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“I…” I do. “I-I need to study. Goodbye, Sebastian.”

I hurry over to the desk where my things are scattered, sit down, and open the book on Business Strategies.

“Mind if I join you?” Sebastian slides into the seat opposite of me.

“What are you doing?” I whisper-yell.

“I’m sitting in the library with my girlfriend?”

“We’re not—”

“Not yet. But I’m working on it.”

“I’m not your girlfriend,” I protest weakly.

“You can be.” He shrugs, undeterred. “You just have to say the words. Kiss me, Sebastian. Or Bash. Whatever you prefer, as long as it’s my name.”

“Can you please go?”

“Why?”

“Because,” I hesitate for a moment before continuing, “I need to focus on my book. And you’re… I can’t concentrate. “

“Is that so?” Sebastian smirks. “Well, I hate to disappoint, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’ve never been here before. I would have noticed.”

“I’m on your radar? That’s good to hear.”

“I didn’t—Forget it. I need to study. So, can you please go?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I like being around you. It lifts my mood.”

“Fine.”

“Good.” He fishes his phone out of his pocket and starts scrolling.

Hiding my red face behind the book, I force myself to concentrate on the words, but it’s as if the letters are dancing around the page, refusing to form coherent sentences.

Being around me lifts his mood? What does that even mean?

I chance a peek at him over the top of my book. He’s leaning back in his chair, engrossed in whatever is so interesting on his phone. He really is unfairly attractive.

This is my space, my sanctuary. He acts like he belongs. And the scary part is, I don’t entirely hate it. There’s a tiny traitorous part of me that thrills at having his attention. That wants more.

More what, I don’t even know.

He should be off-limits, as Jason said.

Maybe that’s part of the allure. He’s the quintessential bad boy, the forbidden fruit, and I’m not. By all accounts, we shouldn’t make sense. But somehow, we do. Or could. If I let him in.

But therein lies the problem. I don’t let people in. At least not anymore.

Or maybe I could. He kind of already saw me at my worst.

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