invitations

“Thank you” I said while starting again to walk. As we approached the entrance I heard a voice behind me say “It's just my second day here and you're already ignoring me?” Then felt a hand grabbing my hand and I immediately turned around.

It was him, so dangerously close to me. His eyes were shining more than ever under the cold winter sunny rays.

“I wasn't ignoring you. You're just good at hiding”

“I've always been.” He said with a smirk

“Can I be your shadow today? I need someone to guide me through these unknown halls, and you happen to be also a very good friend.”

“But we don't have the same lessons.”

“For a day it won't hurt my studying career to listen also the medicine field ones.”

I smiled and while Nyra on the back if my head was screaming “I told you! He is trying to make an excuse to spend more time with you.” And I smiled a bit more before saying “it would be my pleasure.”

He tucked his arm under mine, I felt my cheeks burning, and we started walking through the halls with many staring eyes on us. He didn’t seem to notice it, or if he did, he didn’t care.

And why would he? He had always been confident, always at ease, the kind of person who could make the whole world feel small and unimportant with just one look.

As I imagined fromt he beginning I wasn't able to follor the classes because we were always murmuring about something. I tried to be as quite as possible, but he kept talking abd during my chemistry class I muttered under my breath “You’re a terrible distraction here.”

“Is that so?” He grinned, his eyes sparkling. “Should I go then?”

Before I could respond, the professor’s voice cut through the air, his tone heavy with irritation. “Miss Lya, Mister Romer out. Now. I’ve had enough of this chatter disrupting the class.”

I froze. I started stuttering trying to make an excuse “I...uh, Professor, we were...”

“Thank you, Professor,” Romer interrupted me and grabbed my hand and pulling me up before I could finish. He led me out of the room with a very amused look on his face.

“Romer, what did you do?” I said harshly once in the hall. “I’m going to get marked down for this! He’s going to fail me.”

He stopped, turning to face me, his expression calm and confident. “No, he won’t. I’ll talk to him later. Trust me.”

I stared at him, my panic not entirely subsided. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” He changed the subject abruptly and said . “Want to take a walk outside? I would like some fresh air now.”

I blinked, still caught up in my worry. “Outside? But it’s freezing.”

“It's not that cold, come on."

It was indeed that cold. A thin layer of frost covered everything. The world felt magical and ethereal, as if it were holding its breath. We strolled while talking with my anxiety gradually melting away.

We sat and shiver ran down my spine as a cold breeze brushed against us. Romer noticed it immediately. “You’re cold,”

“I’m fine,” I protested, but he didn’t give me a chance to argue. He pulled me closer, my back pressing against his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. “Let me warm you up.”

My breath hitched, and I was so glad that he couldn't see my face in that moment. My cheeks were burning, for sure had turned a deep tomato red shade. We stayed like that for a while, saying nothing, just soaking in the stillness around us. It was comfortable, peaceful, the kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled with words.

Then I heard familiar voices behind us.

“There you are!” Tara and Cara emerged from the main building, their eyes landing on me immediately. “We’ve been looking everywhere,” Tara said, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

I tried to pull away from Romer, but his grip tightened, holding me in place. The girls exchanged knowing glances.

“Romer, since you’re already so close to Lya, I think it’s only right to invite you to my birthday party this weekend. We’re just having a small celebration, but I’d love it if you could come by the club afterward.”

Romer didn’t hesitate. “I’d love to. Just tell me when and where.”

He barely had time to confirm before his phone buzzed. After glancing at it, he excused himself, saying he needed to go. As soon as he was gone, I spun around to face Tara, my voice sharp.

“Why did you do that?” I asked, crossing my arms.

Tara smirked. “Because you were never going to ask him on a date yourself, so I decided to give you a little push.”

I gaped at her, words failing me. But deep down, I knew she was right.