AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Morgan, hi!”
“Hey, that was such a cute pic you posted earlier, Morgan!”
With a small smile, I slip my headphones back on, turning on the noise-canceling function and starting my lo-fi instrumental playlist. As my online popularity grows, it’s becoming harder and harder to walk around campus without being stopped or spoken to about one thing or another. I sigh as I walk along the sidewalk. I don’t want to be on campus, but I’m not in a rush to go home to my father either.
The calming beats of the music fill my ears as I mindlessly walk straight ahead. Everything around me passes by in a blur as faceless people speak words to me that I can no longer hear. My phone buzzes in my purse, my music ceasing as Siri’s voice fills my ears instead.
“Father,” it states as the buzzing continues. I rummage through my bag to find my phone, only to crash into a hard body that sends the contents of my purse spilling out onto the sidewalk.
“Oh my god, I’m sorry,” I quickly sputter as I drop to the ground to retrieve my things.
“No, that’s on me. I wasn’t paying attention.”
The deep voice gives me pause, causing me to look up into the handsome face of a man I’ve never seen before. Since he’s on campus, it’s not hard to assume he’s a student, but I can’t ever remember seeing him anywhere. The sun in my eyes temporarily blocks most of his face until he leans forward, eclipsing me in his shadow when he bends down. Brown eyes look back at me as a small smirk settles on his lips before he drops his eyes to help me gather my things. I clear my throat and stuff everything back into my bag before standing.
“Thanks.” I slip my headphones off my head and fold them in my hands. “And sorry about that.”
I take a moment to observe him. He stares at me with inquisitive eyes, a question in his eyes that he seems to hold back. His dark chestnut hair flutters in the wind, falling into his eyes a little, which adds to his boyish charm. His black T-shirt fits his muscular form, same as the denim jeans and Converse sneakers he wears. His sharp jawline flexes as he chews the gum in his mouth, his lips curving into a smile when my gawking becomes more obvious. I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear and force myself to pull my eyes away from him.
“It’s no big deal. It’s totally my fault. I wasn’t really paying much attention to my surroundings.” He slips his hands into his pockets as he rocks back and forth on his heels. “I do feel bad about knocking your stuff over.” He looks around for a moment before his intense gaze settles on me again. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee to make up for it?”
I nibble on my bottom lip as I ponder his question. I’ve never seen this guy on campus a day in my life. He has an air about him that makes it seem as if he’s older and wiser beyond his years, but he looks like he’d blend in with the other frat idiots oncampus. While having coffee with some random stranger isn’t on my list of things to do, he’s cute and seems like he’ll be good company. Besides, it gives me something to do other than going home right now.
“Um, sure,” I finally say when I realize he’s still looking at me expectantly.
“Great,” he says and spins on his heels to head in the opposite direction.
I raise an eyebrow as I watch him for a split second. “Campus coffee shop is this way,” I call out, thumbing over my shoulder. He stops, turns, and chuckles softly as he moves toward me.
“Sorry. I thought maybe you wanted to go to Starbucks or something,” he says with a shrug.
“I don’t think it’s wise to leave campus with someone I don’t even know,” I muse. “Safety first and all.”
“That’s fair.” He gives me a cheeky grin as we stroll down the sidewalk toward the coffee shop. “Beautiful and smart. Deadly combination.”
I giggle, my cheeks warming under his gaze as I shyly drop my eyes to the sidewalk. Neither of us say anything else as we cross the campus. Multiple people wave at me as we pass, and even though he doesn’t say anything, I can feel his eyes on me the entire time.
“You’re pretty popular around campus,” he says as he holds the door open for me to pass.
“Thank you.” I brush past him and step into the cool coffee shop. The strong aroma of ground coffee and cinnamon fills the air as I move farther inside. Other students sit at the many tables inside, some studying while others simply talk over a cup of coffee. I turn my attention back to the man still studying me and shift uncomfortably under his gaze. “And I wouldn’t say I’m popular.”
“Lots of people seem to know you.” His eyes still hold their previous curiosity, which only makes me wonder what’s going through his mind. Instead, he gestures toward the register. “So…shall we order?”
“Oh, um, yeah,” I stammer and scurry over to the barista standing behind the counter. We each order coffee and settle at a table in the corner.
My phone buzzes in my purse again. I sigh inwardly as I retrieve my phone, fighting the urge to groan when my father’s photo appears on the screen. After a few moments of going back and forth with myself, I ignore the call before turning my phone off and putting it back into my bag.
“Boyfriend?” the guy teases with a smirk.
I shake my head. “No, just my dad,” I reply with a light sigh.
“Ah. Are you far from home?” he asks.
Before I can answer, the barista approaches the table with two coffee cups. “A hazelnut latte for you,” she says as she puts a cup before me. “And a cold brew for you.” She places a cup in front of the gentleman before prancing back off to the register. I take a sip from my cup and hum in approval.
“Oh, that’s good,” I say, nodding my head. I don’t miss the way the guy’s eyes narrow onto my mouth before he takes a sip of his own drink. “But to answer your question, my dad is local. He’s just…protective, I guess.”
“I see.” He puts his cup back on the table before he folds his arms and leans forward on the tabletop. “Do you stay on campus?”
