Stephanie lay on her bed, one arm slung over her eyes as the ceiling fan whirred gently above. Her textbooks were piled beside her, untouched. She should've been reviewing for next week's physics quiz — but her brain had been hijacked since lunch.
"Would you want to join our innovation group?"
Zayn Maddox. That's all it took to get her head spinning.
He wasn't just some guy. He was that guy. Smart, polished, and probably used to students clinging to every word he said.
And yet… he'd looked right at her. Spoke gently. Asked questions like her answers mattered.
Then, as if the offer hadn't been enough, came the afterthought:
"We should grab a coffee sometime — just us. Talk ideas."
Stephanie groaned softly into her pillow. "What does that even mean? Coffee as teammates? Or coffee as... something else?"
She didn't know. But her stomach had definitely flipped.
Katherine pushed open the bedroom door with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. "Still thinking about Mr. Coffee?"
Stephanie sat up and scowled. "I'm not thinking about him."
"You're thinking hard enough for the whole apartment block," Katherine teased, handing her the mug. "So are you saying yes?"
"I don't know." Stephanie sipped slowly. "What if I say yes and make a fool of myself?"
"You won't," Katherine said with confidence. "Zayn may be smooth, but you've got brains, humility, and killer instincts when it comes to projects. Besides, when was the last time a guy asked you for coffee and didn't spill it on you?"
Stephanie chuckled. "Okay, that's fair."
"You deserve to feel seen, Steph. Just try it. One coffee isn't a marriage proposal."
Stephanie hesitated. Her mind flicked — unwillingly — to Raymond Carter.
Complicated, unreadable, frustrating. And yet, she could never forget that night at the gala, or the time he dropped her, Or came to return her umbrella like it was nothing.
But that was just… a moment. And Raymond? He belonged in a different universe. One with fast cars, cold eyes, and secrets she probably didn't want to uncover.
This — Zayn — was simple.
"I'll go," she whispered more to herself than anyone else.
Katherine grinned. "That's my girl."
---
Two Days Later
The sun filtered through the café's large windows, golden and soft. Stephanie sat across from Zayn, her fingers wrapped around a warm cappuccino. She wore a soft beige blouse and jeans — casual, but still clean and composed.
Zayn leaned forward, smiling as he explained a project idea about biodegradable materials. He was passionate. Friendly. Confident.
And she was doing her best to focus — she really was — but she could feel the eyes.
Not Zayn's.
Someone else's.
A familiar tingle ran down her spine as the door behind her opened. The soft jingle of the bell above the entrance chimed, and for some reason, her heart skipped a beat.
Zayn paused mid-sentence. "Hey, isn't that…"
Stephanie turned her head, and her chest tightened.
Raymond Carter.
He looked casual — grey shirt, dark jeans, hands in pockets — but nothing about him ever looked simple. His eyes swept the café slowly, and then landed right on her.
Their gazes locked.
For a split second, neither of them looked away.
Then, as if nothing was unusual, Raymond gave a faint nod in her direction and walked toward the far end of the café, placing an order without another glance.
But Stephanie couldn't tear her eyes off him.
Zayn noticed. "You two know each other?"
She swallowed, her voice unsure. "Kind of…"
"Hmm." Zayn sipped his drink. "Looks like he's not thrilled."
Stephanie looked down at her cup, her thoughts suddenly jumbled.
She came for coffee. Just coffee.
But nothing ever seemed simple with Raymond Carter around.