“Don’t worry.” He shrugs effortlessly. “How are you?”
I blink at his question and force myself to nod. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“Good.” He beams, not taking his eyes off me.
My cheeks heat because why is he looking at me so intently? I don’t look good today. Far from it. I had almost no sleep last night, and my hair hasn’t been washed in at least four days.
His eyes drop down to the books I’ve got hooked under one arm, and he tilts his head to get a better look. “You study journalism, too?”
“Uh, yeah. But I wanna get into entertainment journalism.”
Alfie shoves his hands into his pockets. “That’s cool. What class did you just come out of?”
“Law and ethics.”
“Ugh, I hate that class. I swear they want our eyeballs to bleed dry from how boring and tedious it is.”
I laugh. “Yeah, it’s a little rough, but it’s essential.”
“Totally,” he says with a grin. “So, there’s a party in a few weeks. You should come.”
My forehead creases as I adjust my books. “Did you forget the part where I am a mother?”
Alfie doesn’t look fazed one bit. “No, I didn’t forget. But that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to go out and have fun. You’re young and should be enjoying university. In moderation, of course.”
I purse my lips as I stare back at him. I can’t remember the last time I went to a party. I can’t remember the last time I did something selfless like that.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “It still feels a little too early.”
He nods in understanding, and we start to walk out of the building. “Fair enough, but if you change your mind, let me know.”
“How?”
“Add me on Instagram.” He winks. “It’s just my name. If you remember.”
I huff. “I do remember.”
“Then enlighten me.”
My shoulders roll back as I stare up at him. “Alfie Shore.”
His eyes flare, and he flicks them between mine. “I’m impressed.”
“It would have been incredibly rude of me to forget your name twice.” I chuckle.
My head twists towards the campus café where I spot Jade, who is waving at me. I clear my throat and timidly look back to Alfie.
“I’ve got to go.”
“I’ll see you around?” he asks hopefully.
I pause for a moment. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”
Alfie’s smile doesn’t slip for a second as I walk directly towards Jade, who is eyeing me suspiciously. I groan internally because I am not going to hear the end of this.
“Did I just see you hanging out with Alfie?”
I roll my eyes so hard they hurt. “No, we weren’t hanging out. I bumped into him after my class.”
