Tara's morning started with denial.
Not the gentle, maybe-this-is-a-dream kind. The loud, I-refuse-to-accept-this-reality kind.
The sunlight spilling through the blinds didn't help. Neither did the sight of Liam Kingsley standing shirtless by the window, casually spooning yogurt straight from the container like the world was his personal breakfast buffet.
"Morning, roommate," he said, voice lazy, like the word roommate was an inside joke only he found funny.
Tara blinked. "You're still here."
He looked over his shoulder, smirk firmly in place. "Technically, you're the one still here. This was my room first, remember?"
She groaned into her pillow. "You're unbelievable."
He chuckled. "So I've been told."
By the time Tara sat up, he'd switched to toast and black coffee. He moved like someone used to space - like every inch of the dorm had been designed for him.
"Do you mind?" she muttered, dragging her blanket tighter around herself.
He frowned, genuinely confused. "Mind what?"
"Existing that loudly."
He bit into his toast, amused. "You're cute when you're angry."
Tara swung her legs off the couch and stood, trying not to trip over the blanket. "We need rules."
"Rules?" He set his cup down. "Oh, this should be good."
"Yes. Rules. Ground rules. Since apparently I'm stuck here."
He folded his arms, mock serious. "Alright, Miss Scholarship. Hit me."
"Rule 1," she said, pacing. "No touching my things."
"Define 'things.'"
"Anything I own. Books, clothes, food, oxygen."
He laughed. "Bit extreme, but noted."
"Rule 2 no walking around half-naked."
He looked down at himself, gray sweatpants, no shirt and smirked. "You're welcome."
"Rule 2," she repeated through gritted teeth, "is non-negotiable."
He held up both hands. "Fine, fine. What else?"
"Rule 3, no guests after 9 p.m."
He arched an eyebrow. "You mean girlfriends?"
"I mean anyone."
He nodded slowly, clearly entertained. "You do realize you're in my dorm, right?"
She crossed her arms. "Our dorm. Thanks to the administration's stupidity."
He grinned. "You really should smile more when you insult people. It makes it hurt less."
"Rule 4, no commenting on my expressions."
He let out a dramatic sigh. "You're killing me, Tara."
"Not yet," she muttered. "Rule 5 respect personal space."
"Can I add one?"
"No."
"I'll add it anyway," he said. "Rule 6 if you use the coffee machine, you clean it. I don't want charity crumbs in my espresso."
She glared. "You're insufferable."
"And you're fun."
By noon, Tara escaped to the campus library. Northgate was even more intimidating in daylight glassy buildings, manicured lawns, students dressed like brand catalogs.
She found a corner desk, opened her laptop, and whispered to herself, "Focus. Scholarships don't renew themselves."
It almost worked until a shadow fell across her desk.
"Fancy seeing you here."
That voice. That smug, sun-drenched voice.
She looked up. Liam, in a white T-shirt and that same infuriating grin. "Do you follow me?"
He shrugged. "This is my spot."
"You have a million spots, Kingsley. Pick another one."
He slid into the chair across from her. "Relax. I'm not here to bother you."
He opened his laptop. For ten blissful minutes, they worked in silence. Then
"Do you always bite your lip when you're concentrating?" he asked.
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You're doing it again."
"Stop watching me."
"Stop being watchable."
Her eye twitched. "You're unbelievable."
He grinned. "You said that already."
Tara slammed her laptop shut. "I'm studying somewhere else."
She grabbed her bag and marched away. Behind her, his voice followed low, teasing.
"See you at home, roommate."
That evening, Tara tried to cook instant noodles in the dorm kitchenette. The scent of garlic and soy sauce filled the air. For the first time all day, she almost felt human.
Then the door opened, and in walked the universe's cruel joke.
Liam carried a brown paper bag from some fancy restaurant. "Smells… interesting."
"It's noodles," she said flatly.
He peeked over her shoulder. "From a packet?"
"From my savings."
He chuckled. "You know, there's a sushi bar on campus."
"And I'm sure they accept kidneys as payment."
He took out his dinner—steak, perfectly cooked and sat at his desk. The silence stretched.
After a moment, he said, "You don't have to starve to prove a point."
"I'm not starving."
He nodded at her tiny bowl. "You are."
She sighed, stabbing her noodles. "You wouldn't get it."
"Try me."
She glanced at him, surprised by the shift in his tone. For once, there was no sarcasm just curiosity.
"I worked too hard to get here," she said quietly. "Every cent, every test. I'm not blowing it pretending I belong somewhere I don't."
He studied her for a moment, then said, "Maybe you belong more than you think."
Her heart gave a stupid, traitorous flutter. "Don't play philosopher now."
"Just saying. Half these people are here because their parents bought a library wing. You're here because you earned it."
The compliment caught her off-guard. She hid behind her noodles. "Thanks… I guess."
He smirked again, the moment gone. "Still, you could use a better dinner."
"Don't push it."
Later that night, Tara was curled up reading when a gust of icy air hit her face.
She shivered. "Why does it feel like the Arctic in here?"
Liam looked up from his laptop. "Thermostat."
"Turn it down!"
"I like it cold."
"I like not freezing to death!"
He grinned. "Then wear a hoodie."
"I shouldn't need survival gear in my own room!"
He laughed, unbothered. "Rule 2 says no walking around half-naked. Doesn't say anything about climate control."
She threw a pillow at him. He caught it effortlessly, smiling. "Aggressive much?"
"You are impossible!"
He tossed the pillow back, landing it perfectly on her bed. "And yet, here you are."
She glared daggers. "Don't test me, Kingsley."
He raised a brow. "Or what? You'll spill more coffee on me?"
Her jaw dropped. "That was one time!"
He chuckled, leaning back. "Relax, scholarship girl. You're entertaining."
"Stop calling me that!"
"Then stop being it."
She groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I hate you."
"Give it a week," he said, smiling faintly. "You'll come around."
The next morning, Tara woke up early, determined to avoid him. She slipped quietly into the hall, coffee mug in hand.
Halfway to the cafeteria, her phone buzzed, a campus-wide notification.
"Northgate University: All dorm residents must attend the mandatory Student Partnership Program orientation. Pairings are permanent for the semester."
Tara frowned. Partnership program?
She scrolled down.
Assigned Partner: Liam Kingsley
Her heart stopped.
Back in the dorm, Liam's text arrived seconds later:
Guess who your academic partner is, scholarship girl?
– L.K.
She stared at the screen, speechless.
The universe wasn't done with her yet.