The afternoon sun was still hanging low in the sky as I hurried across campus, my heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with classes.
I was on my way to meet James.
Just as I was stepping outside the lecture hall, my phone buzzed.
Jace.
Hey babe, wanna grab some snacks before evening? Miss you.
I hesitated, thumb hovering over the screen.
Jace had been nothing but sweet to me, patient even when I was distant.
But the thought of seeing James had my stomach flipping in a way Jace never quite managed.
Biting my lip, I quickly typed back:
Can't today, babe. We have a professor coming for an extra class. Sorry. Love you.
Another ping.
No worries! Making dinner reservations for 7 PM at our favorite restaurant. Wear that dress I love, I'll pick you up. See you tonight, beautiful.
I swallowed hard, guilt pooling low in my stomach.
7 PM. I had plenty of time, right?
Stuffing my phone into my back pocket, I pushed the thought away and headed to the field.
The field stretched out before me, golden and endless under the afternoon sun.
James was already there, kicking a football back and forth with a few guys.
When he saw me, his entire face lit up — like I was the only person in the world.He grinned- a slow knowing grin,that made my heart somersault.
He jogged over, laughing as he held out a ball toward me.
"You ready to learn how to not embarrass yourself in public?"
I smirked, rolling my eyes.
"Teach me, master." As i bowed.
"Alright, rookie," he teased.
"Time for your first lesson."
He showed me how to hold the ball, how to stand, how to throw — but honestly, I barely heard a word he said.
All I could focus on was the warmth of his hands brushing against mine, the soft encouragement in his voice, the way he looked at me like there was no one else in the world.
I threw the ball once — it landed about three feet away.
He laughed and clutched his chest like I had wounded him.
"That was... something," he said, wiping a pretend tear from his eye.
"Hey!" I said, laughing too, throwing a playful punch at his arm.
"Don't mock the student!"
He grinned wider.
"You're right. My bad. Terrible teacher."
The next hour flew by in a blur of laughter, teasing, and stolen glances.
James tried — and mostly failed — to teach me how to dribble the ball properly.
Every time I stumbled, he would catch me by the waist, steadying me with those strong hands, his body so close it made my head spin.
At some point, I stopped pretending to learn and just let myself enjoy it.
We sat down on the grass, breathless from laughing too much, the golden light of the sunset painting everything soft and magical.
I hadn't laughed like this in months. Maybe years.
Not even with Jace.
My phone buzzed again, persistent in my pocket.
I ignored it, feeling guilty for half a second before losing myself in James' smile all over again.
"You're terrible at football, you know that, right?" James teased, nudging my shoulder playfully.
"I'm a fast learner," I said, sticking my tongue out at him.
He laughed, and the sound wrapped around me like a warm blanket.
Eventually, we lay back in the grass, staring up at the sky as it shifted from blue to deep indigo.
"You're different," James said suddenly, voice low.
I turned my head to look at him.
"Different good, or different weird?"
"Good," he said, smiling slightly.
"Really good."
Something inside my chest ached.
I wanted to stay there forever, in that tiny, stolen world with him.
But reality had other plans.
---
My phone buzzed again — and again.
Sighing, I finally pulled it out and checked the time.
7:12 PM.
Shit.
My heart dropped.
I had completely forgotten about dinner with Jace.
I sat up so fast I almost knocked the football into James' face.
"Whoa," he laughed. "What's the rush?"
"I have to go," I said, brushing grass from my jeans, heart hammering.
He sat up too, his expression suddenly serious.
"Everything okay?"
I forced a smile.
"Yeah. Just... school stuff."
Frantically, I unlocked my phone.
Six missed calls.
Three messages.
I barely had time to process it when another notification popped up — but this time, it wasn't just a missed call.
It was a message.
A short one.
From Jace.
"Where are you? I see you."