The second class went smoother than the first—not that I was expecting chaos, but the moment I walked in, I felt it again.
Eyes.
Not just polite attention. His eyes.
Lucian.
Second row near the window, headphones slung around his neck, notebook open but untouched. He looked like he belonged in a music video—half curious, half unreadable. And when I glanced over—just a sweep of my gaze—he sat up straighter.
Like last time.
Like he didn't know how obvious he was.
I didn't acknowledge it, of course. I couldn't. But I noticed.
I always noticed.
Today I wore my hair clean, parted down the middle and pinned back—sleek and polished to match the crisp beige blouse I paired with charcoal slacks. My heels barely made a sound, but somehow, I still felt the weight of every step when I walked past him.
I kept it professional. Detached.
But inside? Something simmered.
And I hated that I was letting it.
The moment class ended, I grabbed my coat and bag, threw on my signature soft perfume, and headed straight for the elevator. Kalpo had already texted: "Where tf r u, queen? I need tea and fries in equal measure."
---
The café was tucked between two bookstores, quiet and shaded with hanging vines. I slid into the booth across from Kalpo, who looked up from their tablet and immediately gave me that smirk.
"What?" I asked, unwrapping the silk tie around my ponytail and letting my hair fall loose. The one place I didn't have to keep it up.
Kalpo didn't answer. Just sipped their drink with dramatic flair.
I narrowed my eyes. "You're being weird."
"No. You're being weird," they said, grinning. "You're glowing like you walked out of a perfume ad and just saw your soulmate in a lab coat."
I scoffed. "Gross."
"Uh-huh. So who is he?"
"There's no he."
Kalpo leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Daphne. Your eyes were practically blushing in that text you sent me yesterday. 'He looked at me like I was stardust wrapped in equations'—girl, who says that?"
I buried my face in my hands.
Kalpo just cackled.
"I'm serious," I mumbled. "He's a student. A teenager. It's nothing."
"Hmm. Sounds like a story in progress to me."
"It's not."
Kalpo raised a brow. "But you noticed him."
I looked out the window. "He notices me."
And for some reason… that mattered.