Chapter 4
1151 Words
APHRODITE'S POV
I’ll admit it—I was flustered earlier, but honestly? I didn’t mind. So that was Godric? Ha! I knew it! With a name like that, there was no way he was just some ordinary guy. And guess what? My instincts were spot on.
Wow. Just wow. He looked like he strolled right out of a romance novel—chiseled jawline, striking eyes, and that undeniable “I might have foreign blood” kind of charm. The kind of guy who could make knees buckle at will. Seriously, if he walked past a statue, even that would blush.
Right now, I was strategically hiding in my uncle’s office, doing everything in my power to avoid unnecessary interactions. My entire body trembled just thinking about running into him again. I bet he was in the cafeteria right now, completely oblivious to the fact that I was having a full-blown crisis over here.
And the craziest part?
We just met, and I’d already crowned him my ultimate crush. Yep. Just like that. No hesitation. Zero deliberation. He’s the one.
I wonder what his favorite things are… Does he like dogs? What’s his take on pineapple pizza? What’s his star sign? Tsk, I shook my head. Focus, Aphrodite. You're spiraling.
Meanwhile, my uncle was busy talking on a landline—who even uses those anymore? I wasn’t really listening, too preoccupied swiping away at my latest obsession: Candy Crush.
Then suddenly, the intercom crackled to life, and an announcement blared through the room:
“Good morning! The College Dean for the College of Engineering and Technology would like to call the attention of Mr. Godric Ivan Olivander Wilm Thellerius Zeajan Beaurlington, the PICE President. He is expecting you any minute now. Please make your way to his office immediately. Thank you.”
I choked. Wait. WHAT?!
OH MY G— HE’S COMING HERE?!
Panic surged through my veins. Do I run? Do I fake an illness? Do I climb out the window?
No, compose yourself, woman!
With Herculean effort, I forced my fingers to keep moving on my phone screen like I wasn’t mentally combusting. I had to at least pretend to be unbothered. But let’s be real—I was sweating bullets.
Then it happened.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door swung open, and there he was.
Godric stepped in, flashing a charmingly polite smile that made my stomach plummet straight to the Earth's core. Wow. Even the way he stood had an air of effortless confidence.
He greeted my uncle, his voice smooth as silk, and I swear, I felt an actual breeze sweep through the room. This man was a walking phenomenon.
In a desperate attempt to look cool, I quickly shoved my phone away and acted like I was just casually existing. No big deal. Just another regular day.
But then…
Our eyes met.
Oh.
Oh no.
My heart did a triple backflip into the abyss.
For a split second, time itself seemed to glitch, and I could feel every single blood vessel in my body rushing straight to my face. I was definitely blushing. Abort mission! Abort mission!
Then, my dear, beloved uncle (a.k.a. my arch-nemesis) decided now was the perfect time to give me a knowing, mischievous grin.
Tsk, Uncle. Read the room!
I was practically screaming internally: Stop it, stop it, stop it, or I swear I will burst into tears right here and humiliate us both!
Just when I thought I’d dodged a bullet, my uncle called my name again.
Uncle, I swear to all things holy—if you don’t stop, I might have to exile you from my life.
But fine. I’ll let it slide.
After all, he’s been like a second father to me since my parents moved abroad. My dad got his green card last year and brought my mom to New Jersey with him. They wanted me to come too, but I refused—I had to finish my Civil Engineering degree here first.
So, instead of living alone in Los Baños, I moved in with my uncle, who gladly took me in. It’s been great—until now, when he decided to ruin my entire existence in front of my ultimate crush.
Taking a deep breath, I got up and walked over to my uncle’s desk. Just as I was about to sit down, Godric extended his hand for a handshake.
...Oh. Oh, my.
His palm was smooth. His grip was firm, yet gentle. My brain short-circuited.
For a terrifying second, I had the insane urge to never let go—or worse, drag him home with me. Hahaha, just kidding! (But am I?)
I pulled my hand away fast, before I did something reckless.
As the meeting started, I tried my best to focus, making sure to articulate my thoughts well. I caught Godric watching me from the corner of my eye, and suddenly, my brain went into maximum overdrive.
Oh my gosh, he’s listening to me.
Okay, okay. Stay cool. Impress him. Be the mysterious, intelligent girl.
Then, he spoke.
And holy mother of equations, was he impressive.
Handsome, articulate, intelligent—what kind of genetic lottery did this man win?!
I found myself hanging onto every word he said. His charisma was off the charts. I had to physically restrain my eyeballs from popping out of their sockets.
And then—just when I thought I had reached my daily limit of public humiliation—my uncle dropped a bombshell.
He turned to Godric and said, “Ivan, could you look after Aphrodite for me?”
…Excuse me, WHAT?!
I froze. My stomach twisted into knots. My soul left my body. WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT?!
I was one second away from faking my own disappearance.
Then, the moment of truth.
Godric answered.
“Of course.”
WAIT. WHAT?!
We barely knew each other! We weren’t even dating!
But you know what? My inner flirt was THRIVING.
Alright, Godric. Challenge accepted.
If he’s serious about this, then game on.
I was blushing furiously, so I lowered my head, trying to look adorably shy (because hey, if I like him, I might as well twinkle a little, right?). But then I stopped myself. No. That’s desperate. Keep it cool, Aphrodite.
After the meeting, Godric left, and I turned my full wrath onto my uncle.
I shot him the nastiest glare I could muster, but internally, I was lowkey thanking him.
He just mocked me with a smirk.
“What? What did I do?” he asked, playing dumb.
Tsk. Big monkey.
If I didn’t respect him, I would’ve smacked him right then and there.
I huffed, grabbed my bag, and stormed out before he could tease me again.
Next stop—Room 205.
And just like that, my ultimate crush was now officially part of my life.
- Writer
