The following morning, Amara slipped the ID card into the side pocket of her bag. She had barely slept the night before, her thoughts circling around Adrian like restless birds. She had told herself it didn't mean anything that she was only returning what belonged to him. Yet she couldn't shake the memory of his steady eyes and the way his name had sounded in her head.
By the time she walked into the lecture hall, the seats were already filling. Students buzzed with chatter, swapping stories about the new professors, upcoming assignments, and endless deadlines.
Emily spotted her and waved. "Over here!"
Amara slid into the seat beside her, but her attention was already wandering. A small part of her was waiting, listening for the shuffle of late footsteps.
And then, there he was.
Adrian entered the hall with the same quiet presence he had in the cafeteria, his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder. He didn't rush or apologize for being late he simply walked to a seat two rows ahead, dropped his bag, and leaned back as if he owned the space around him.
Amara's fingers brushed against the ID card in her bag. This is the moment, she thought. She could just walk up to him before the lecture started, hand it over, maybe say something casual.
But her chest tightened at the thought. What if he didn't even remember her? What if he thought she was strange for keeping it?
The lecturer walked in before she could decide. The next hour blurred into the drone of explanations and scribbled notes, but Amara's focus kept slipping toward Adrian's silhouette his shoulders relaxed, the way his pen tapped idly against the edge of his notebook, his head tilted slightly when he was thinking.
When the class finally ended, students began shoving books into bags, rushing out before the next crowd filled the hall. Amara hesitated, her pulse quickening. Do it now, she urged herself. Before he leaves.
She stood and made her way down the row, weaving through the departing students until she reached him. He was slipping his notebook into his bag, unaware of her presence.
"Um....excuse me," she said, her voice softer than she intended.
Adrian looked up, his expression neutral. Up close, his eyes were darker than she remembered, steady and unreadable.
Amara held out the card. "I think you dropped this yesterday. In the cafeteria."
For a split second, something flickered in his eyes...recognition, maybe, or mild surprise. He took the card with a nod. "Right. Thanks."
That was it. Two words. No smile, no spark of conversation, no second glance. He tucked the card into his wallet as though it had never been missing and swung his bag over his shoulder.
Amara's heart thudded awkwardly. She had rehearsed the moment in her mind, imagined he might ask her name, or at least offer a smile of gratitude. Instead, he walked past her, merging into the stream of students leaving the hall.
She stood there for a moment, trying not to feel foolish.
Emily appeared beside her. "Ready to grab lunch?" she asked, oblivious to what had just passed.
Amara forced a smile. "Yeah. Let's go."
As they walked across campus, Emily chatted about a professor's quirky teaching style, but Amara barely heard. She replayed the encounter again and again the way his voice had sounded up close, how casually he had accepted the card, and how quickly he had walked away.
It shouldn't matter. She told herself that again and again. He was just another student. Returning his ID had been the right thing to do, nothing more.
And yet, she couldn't deny the small ache that lingered. He hadn't noticed her. Not really.
That evening, back in the dorm, Lara was sprawled on her bed, scrolling endlessly on her phone, while Elena sat by the window, her gaze lost in a book.
"You look like someone stole your favorite candy," Lara said, peering at Amara.
Amara laughed lightly. "I'm fine. Just tired."
But she wasn't fine. Not completely. Because even as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts refused to quiet down.
She could still picture Adrian's face, the way his eyes had flickered for a brief second when she'd handed him the card. Had it meant nothing or had he actually remembered her?
Her phone buzzed suddenly with a message. It was Emily: "Guess what? I just found out we've got a group project in Biology coming up… partners will be assigned tomorrow."
Amara's stomach tightened as she read the words. She shut her eyes, the glow of her phone lighting up her face in the darkness.
For the first time all day, a strange thought crossed her mind, one she couldn't push away.
What if fate wasn't finished with Adrian Cole just yet?