All Chapters of The Night Before Meeting Up: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

I was deeply in an online relationship, and my boyfriend had just sent me a photo of himself.He was drop-dead gorgeous. I could barely contain my excitement. My roommate, Molly Sears, immediately doused my joy in cold water."No way a guy that hot exists in the real world," she snorted. "And even if he did, he wouldn't be looking for love on the internet. Trust me, he's using a stolen photo because he's insecure and too ugly to show his real face."I felt a sudden pang of anxiety. "Come on, it can't be that bad...""Think about it," Molly scoffed. "If you were a guy looking like a model, would you be short on options in real life?"But we had been talking for months. I genuinely liked him and didn't want to believe she was right.Sensing my denial, Molly threw down a challenge. "If you don't believe me, ask him to meet up tomorrow. I bet you anything he panics and makes an excuse."I bit my lip and opened our chat, hesitating.I: [Are you free tomorrow?]My heart hammered in

Nick: [Sorry about today. I didn't expect those sudden, last-minute arrangements to pop up.]I didn't think twice about it and tapped out a casual reply: [No worries. Actually, our university happened to host a guest lecture today. Because our plans fell through, I managed to score a prime seat in the front row.]Thinking back to the intense atmosphere in the lecture hall, I began sharing the gossip of my day with him.I: [The expert they brought in was shockingly aloof, though. He put a student on the spot during the Q&A, and when the guy couldn't answer, the professor just iced him out.]I: [I honestly felt so bad for the kid. But as cold as the man is, his academic caliber is top-tier. I learned a ton just from sitting in on it!]I: [I honestly have no clue how our administration managed to pull the strings to invite an elite like him.]I: [Oh, and get this. I was tasked with delivering some materials to his office afterward, so I got to see him up close. His looks are dangero

The assistant shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. "Mr. Harrington would like to see you now."I was dumbfounded. "Didn't this guy just spend the last ten minutes aggressively refusing to let me through the door? Why the sudden, jarring change of heart? Are all elite academics this erratic?"Instead of voicing my thoughts, I asked hesitantly, "Didn't you say Mr. Harrington hated being disturbed during his downtime?"The assistant lowered his head in shame. "He is requesting your presence. Please, go on in."Even though the entire situation was bizarre, my objective today was to secure a high-quality interview for the university. Now that the expert was inviting me in, I had no reason to decline.I pushed open the door and stepped into the suite. My eyes immediately landed on a tall, elegant figure seated on the sofa.He looked up, locking his unfathomable gaze directly onto mine. The sheer intensity in his eyes sent a sharp jolt through my chest.Feeling out of my depth, I quick

"Congratulations," I said flatly.I had no idea why Dorothy felt the need to brag to me, but playing along was the fastest way to get rid of her.Not done, she turned toward the corridor and called out coquettishly, "Babe, come on in!"A guy with dyed hair sauntered into the room. Max Blair was painfully average-looking, but he masked it with a flamboyant wardrobe and a try-hard thug aura.My brow furrowed instantly. Max was a notorious trust-fund heir, but he was also toxic. I'd seen him cycle through a dozen girls in a single semester.Despite our history, basic decency kicked in. I leaned closer and whispered to her, "Dorothy, we've been classmates for a while now, so I'm going to be real with you. Max has a terrible reputation. Think this over before you get too deep."Dorothy clapped a hand over her mouth and let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, please! Are you throwing a tantrum just because Max chose me over you?"She put on a fake serious face and continued, "Makes sense, though.

"If I couldn't recognize my own girlfriend, I'd be a pretty pathetic scholar," Nick chuckled.I stood speechless. The fact that I hadn't connected the dots this entire time meant I was the actual idiot here.I slowly slid my hand into his. The second our palms met, that familiar electric current zapped straight up my arm.There was no more doubt that he was my internet boy. Amidst a chorus of cheers from the auditorium, we walked out together....Ever since our official reveal, the supposedly swamped man suddenly seemed to have infinite free time. His new favorite hobby was hovering around my schedule, to the point where I suspected he had quietly joined our university faculty."Aren't global experts' legs buried under research?"Watching him show up to collect me after class yet again, I finally cracked. He just stood there, looking down at me expectantly.I caved, averting my gaze. "Do you really... have nothing else to do?""It took me months to finally meet my girlfriend,