Page 22 of Hate Me

I went to get up, but he held up his hand. “There’s twenty minutes before the start of the next class. You wouldn’t know that, because you’re always rushing off to keep up with your intense back-to-back class schedule.”

He knew about that?

“Actually, after this class, I have to eat before my next one.”

“And study during this break of yours too, correct?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“You’re pushing it hard this year. Last year too, once you got back into the swing of things.”

“It’s fine. I’m handling it.” It all fit within my recovery plan. I’d had to wait a whole year before I could get back to this pace, though. And now I had, I was well into the routine of it all and I wasn’t stopping.

“I know you are. That’s not what I want to talk to you about.”

I frowned.

He opened up my portfolio and flipped through the pages in front of me, until he came to my latest design. “This is incredible. Your skill, your impressive design eye, it’s all top-notch. It stands above the rest. Not just in comparison to other students in this program, but when compared to actual professionals in the field too.”

Wow. That meant a hell of a lot, especially coming from him. He was a visiting guest lecturer, and he was a renowned architect who ran his own firm, Serenity Group. At only in his mid-thirties too.

“Thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say, he’d caught me off guard.

And that went to a whole other level as he said, “When you graduate, call me. You’ll do your required work experience with my firm.”

“You’re serious?”

“Absolutely. You’re talented, dedicated, and your potential is incredible. I’d be honored to take you under my wing.”

“You’ve got it. I’ll do that. Thank you.”

He smiled, then patted my shoulder. “Keep at it, you’re doing phenomenally.” He winked. “We all have our setbacks. It’s what we do following that really matters.” With that, he walked off, heading out of the room.

That had been… a lot.

Offering me that position… it would set me up right after graduation, putting me on a good track to gaining the experience I needed at a really strong firm and under the guidance of somebody as accomplished and as respected in the field as Harding, for me to then earn my license.

And he was also one of the few people who hadn’t judged me after my relapse.

Going by the choice of his words, perhaps he’d gone through something similar. It seemed to be more than objective understanding of my situation and kindness, more personal.

I was smiling as I headed out and navigated my way through the crowded corridors of Luxe.

I passed by the café as I unfortunately had to do every day.

I just never went inside anymore.

I bought my coffee all the way over on the other side of campus just to avoid venturing in there. And I usually brought my own lunch from home too, something that Caspian’s staff prepared for me with Cas wanting to make sure I kept to my healthy lifestyle in every way.

Well, except for those cupcakes a few days ago. We did make an exception every now and then, those things in moderation.

I fought against the need that always crept up on me to peer inside as I passed by the café.

The very café that Sky used to sit in the corner of doing her coursework or sketching away. There were too many key memories of her associated with the place. I just… couldn’t.

I blinked it away, shoving it down before it took me over, and concentrated on making my way across the quad until I reached the picnic table at the far end off to the side of everything else.

I sat down and pulled my lunch out and started digging in, while I grabbed my phone and went over my task list for today.

---