Hayden

Hayden's life was nothing short of amazing. He had loving, supportive parents who always encouraged him. When they saw how effortlessly social and outgoing he was as a kid, they had no qualms about letting him move across the country for college. He landed an internship, met tons of new people, and instantly clicked with his roommates. Wherever he went, he had a way of fitting in, like he belonged there all along.

With his charm and humor, Hayden made friends easily. Sure, a few guys weren’t fond of him, but that was mostly because he stole the spotlight—especially when it came to girls. Not that he cared. In fact, he barely noticed. But if he did acknowledge anything, it was that he had probably turned down every girl who had ever worked up the nerve to confess to him. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the attention—he knew he was good-looking (arrogant prick, as some would say)—but he assumed most of them were only interested in the idea of him: a popular, talented volleyball player to flirt and fool around with. And he wasn’t interested in that. Hayden wanted something more. Someone he could tease, someone unpredictable, someone whose reactions would keep him on his toes. Someone he could get under the skin of in all the best ways.

And that’s how he met her. Well, not exactly. At first, he hadn’t really noticed her at all. She was just the girl who always ended up sitting beside him in class. But somehow, she started to stand out. The way she furrowed her brows when she concentrated too hard, the quiet way she carried herself, her complete lack of interest in socializing. She intrigued him. Maybe because he had never really met someone like her before—or maybe just because she didn’t seem to care about gaining his attention like everyone else did. She was polite, sure. She asked him about school, greeted him, even gave him small smiles when he helped her with something. But that was it. And that only made him want more.

So, naturally, he made himself impossible to ignore. He started striking up conversations, pushing his way into her quiet world. And before long, he realized he wanted to keep her close. Noticing that she rarely seemed to show much excitement outside of her studies, he convinced her to come along when he and his friends trained for volleyball. She seemed... lighter, almost happy. But then the weekend came, and he found himself oddly restless, annoyed that he wouldn’t see her for two whole days. She was his friend—it was normal to miss her, right?

By the time Monday rolled around, he was practically counting down the seconds until she walked into the lecture hall. But when she finally did, something was off. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she’d been crying. His easygoing expression faltered as he watched her take her usual seat beside him. She barely had time to settle in before she caught his stare. When she did, she hesitated before offering a weak smile. “I just had an allergic reaction,” she murmured, brushing it off. “I have a lot of allergies… it’s just starting to catch up to me.”

Hayden let out a dry laugh, tilting his head as he propped his elbow on the desk and rested his chin in his hand. His gaze sharpened, unreadable. “Oh, really? Allergies?” His voice dripped with playful skepticism. “That’s funny. Guess that makes two of us—because I’m highly allergic to bullshit.”

His smile faded slightly as he shifted under the table, nudging her foot with his own. Lowering his voice so only she could hear, he leaned in just a fraction closer. “Now,” he said, his tone softer—more serious, “why don’t you tell me who the asshole was that set off this so-called ‘allergic reaction’ of yours?” His eyes searched hers, curiosity laced with something deeper. Worry.