*Sam's POV*
The middle of the semester had arrived, and campus life had been a blur of endless readings, mock recitations, and sleepless nights. I hadn't seen Nate since that day in the park. Every time I thought about it, a sharp pang of sadness hit my chest, but I shoved the feeling aside, telling myself it didn't matter. He made it clear he didn't want anything to do with me.
Everyone was busy preparing for the upcoming Acquaintance Party, an annual event where alumni lawyers would come back to share their experiences and give advice to students. It was supposed to be fun, a break from the grueling workload, but I wasn't really excited about it. However, the event was all anyone could talk about lately.
As I was walking to class, Austin suddenly appeared beside me with his usual grin.
"Sam! Just the person I was looking for."
I smiled. "What's up?"
"There's an after-party at my house after the Acquaintance Party," he said. "You're invited. Bring Millie and Cass, too. Make sure Cassandra comes!"
Okayyy, what is that about? Is he and Cass a thing? (A/N: But that's another story *wink wink*)
I hesitated. "Oh, um, I don't know if—"
"Come on," he interrupted. "It'll be fun. No pressure, but if you don't show up, I'll take it personally." He smirked.
I laughed lightly, shaking my head. "Alright, alright, I'll think about it."
Just then, I noticed Nate walking past us. His eyes flickered toward me for the briefest second before he kept walking, but Austin called out to him.
"Nate, you didn't forget, right? After-party at my place. Of course you're coming!"
Nate didn't even slow down as he muttered, "If she's going, I'm not coming."
The words cut sharper than they should have. I forced a smile, pretending it didn't bother me, but Austin frowned. "Hey, don't mind him. He didn't mean it."
But I think he did. And it hurt more than I wanted to admit.
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The Acquaintance Party came.
It went by smoothly. The speeches were inspiring, the mingling was slightly awkward but bearable, and the food was great. But what caught my attention the most was Nate.
He was smiling. Laughing. Chatting with people, including Millie and Cass. He looked relaxed and happy... so why was he only cold towards me? It didn't make sense.
Millie leaned to me. "Okay, what's up with Nate? Why is he acting normal with everyone except you?"
Cass crossed her arms. "Yeah, did something happen between you two? He's treating you like you ran over his dog or something."
I forced a laugh. "Not really. I don't know. He's just... avoiding me."
"Suspicious," Millie muttered.
I tried to brush it off, but as the night went on, I found myself stealing glances at him. Maybe if I just talked to him....
During dinner, I gathered the courage to approach him. "Hey, Nate," I said cautiously.
He didn't even look at me.
I swallowed hard. "Can we talk?"
He looked at me but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned his attention back to his food, completely ignoring me.
My heart sank. So much for that.
The rejection stung, but I nodded to myself and walked away, pretending like I was fine.
Later, as we were about to leave, Austin caught up to me. "You're coming to the after-party, right?"
"I don't think so."
He groaned. "Come on! Don't worry about Nate, he's in a good mood. It'll be fun, I promise."
I hesitated, then reluctantly agreed. Maybe this was my chance to figure things out.
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The after-party was livelier than I expected. Music was playing, people were drinking and chatting.
I spotted Nate at the bar counter, pouring himself a drink. My heartbeat quickened. Maybe now... maybe if I asked him one last time...
I approached cautiously. "Nate."
He stiffened.
"What's your problem with me?" I asked, my voice quiet but firm.
His jaw tightened. "I don't have a problem. Not everything is about you."
Ouch.
I looked down. "Then why are you acting like this?"
He turned to me, eyes dark with frustration. "Sam, just drop it."
"No, I won't," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I don't understand what I did wrong. You just suddenly—"
"I SAID DROP IT!" he snapped, his voice louder than I expected.
People nearby turned to look. My chest tightened, and I took a step back. My face burned with embarrassment and hurt.
Nate's eyes widened slightly, as if realizing he had raised his voice, but instead of apologizing, he just clenched his fists and walked away, leaving me standing there, completely shattered.
I blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. I didn't want Millie and Cass to see me like this. I didn't want to ruin their night. So I quietly slipped outside to get some air.
The cold night breeze hit my skin, but it wasn't enough to soothe the storm inside me. I took deep breaths, trying to push back the lump in my throat. But before I could fully calm down, a voice interrupted my thoughts.
"You look lonely."
I turned to see a guy, clearly drunk, smirking at me.
"I'm fine," I said, stepping back.
He moved closer. "C'mon, don't be like that. You're too pretty to be alone. Come with me, just one drink and you'll forget all of your problems." He said, giving me a flirty wink.
I felt uneasy. "Please leave me alone."
"Relax, I just wanna talk." He grabbed my wrist, his grip firm. My heart pounded.
"Let go!" I said sharply, trying to pull away.
But he didn't. "Don't be like that, sweetheart. I just wanna talk."
I struggled against his grip, but he wouldn't let go. Panic started creeping in.
Before I could scream, another voice cut in, sharp as a blade.
"Let. Her. Go."
I turned and saw Nate, his expression murderous.
The drunk guy hesitated but then scoffed. "Chill, man. We're just talking."
Nate stepped forward, his voice dangerously low. "I don't give a fuck what you were doing. Let go of her before I make you."
The guy's grip loosened, and I quickly pulled my hand back. He muttered something under his breath before stumbling away.
I exhaled, still shaken. "Thank you—"
"Are you stupid?" Nate snapped.
I flinched. "What?"
"Why the hell are you out here alone?" His tone was sharp, accusing. "Do you have any idea what could've happened?"
I blinked. "I—I just needed air—"
"Then take air somewhere safe!" His hands curled into fists. "Don't go wandering around alone."
I stared at him, confusion washing over me. Why was he so angry? He had ignored me all night, acted like I didn't exist, yet now he was scolding me like he cared?
I swallowed hard. "Nate... why are you acting like this?"
He didn't answer. He just looked at me for a long moment before shaking his head and walking away. Again.
I stood there, my hands clenched into fists, my heart aching more than ever.
Why did it hurt so much?
Tears blurred my vision, and before I could stop myself, they spilled over. I quickly wiped them away, but my sniffles betrayed me.
"Are you okay?"
A soft, gentle voice broke through my pain.
I looked up and saw a guy, one I vaguely recognized from class, standing in front of me. His eyes held genuine concern.
He held out a handkerchief. "You look like you could use this."
I hesitated before taking it. "Thanks."
He smiled kindly. "Want to sit down for a bit?"
I nodded, unable to trust my voice.
As we sat together, I clutched the handkerchief in my hands, still feeling the sting of Nate's coldness. But for some reasons, I felt safe and didn't feel completely alone.
He smiled gently. "I'm Josh."
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