"Lianne, hello." A tall stranger, clearly a student, was staring at her intently.
Lianne's gaze shifted from a bouquet of breathtakingly vibrant roses to the young man's face. She offered a polite smile. "Hello. Can I help you?"
"Well..." Her direct gaze made his heart race, and he suddenly grew shy.
He took a deep breath and rushed out in a single, rapid-fire sentence, "I've actually liked you for a long time. Ever since the freshman convocation when you spoke as the student representative, I've had a crush on you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
"She can't!" a slightly husky voice suddenly interjected.
Sophie Sheridan, dressed in a casual sweatsuit with a backpack slung over one shoulder, strode over and decisively draped an arm around Lianne's shoulders, staking her claim.
"She's mine."
Passing students glanced back at the commotion, but everyone was in a hurry, so no one stopped to watch the drama unfold.
