair. He knew he shouldn't... But when had his heart ever listened to his head.

  She was back in fifteen minutes, now in a pair of old black jeans, a little dirty and stained. As she stopped above him again, a bit out of breath. "I... I'm back," she admitted, catching her air.

  He looked up—really looked. The stained jeans, the messy hair from running, that little puff of breath in the cool air... She hadn't changed a bit. Still rushing toward him like she was afraid he'd vanish if he waited too long. He smirked, pushing off the bike.

  "Took you long enough," he teased, handing her a spare helmet — black, a little worn. "Helmet's not glamorous. But it's safe. And don't worry," he added softly as she took it, "I won't let you fall."

  She took it, shifting her bag onto her arm as she tried to put the helmet on.

  He stepped a little closer, adjusting the fit of the helmet. "Lean your head back," he murmured, buckling the strap under her chin.

  She looked at him, feeling a little stupid, but did as he said. "Sorry... I'm not usually... wearing these."

  "No need to apologize." He adjusted the strap gently, his fingers brushing just slightly under her chin. He lingered a second too long — just enough for her breath to catch. "First time on a bike?" he asked.

  She nodded, feeling her usual flustered nerves in his presence slowly returning. "Yeah..." she said, glancing at his motorcycle.

  His eyes flicked to the bike, then to her hands, still holding the bag a little awkwardly, like she wasn't sure what to do with it.

  "Here," he said, taking the bag from her. He secured it to the back of his motorcycle with a bungee cord. "Won't fall off." he straddled the bike, looking back up at her. "Climb on. Carefully."

  She nodded, grateful that he'd taken the bag. She pulled herself closer, slowly adjusting after him. It was lucky that she had the lab jeans in her locker. She was usually wearing them for lab classes, so as not to accidentally burn her pants or something. That's why they were having a few stamps. But they were good enough.

  He could feel her presence right behind him, so close, as she was adjusting to the seat and getting settled. But he focuses on the road ahead.

  "Hold on tight, okay?" he said quietly, reaching back to take her hands and guide them around his sides. "I like to drive fast."

  "Don't drive fast...!" she protested, instinctively tightening her grip on his waist, trying to ignore the flutter in her chest as he moved her arms.

  "Holding on already, huh?" he smirked, though his voice softened — almost fond. "Relax. I won't send you flying off." he glanced back slightly, catching the way her knuckles whitened around his jacket. "I'll go slow... for you."

  The engine rumbled to life beneath them — low and steady.

  "Just promise not to scream in my ear if I take a corner too fast."

  "I am not promising anything...!" she shot back as she felt him start the black machine. She was already starting to regret getting on. She grabbed him even more, as her thighs pressed in his either side.

  "Nervous?" He could feel her clinging to him — tight arms, tense thighs — and it made something warm stir in his chest. "Just breathe," he said over his shoulder, low and calm. "I've got you."

  The bike rolled forward slowly, smoothly, like he was giving her time to adjust. He didn't speed up — not yet.

  "And hey..." A pause. "If you scream... I won't tell anyone." A small tease. A quiet rumble of laughter under her hands. "Unless it's a good scream."

  "THEO!" she shouted as the bike leaned into the first turn.

  "Ha—" he laughed, full and deep, feeling her grip tighten like a vise around his waist. "Told you not to scream!"

  The bike curved gently through the turn — smooth, controlled. He slowed just enough to be kind, but not so much that it didn't thrill.

  "Relax, sunshine," he called over the wind. "I'm not gonna drop you!"

  But he could feel it – the way her body trembled against his back. Not from fear. Or maybe from something else entirely.

  And God help him... he liked having her this close. Like she belonged there.