CHAPTER SIX

I groaned, dragging my pillow over my face. Every time I shut my eyes, it replayed—Jake’s hand on my waist, the way his breath hitched before he kissed me, the tension between us.

How was I supposed to act normal after that?

“Girl, are you alive in there?” Annabel’s voice echoed from the other side of the room, followed by the sound of her rummaging through my wardrobe. “Because if you’re still sleeping, I swear….”

“I’m up!” I yelled, my voice muffled against the pillow. Then, lower, to myself, “How did you even get in here?”

“Good, because we have a whole Monday to survive. Also, you sleep like an elephant. I knocked forever and got no response. Thank God for the spare key.”

Annabel turned from the closet, holding up two outfits—one a plaid skirt and cropped sweater combo, the other a sleek all-black ensemble.

“Which one says I’m here to slay, not suffer through group projects?”

I peeked out from behind the pillow. “Definitely the black. You look like you came to break hearts and submit essays.”

She grinned. “Perfect. Now, spill.”

I froze halfway out of bed. “Spill what?”

Annabel gave me a look sharp enough to curdle milk. “Don’t play dumb, Felicia. You went out with Jake last night, and I am yet to hear what happened. Don’t keep me waiting.”

I bit my lip, trying not to smile. “It was… nice.”

Annabel gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. “Nice? That’s all I get? Girl, he took you to a private hangout with his friends! That’s not nice. That’s a potential soft launch.”

I laughed, moving toward my dresser. “It wasn’t like that. They were super friendly. His friend Mara kept teasing him about how much he talks about me. It was actually really sweet.”

Annabel turned sharply, eyes wide. “Wait. They know about you?”

I nodded, opening a drawer. “Apparently, he’s mentioned me before.”

“Oh, baby,” she said, snapping her fingers like she’d solved a crime. “You’re in. That man is smitten. So tell me, did he kiss you?”

I froze with a shirt half-pulled from the drawer, heat rushing to my cheeks.

“Oh my God,” Annabel shrieked, pointing at me. “He did! You’re blushing!”

“I’m not,” I protested weakly.

“Liar.” She crossed the room and grabbed my shoulders. “How was it? Was it soft? Did he cup your face? Did he do that thing with his hand….”

“Annabel!”

“What? I need details. You can’t drop a bomb like that and expect me to focus in class.”

I gave up hiding it. A helpless smile spread across my face.

“It was… perfect,” I admitted. “Unexpected. He walked me to my dorm, we were talking, and suddenly he was so close and I couldn’t think and then he kissed me. It was really nice.”

Annabel squealed so loudly someone knocked on the door in complaint. She covered her mouth, whisper-shouting, “I knew it! I told you he liked you!”

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. “You did not.”

“Oh, I absolutely did. The way he kept looking at you at that gathering—girllll.”

“He’s just… nice,” I said, trying to sound casual.

Annabel raised a brow. “Nice guys don’t look at you like they’re trying to memorize your smile. No, ma’am. That boy is whipped.”

I threw a pillow at her. She dodged it easily.

“Anyway,” she continued, fluffing her hair in the mirror, “since you’re clearly living your main-character life, we need to make sure you look like it. You can’t go to class looking love-drunk and disheveled.”

I rolled my eyes, though she wasn’t wrong. My reflection screamed I got kissed and didn’t sleep because of it. Messy hair, faint under-eye circles, and an expression torn between panic and giddiness.

Annabel grabbed my makeup bag. “Sit. Let me work my magic.”

“Annabel, we have ten minutes….”

“And that’s enough for greatness.”

As she brushed foundation onto my cheeks, she kept pressing. “So what’s the plan now? Did he text you?”

I hesitated, then nodded. “He sent a ‘Good morning, beautiful.’”

She froze mid-stroke, eyes wide in the mirror. “Oh. My. God. He called you beautiful? Not ‘hey’? Not ‘what’s up’? He’s gone. Absolutely gone. That man is writing poetry somewhere.”

I laughed, swatting her hand. “Stop it.”

“I will not stop it! You’re glowing—look at you!”

She leaned back, inspecting her work. “There. You look like you slept, hydrated, and didn’t spend the night overanalyzing a kiss.”

“Liar,” I said, smiling anyway.

“Now the outfit.” She rummaged through my closet like a stylist on caffeine. “Cream sweater. Cozy but hot. And those jeans that make your butt look incredible.”

“Annabel”

“No arguments. Jake’s probably on campus today. You’re going to ‘accidentally’ run into him looking like a daydream.”

I sighed. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And always right.” She tossed me the jeans. “Where’s that roommate of yours anyway? She’s barely ever here.”

“She said she had a family thing.”

“Okay.”

We grabbed our bags and headed to class. Campus was already buzzing. I tried to act normal, but my heart refused to settle.

Annabel caught me scanning the crowd and smirked. “Looking for someone?”

“No,” I lied.

“Mhm.” She sipped her iced coffee. “You know he’s probably thinking about that kiss too, right?”

I bit my lip. “You think so?”

“I know so. Just play it cool. No desperate energy, you’re the catch.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay. School mode.”

Annabel grinned, linking her arm through mine. “Fine. But after class, you’re showing me the text thread. I need to analyze tone, emojis, and punctuation.”

“You’re insane.”

“Certified,” she said proudly. “Now go sit pretty and pretend you’re not falling for the hottest guy on campus.”

We were in a combined lecture hall, and every time the professor mentioned chemistry, Annabel whispered, “You and Jake,” while I tried not to laugh.

When class finally ended, I checked my phone.

One new message.

Jake: Hope class isn’t too boring. Lunch later? My treat.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Annabel leaned over, reading it before I could hide the screen.

She grinned. “Lunch. My treat. He’s in deep.”

I shook my head, smiling despite myself. “You’re impossible.”

“Impossible and always right,” she said, looping her arm through mine as we headed out. “Now let’s get you ready for round two of your fairytale.”

I grinned then felt heat creep up my neck as my phone buzzed again.

Ian: I miss you. Can we meet?

I shoved my phone into my pocket before Annabel could see it, my smile fading as we walked on.