She had asked him out.
She'd actually asked her reader out.
What the hell was wrong with her?
Groaning, she trudged home after her lectures, her backpack weighing down on her like the embarrassment she couldn't shake off.
It wasn't as though she'd planned for this. She hadn't expected to log in and find her novel recommended. The notification had lit her up like a Christmas tree, filling her chest with warmth.
For a fleeting moment, she felt okay.
Writing had always been her escape, though concentrating on a single project felt like trying to catch smoke. It was hard.
Everything was hard.
School was a mess. Deadlines suffocated her. Updating her novel daily? Impossible. She felt guilty for disappointing her readers, but her severe depression made even breathing feel like a chore.
Yet, amidst the chaos, she missed him—her reader.
It was rare for her to let someone crawl under her skin, but he'd done it. And now? She missed him like crazy.
Badly.
It took every ounce of her self-control not to message him. Not to be a creep. Not to expose how obsessed she'd become with him.
But the craving to talk to him gnawed at her insides until it spilled over, and she sent that text.
And instantly wanted to die.
When his reply popped up, her heart flipped. And those gifts? They warmed her in ways she couldn't explain.
Even though she'd ghosted him, he still came back.
How could someone be so kind? So thoughtful?
Then, there was the magic castle.
She was sure it had to be a mistake—no one casually gifts something so extravagant. But when he flirted with her, she short-circuited and did the unthinkable.
She asked him out.
And now here she was, groaning in public, wishing the ground would swallow her whole.
The drizzle began as she approached the campus gates, a soft pattering that quickly turned into a downpour. She cursed under her breath, realizing she'd forgotten her umbrella.
Typical.
She broke into a jog, heading for shelter when the sharp blare of a car horn made her freeze.
A flash of light blinded her.
Before she could react, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her out of the way. She stumbled but didn't fall, held firmly against something solid and warm.
Her breath caught.
She looked up—and froze.
The eyes staring back at her were hypnotic, their unique intensity stirring something deep within her.
She knew those eyes.
It hit her like a bolt of lightning.
They'd been in the same class for nearly two years. Coursemates. She'd seen him before but never noticed him. He was quiet, always fading into the background.
Yet here he was, holding her close, shielding her from the rain with an umbrella.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft but unsteady. "You almost got hit."
Her gaze flicked from his freckled face to the umbrella above them. The rain wasn't touching her anymore.
And then she noticed something else.
"You smell good," she blurted.
Her cheeks flamed as the words escaped her.
His own cheeks reddened, the color contrasting with his dirty blond hair. He cleared his throat, looking shy and utterly adorable.
Dear Lord, how had she not noticed him before?
Clearing her throat, she took a step back. "Thanks for saving me."
An awkward silence hung between them.
Her eyes roamed over his outfit. He was dressed in an old-money aesthetic—polished and elegant. A French coat, scarf wrapped around his neck, tailored trousers, and Oxford shoes that screamed expensive.
"What the hell?" she muttered under her breath. Who just randomly stumbles across a rich rich guy in the middle of campus?
"Can I walk you to your ride?" he asked shyly, his gaze flickering between her and the ground.
She blinked. "How do you know I have a ride?"
He didn't answer, simply smiled in a way that made her stomach flip.
Still, she nodded. "Sure."
They walked side by side, his umbrella shielding them both. To her surprise, he seemed to know exactly where she was headed. When they reached the pavement where her cab usually waited, she turned to him.
"Do I know you?" she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.
"Not really…" he admitted, his eyes darting between his shoes and hers. "But I hope to get to know you soon."
The sincerity in his voice made her shiver.
"Thanks again," she said softly as the cab rolled to a stop in front of them.
He bit his lip, drawing her attention to his mouth before her gaze flicked back to his shy eyes.
"It's an honor. Good night, Shalom."
The cab pulled away, and she sank into the seat, her thoughts swirling like the rain outside.
But then her breath hitched.
He'd said her name.
Her name.
And for the first time in a long time, she wasn't thinking about her reader