Adrian leaned against a thick concrete pillar near the library atrium's exit, keeping his eyes on the winding staircase. To anyone passing, he looked completely relaxed in his dark varsity jacket, offering lazy smiles to girls and greeting fellow athletes. He played the untouchable golden boy flawlessly.
Inside, however, his pulse was thrumming with a strange, restless energy.
Adrian was not used to waiting for anyone. His entire life was built on gravity; people naturally drifted toward him, eager for his time and his attention. But for the past forty-five minutes, he had been deliberately standing by this specific door, waiting for a girl who actively wanted nothing to do with him.
He had checked the campus directory. He knew Mara had a gap in her schedule every Tuesday afternoon, and
