Chapter 2 : The Cold Man

With my heart pounding, I waited for Nicolas to turn the corner and leave me alone. I tried to take a deep breath to calm the last of my nerves. But as I looked across the field, I saw Cole Spencer coming toward me. I immediately looked down, trying not to make eye contact with him as I stood there. I wondered if he was coming over to ask me why I was looking at him so strangely. But before I could prepare myself, he was already standing in front of me. I looked at him slowly until I found him looking at me, and I swallowed. He was tall, and even more handsome from up close.

"You're in the way," he said bluntly.

"What?" I blinked a few times.

"You're blocking the door," he said, and I turned my head to see that he was actually standing right at the entrance to the building.

"Oh," I said as I stepped aside. "Sorry."

He gave me one last look, and I swear there was a flash of orange in his eyes as he pulled the door open and walked inside without saying anything. Nicolas told me that people said he was cold, but at least he could ask politely.

I took another deep breath before opening the door and entering the classroom. Even though I spent my time walking around and chatting with Nicolas, I was still a little earlier than most people. But I figured it was better to get to class early than late.

I entered the room and took a quick look at the seats. There were a few students here and there, but my body froze when I saw Cole sitting a few seats behind me. Of course, I must be in the same class as him. I groaned inwardly. Luckily, he looked distracted with his headphones, so I quickly found an empty seat a few rows in front of me and sat down. I glanced at my watch. There were about ten minutes left before class started, so I rested my elbows on the table, my chin on my wrists as I closed my eyes.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed while I waited quietly in my seat, but I didn't open my eyes again until I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned my head to see that a good looking man was sitting next to me.

"Class is about to start," the man said with a bright, boxy smile on his face, and I rubbed my eyes.

"Oh, thanks," I said quietly and looked around. 

The room was almost completely full now, many students looking for a place to sit while I waited for the professor to arrive. As I scanned the crowd, I caught sight of Cole once again. He was looking at me, but it wasn't a piercing gaze, it seemed as if he was just observing me. But when he realized that I had caught him, he turned his head and stared at the table in front of him.

"Are you a freshman?" the guy next to me asked, and I jumped.

"Oh yes, I am. I'm Rayline Hale," I smiled.

"Taylor Gray, I'm a junior." I nodded politely, taking in his features, his soft brown hair flowing to the side as his eyes shone brightly. He was very handsome, and from the brief interaction we had, I could tell he was very friendly.

"All right, class." The professor walked into the room, and all the chatter slowly faded as attention shifted. "Let's begin."

*****

The time that the professor had spent teaching the class about the course and the syllabus had felt like hours. I had tried my best to pay attention, even jotting down the dates of other assignments. My concentration was only interrupted when I heard Taylor's soft snoring next to me, and I had to stifle a small laugh when he finally woke me up so I wouldn't miss any important information.

"We're going to be doing a project together for the next few weeks. I know it seems like a lot, but you'll thank me later. I'll be assigning partners now for those who want to finish early." The professor projected a list of names on the screen with the students' names next to them. 

My eyes slowly scanned the list, and when I found his name, my jaw dropped as I read "Cole Spencer" next to mine.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, putting my hand to my forehead. That's when Taylor finally woke up from his nap, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the big screen.

"Ugh, you're lucky," he groaned, and I turned my head.

"Lucky, you say?"

"Yeah, you've got Cole."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you close with him?"

"Yeah, we're friends," Taylor replied. I was surprised by this information. "Uh, you just have to break through his tough exterior."

As I looked around the room, I remembered the words of Nicolas who said that not a single girl would be able to break through him. However, I wasn't looking for a relationship or anything, so maybe this would be okay since it was only on campus and for my classes.

"All right, that's enough for today. See you next week. Start working on the class assignment, and I suggest you get to know your partner. If you don't know him or her, please come forward."

Gradually, everyone starts packing up their things, and I put my notebook away, slinging the bag over my shoulder as I watch Cole make his way to the door. Despite my brain telling me otherwise, I hurry over to him.

"Hey, Cole?" He stopped and looked me up and down. "I'm Rayline. We'll be partners on this project." His demeanor changed slightly, probably realizing that I was talking about classes and not trying to ask him out or anything.

"Oh." He turned to face me fully. "How did you know who I was?"

"Uhh..." I thought for a moment, not wanting to say that Nicolas told me. "Taylor told me." I gestured at the man who was still picking up his things from the table.

" Great." He glared at Taylor and there was silence between them.

"So," I began, "I was hoping we could get started as soon as possible so we can move forward. Would you like to get together sometime?"

"I guess."

I opened my phone to check the schedule. "Are you free around three? We can meet at the library."

"Whatever, that's fine," he said without looking at me.

"All right," I said as I held out my phone to him. 

"Can you at least give me your number?" He looked at me, then at my phone, and once again I felt an orange glow in his eyes, like a smoldering fire. Maybe I had lost my mind?

Cole took my phone and started typing. After a few moments he quickly handed it back. "Don't text me unless it's about the project."

He turned towards the door before I could say a word, and I stood there in disbelief and annoyance. "Huh, what?!"

I was a little taken aback by his cold reaction. I didn't expect such a strong reaction just because I asked for a phone number. Look, maybe he was not very friendly, but this was a joint project and we had to communicate. I sighed, planning to remain professional in this collaboration even though my mood had been upset a little.