Playing Cupid

SKYLAR

The shrill beep of my alarm drags me from a restless sleep at six thirty. I slap the snooze button with more force, groaning as the events of last night crash back into my consciousness.

Throwing off my covers, I pad to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. The girl staring back at me in the mirror looks exhausted, dark circles already forming under her eyes despite the full skincare routine I did before bed.

"Get it together, McKee," I mutter, reaching for my toothbrush.

By the time I emerge from my room, showered and dressed in jeans and a simple navy sweater, April is already in the kitchen. She stands at the counter in her pink silk robe, hair piled in a messy bun, pouring coffee into two mugs.

"Peace offering," she says, sliding one toward me without meeting my eyes. "Extra cream, two sugars."

I accept the mug, wrapping my hands around its warmth. "Apology accepted for ditching me."

"I'm sorry! I did that, but you needed to step out of your rut," April says, finally looking at me with a small smile. "What the fck was that about with Liam?"

"I'm not in a rut, shrink, and please don't start singing like a canary bird. I'm not into him."

"Come on, don't say that. He is a catch! And who knows, maybe you will be the one to tame him."

"I don't think so, taming some arrogant bad boy isn't on my bucket list," I say, before sipping my coffee.

We fall into our familiar morning routine, April making omelets while I refill my coffee.

The comfortable silence is a stark contrast to the tension from last night, and I feel myself relaxing for the first time since we left the party.

"I still think you guys would be so cute together," April says casually as she plates our food.

"April, thanks for the keen interest in my dating life, but I'm good," I respond, before shoving omelets in my mouth, savoring the perfect blend of cheese and vegetables.

"Fine, I will drop it." She holds up her hands in surrender. "So, what are you doing today?"

I eye her suspiciously. She has never asked me about my schedule. "The library shift is at noon; then I need to finish that paper on constitutional law that's due tomorrow." I take another bite of my omelet. "What about you?"

"Chris wants to take me to brunch, and then I have that study group for organic chem." She pauses, her fork hovering midair. "Oh, and I might have mentioned to someone when you would be at the library today."

I narrow my eyes at her. "April Elizabeth Chen, what did you do?"

"Nothing! I swear!" She laughs, but it sounds forced. "Marcus and I were just talking, and it came up."

"I knew someone put you up to dragging me to that stupid party," I say, jabbing a finger at her.

April's guilty expression tells me everything I need to know. I push my plate away, my appetite suddenly gone.

April sighs, setting down her fork. "Look, I saw the way you looked at him last night before you shut him down. There was something there, Sky. I know you felt it too."

I want to deny it, to tell her she is completely wrong. But the truth is, she isn't. I felt a spark that made my pulse quicken when Liam looked at me with those green eyes.

"Even if I did feel something, which I'm not confirming, it doesn't matter," I say firmly. "Guys like Liam are walking red flags. He will never be the kind of person I need in my life right now."

"Maybe not," April concedes, "but isn't that what college is for? Making mistakes to help you figure out what you actually want instead of what you think you should want?" I hate when she makes perfect sense.

Standing up, I carry my plate to the sink and rinse it off, taking longer than necessary to compose myself. The glow in the dark stars I stared at for hours last night gave me conflicting answers, and so will continuing this conversation with April.

"I need to get ready for my shift," I say finally, turning to face her. "Thanks for the breakfast, but please, no more Cupid attempts."

She nods, though the glint in her eye tells me she is far from giving up.

"Thank you."

I retreat to my room and gather my laptop, textbooks, and the half finished paper I worked on in the early morning hours.

As I grab my keys from the hook by the door, the November air is crisp as I step outside, carrying with it the scent of fallen leaves and the promise of winter.

I pull my jacket tighter and start the familiar walk to campus, trying not to think about his eyes or the way my name sounded in Liam Harrington's deep voice.