Celine adjusted her notebook for the third time and glanced at the clock above the whiteboard. Still, ten minutes to go. The lecture hall buzzed with idle chatter, which she usually tuned out. Everything was exactly how she liked quiet, orderly, predictable until he walked in.
George, with his messy curls, untucked shirt, and the kind of lazy grin that made girls swoon and her blood pressure rise. She rolled her eyes as he sauntered past, somehow managing to radiate both arrogance and indifference. Fantastic. Just what she needed distractions in human form.
He dropped into the seat beside hers without so much as a glance in her direction. Of course, he did. The room wasn't even full, but no, George Lawson had to sit right next to her like the universe was trying to test her patience.
She scooted an inch away, clutching her pen tighter.
"Morning, Sunshine," he said, finally looking at her. His voice was smooth, like coffee laced with sarcasm.
Celine forced a tight smile. "Don't you have other people to bother?"
"Sure," he said, stretching his arms behind his head. "But no one glares at me quite like you do. It's kind of flattering."
She turned away, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a jerk. George just chuckled.
They'd crossed paths before, shared a few lectures, and somehow, always ended up beside her. Like fate had a twisted sense of humor.
Celine prided herself on being focused. She didn't come to uni to flirt, party, or chase drama. She had goals, deadlines, and a scholarship to maintain. And George? George looked like a walking distraction with zero plans to leave her alone.
Professor Haynes walked in, dragging his old rolling bag and clutching a coffee mug that had definitely seen better days. The lecture quieted, and Celine leaned into her notes like they were a shield.
George, of course, didn't even open his notebook.
Midway through the lecture, he nudged her elbow. She ignored him. He nudged again.
"What?" she hissed under her breath, not taking her eyes off the screen.
"You're left-handed?"
Celine blinked. "That's what you interrupted me for?"
He grinned, eyes warm with mischief. "Just collecting trivia. Every little detail helps."
"Helps with what?"
"Figuring you out."
She didn't answer. She couldn't. Because for some reason, her stomach flipped at those words.
After class, she stood up quickly, stuffing her things into her tote bag. George was right behind her, matching her pace as they stepped out into the breezy corridor.
"You always walk this fast?" he asked.
"I always walk away from things that annoy me."
"Ouch," he said, placing a hand over his heart. "You wound me."
"Good. Maybe you'll finally leave me alone."
But he didn't. He walked with her to the steps outside the building, like he belonged there, like this was normal.
"See you next class, Sunshine," he said with that infuriatingly cocky smile, taking a few steps backward before turning away.
Celine didn't reply. She just stood there, watching him disappear into the crowd of students. Her jaw tightened.
She hated him.
She hated how he got under her skin without even trying.
But more than that… she hated the flicker of heat in her chest whenever he smiled at her like that.
And as she turned to leave, she didn't notice the pair of eyes watching her from across the courtyard—cold, calculating, and full of interest.
Trouble was coming.
And Celine Thomas didn't know it yet, but George Lawson would be the least of it.