Chapter Thirteen: Her Sit In Classmate

The chemistry instructor had just begun his lecture when the door suddenly swung open. A man walked in, his presence disrupting the class. The professor raised an eyebrow but gave him a nod, allowing him to speak.

“Excuse me, sir, may I sit in this class? I missed my morning session,” the man asked, his voice calm yet commanding.

Cara’s gaze shifted toward him without her control. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t expect to see him today. The very same guy—the one she had been searching for in the Science department just the other day. The one who had mysteriously appeared in her life and then disappeared. Now, here he was.

At first, she only noticed him through the shadow of his cap, but today, he had removed it. She could see his face clearly now, and it was even more striking than before. The same handsome features she had only caught glimpses of. His eyes, dark and piercing, seemed to search the room, and for a brief moment, their eyes met.

Cara quickly looked away, her pulse racing. Why was he here? What was he doing in her class? What was going on? She didn’t know how to process it.

He didn’t seem to notice her sudden discomfort as he made his way toward the back of the classroom, scanning the empty seats. A chair beside her left caught his attention.

As he walked toward it, his eyes fell on her. She felt a strange tension in the air as his gaze locked with hers. She quickly diverted her attention to the book in her hands, pretending to be absorbed in its contents, but her mind raced.

“It seems you’re okay now. Got your rest?” His voice, gentle yet full of concern, reached her ears.

Cara blinked. Was he speaking to her? It took her a second to realize she was the only one around who wasn’t busy talking to anyone else. “Yes, I’m fine. Why are you so concerned?” she asked, her voice edged with curiosity.

He tilted his head slightly, as if he was weighing whether or not to tell her more. “Well,” he began, his tone shifting slightly, “I saw you sitting on the floor in the middle section of the library a few days ago, looking terrified. And then... you fainted. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. What happened?”

Cara froze. It was as if his words had struck a chord deep within her. Everything rushed back in a flash—her panic, the feeling of being watched, the strange man lurking between the bookshelves.

“You—you're the one who found me?" she asked, her voice shaky. “And you brought me to the hospital, right?”

Her mind was still piecing everything together. The flower he had given her, the concern in his eyes—it all made sense now. He was the man who had somehow been there when she needed help, but why? What did it all mean? Was he the same person she'd been dreaming about?

He nodded, almost sheepishly. "Yeah, that’s me. I’m also the one who gave you the flower at the park, although I didn’t properly introduce myself then. I’m Vince. And you are...?"

His calmness made her uneasy, but it didn’t change the fact that he had helped her when no one else had been there.

"Cara," she replied quickly, still processing everything. She wasn’t sure what she felt. Gratitude mixed with suspicion. “Thanks for, um, helping me out,” she said, her voice cold despite the warmth she felt at his assistance.

There was a slight pause. Vince seemed to study her, as if trying to figure out what was going on behind her guarded expression. “How did you end up in the library that day? You seemed... lost.”

Her mind wandered back to the library—the dread that had filled her as she realized someone had been following her. But she couldn't put her finger on it. It was a memory laced with fog.

“I was... just studying. I don’t know. It felt like something was off. I... I had to hide,” she explained, her voice a little unsure.

Vince’s face softened. “You’ve had a rough time. It’s good to see you doing better now.”

“I see,” Cara said, still trying to make sense of everything. “Thanks for helping me. But how did you know exactly where I was? You said you were in the library, but how... how did you find me?”

“I’m a part-time worker in the library. I stack books there,” Vince explained casually. “I was working that day when I saw you collapse. I just rushed to help, that's all.”

His explanation seemed sincere, but Cara couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to the story. Her mind couldn’t fully trust him. But she had no reason not to either. For now, she would keep her guard up.

“Well, thank you. Again,” she said, feeling the tension in her chest slowly ease. But the unease still lingered at the back of her mind.

Vince flashed her a small, charming smile before his next words caught her off guard.

“Hey, Cara, can I have your number?” he asked, his voice casual as if they were already friends.

She blinked. “Are we close?” she responded, her voice cool, not hiding the suspicion in her tone.

Vince seemed unfazed by her question. "Well, you're the only one I know here. I’ve got to work on our class project for the next meeting," he reasoned, with a convincing smile.

She narrowed her eyes. “But you’re not even in this class.”

He shrugged, looking nonchalant. “True, but I talked to our professor. I’m changing my schedule for personal reasons.” He glanced at her, and there was a hint of playfulness in his expression.

Her hesitation grew. She didn’t want to give him her number, but something about his persistence made her feel almost compelled to comply. With a reluctant sigh, she pulled out her phone and passed it to him.

As soon as she handed him the phone, Vince immediately dialed her number. “Just checking to make sure it’s really your number,” he said with a grin, but there was an edge to his words, as if testing her.

Cara’s annoyance flared. She crossed her arms, her patience thinning. "I’m not a scam," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I could block your number if I wanted to. It’s not that hard."

Vince chuckled, clearly amused by her reaction. “You’re cute when you're feisty,” he teased, his tone light.

She almost opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by the bell signaling the end of class. She gathered her things quickly, eager to escape the conversation, but as she stood up, she looked around. To her surprise, Vince had already left the classroom ahead of her.

She shook her head, confused by his ability to be both evasive and persistent at the same time. But as she walked down the hallway, she noticed him again—he was standing by the door, as if he had been waiting for her.

“I waited for you,” he said nonchalantly, almost as if it were a casual statement. “I thought you might take longer, so I went ahead to the restroom. But I figured I’d catch up with you.”

Cara was caught off guard, feeling that familiar unease growing stronger. She hadn’t been looking for him. She hadn’t even thought about him.

“I wasn’t looking for you,” she said quickly, wanting to distance herself. “I was just checking for the professor. I had a few questions.”

Vince smiled knowingly. “Your defense mechanism is strong. I’m intrigued,” he said, winking as he turned to leave. “See you tomorrow.”

And just like that, he was gone. She stood there, a wave of confusion and something else washing over her. Was she just imagining it, or did she feel a strange pull toward him? But at the same time, there was something unsettling about him—something that made her instincts scream to keep her distance.

She didn’t understand what was going on, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Vince than he was letting on. Something told her this wasn’t the last time their paths would cross.