To be with you: Beneath your paradise

 Anastasia

 🍋 𓍯𓂃𓏧

The Freshers' Fair is buzzing with life. Stands line every inch of the grassy campus grounds, each one manned by enthusiastic students eager to recruit new members. Colorful banners advertise a myriad of clubs and societies: rugby, dance, drama, book club, and even a few niche ones like the "Dungeons and Dragons Society." The air is filled with the scent of fried food from nearby food trucks, the murmur of excited chatter, and the occasional outburst of laughter. Everywhere I look, people are milling around, clutching leaflets, free snacks, and random freebies.

Emily and Paige are still buzzing with energy, though, dragging us from one stand to the next. But as the afternoon sun begins to dip lower in the sky, the group slowly starts to disperse.

Kelly, always the practical one, checks her watch and sighs. "I've got to run—meeting my course advisor in a bit. Catch you all later?"

Paige waves her off with a smile. "Text us when you're free, Kel."

Dammy chimes in next. "Same, I've got a gym session booked soon." She slings her duffel bag over her shoulder and gives us a casual nod before heading off. One by one, they all peel away, until it's just me and Emily left standing in the middle of the busy fair.

Emily stretches her arms overhead, looking around at the thinning crowd. "Guess it's just us two now, huh?" she says, her usual grin plastered across her face.

I manage a small smile. "Yeah, looks like it."

For a few minutes, we wander together, Emily pausing every few steps to greet someone she knows. She seems to know everyone on campus already, which means that every few minutes, I'm awkwardly introduced to a new face, muttering my name under my breath and trying not to look too uncomfortable.

At one point, Emily stops to chat with a tall guy wearing a rugby jersey, their conversation lively and full of inside jokes I don't understand. I stand off to the side, nodding politely when they glance at me, trying not to look like I'm fading into the background.

Suddenly, Emily turns to me, biting her lip. "Hey, An, do you mind if I go hang with them for a bit?"

I force a smile, trying to ignore the wave of anxiety that hits me at the thought of being left alone. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll be fine."

Emily hesitates, her brow furrowed. "You sure? I can stay if you're not feeling up to it—"

"I'll be fine," I repeat, waving her off. "Really, don't worry about me."

She gives me a long look before nodding. "Okay, but text me if you need anything, yeah?"

I nod, watching as she jogs off with her rugby friend, leaving me alone in the middle of the fair. The sounds of laughter and chatter seem to grow louder as I stand there, clutching my bag tighter against my chest. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to start walking, trying to seem as though I have a purpose.

As I wander aimlessly, I try to focus on anything but the growing discomfort bubbling in my chest. That's when it happens.

I'm minding my own business, passing by a stand giving out energy drinks, when someone slams into my shoulder, hard. The impact sends me stumbling backward, and before I can even register what's happened, cans of juice go tumbling to the ground, along with a stack of leaflets. I barely manage to keep myself upright as I stagger to the side.

"Oh, shit," comes a deep, husky voice from behind me. I feel a hand grab my arm, steadying me before I can fall completely.

"You okay?" the voice asks.

I refuse to look up, embarrassment flooding me even though none of this is my fault. My cheeks burn as I kneel down to pick up the scattered cans, mumbling something incoherent under my breath.

The guy crouches down beside me, helping to gather the fallen leaflets. "Sorry about that," he says, his tone softer now. I glance at him briefly, my heart skipping a beat . He's even closer now, his gaze steady on mine, and I can feel my pulse quicken.

"It's fine," I mutter, looking anywhere but at him. I fumble with the last can before handing it to him, still trying to avoid any eye contact.

"You sure?" he asks, his voice laced with concern. "Your leg's scratched up pretty bad."

I glance down, realizing for the first time that my knee is indeed scraped and bleeding slightly. "I'm fine," I insist, brushing it off.

As I stand up, I stumble again, my foot catching on something, and before I know it, his hands are on my waist, steadying me once more. His grip is firm, his touch sending an unexpected jolt of warmth through me.

"Careful," he murmurs, his breath warm against my neck. I freeze for a second, feeling the closeness of his body, the way his hands linger on my waist for a moment longer than necessary.

"I—uh—thanks," I manage to stammer, pulling away quickly. Without looking back, I turn and hurry off, my heart racing in my chest.

Just as I start to walk away, I hear a familiar voice call my name. Emily appears out of nowhere, tapping me on the shoulder.

"An! There you are! I was looking for you!" she exclaims.

I jump slightly, still frazzled from the encounter. "Oh," I mutter, trying to keep my voice steady. "Sorry, I... I got a little distracted."

Emily squints at me, then looks over my shoulder. "Wait, isn't that—"

I follow her gaze and freeze. There he is again, standing at one of the stands nearby, his eyes locked on mine. He's talking to a couple of people, but it's clear his attention is on me. My stomach flips uncomfortably.

"Oh my God," Emily whispers excitedly. "That's him, isn't it? The guy we were talking about in the kitchen a few days ago?"

I swallow, trying to calm the nerves that are threatening to spiral out of control. "Uh, yeah. Maybe," which comes out more of a question than an answer.

Before I can say anything else, we're suddenly standing right in front of him. Emily has dragged me closer to the stand, completely unaware of the awkward tension simmering beneath the surface.

Standing in front of him, my whole body is tense, as if his stare alone has the power to turn me to stone. I swallow hard, trying to act normal, but I can feel his eyes on me the entire time. It's like his stare is piercing through me, hard.

The guy at the stand clears his throat, holding out something in his hand, and I dare to glance up again. "Would your friend like one?" he asks, offering me a can of juice.

I look up just in time to meet his gaze again—closer this time. My breath catches in my throat. His face is so clear now: a chiseled jawline that could've been sculpted by a Renaissance artist, black hair tousled in a way that looks both effortless and intentional, tattoos that wind across his neck and arms like art.

And those eyes.

Those striking, blueish-purple eyes that are staring directly into mine. I feel my stomach flip. Before I can think too much about it, a low voice cuts through the air, barely above a mutter.

"You done staring?"

I freeze. My face goes hot, and for a split second, I can't breathe. He noticed. Of course he did. He's caught me straight-up gawking at him like an idiot. My entire body stiffens in embarrassment, and I quickly reach for the juice, grabbing it from his hand as if it were a lifeline. I can barely look at him again as I turn on my heel, pulling Emily away from the stand in a near panic.

"Let's go," I mutter, my voice shaky.

As we walk away, my face feels like it's on fire. The embarrassment keeps hitting me in waves, and I can feel my cheeks heating up like I've been slapped over and over. I probably look like a tomato. No, scratch that—I definitely look like a tomato.

"Oh my God, girl, Can't believe I actually meet him face to face " Emily whispers excitedly, barely able to contain her glee. She nudges me as if we're sharing some big secret.

I force a laugh, though it comes out more anxious than amused. "Yeah" My heart is still pounding so hard it's making it difficult to form words.

Emily grins and starts to say something else, but before she can finish, we're interrupted by a shout.

"Hey! Wait!"

We both turn around at the same time, and there he is, running toward us. My stomach drops as I see him coming closer, his hands clenched like he's holding something tightly. My brain goes into overdrive, trying to figure out what he could possibly want now.

Without thinking, I grab Emily's arm and blurt out, "I'm not feeling well. I… I think I'm gonna head off first."

Emily blinks in confusion. "Wait, what? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just need to go," I mumble, my words coming out in a rush. My hands tighten around the strap of my bag as I start walking—no, practically speed walking—away. "Just let the others know, please."

I don't wait for her response before I break away, making my escape as quickly as I can without breaking into a full sprint. My heart is racing, my mind spinning, and all I can think about is how badly I need to get away.

"Phew," I mutter under my breath as I finally put some distance between myself and the fair. My legs feel like jelly, but I keep moving, clutching my bag to my chest. "That was way too close."

I can't believe it. That guy—the one I'd practically collided with earlier, the one whose gaze felt like it could cut through steel—he's Jack Carlos. And he somehow ended up right in front of me . AGAIN. And, of course, I'd made a complete fool of myself.

Perfect. Just perfect.