Not My Type, But My Love

Chapter three

Anika stood still for a moment, the noise of the event fading into the background. Her heart raced in her chest as she looked up at Atlas. She had spoken to him—actually spoken to him. It had been so much easier in her head. Her nerves were a mess now, but at least she had done it. She had walked up to him and had an actual conversation, albeit short and somewhat awkward. But it was a conversation, and that was enough.

She hadn’t expected it to feel like this. Atlas wasn’t rude, but there had been something about his cool, detached demeanor that made her nervous. It wasn’t that he was unkind. It was more like he was studying her, watching her every move. Anika had never been the type to thrive in such situations, but somehow, she had managed to keep herself composed.

“Um, so, I’ll leave you to it,” Anika had said quickly, feeling the warmth rush to her cheeks. She couldn’t believe how awkward she felt after what had seemed like a simple exchange of words. But Atlas hadn’t seemed to mind. In fact, he had nodded in a way that made her feel like he was somewhat satisfied with the brief interaction.

As she turned away, the words echoed in her mind. “It was good to meet you.”

She hadn’t even asked for his number. In fact, she hadn’t known what to expect after saying that. But then, out of nowhere, Atlas had handed her his phone. His dark eyes had briefly met hers, and there was something almost unreadable in the way he looked at her.

“You’re interesting,” he had said, voice deep and low. “You’re not like the others.”

Anika had felt her heart skip a beat, unsure of how to respond. She hadn’t expected to hear that. Was he complimenting her, or was he just being polite? Either way, it had made her feel like she had done something right.

She had shaken her head a little to clear the fog in her thoughts. Then she had taken a deep breath, reached for her phone, and handed it to him. No words needed to be said. She was doing this. She was giving him her number. The thought alone made her want to hide under the nearest table, but she had already committed herself to it.

“I’m Anika,” she had said, her voice a little shaky as she typed out her contact information.

As Atlas entered her number, he hadn’t said much else, but she noticed the slight quirk of his lips. It wasn’t a smile, not exactly, but it was enough to make her feel like maybe, just maybe, she hadn’t made a complete fool of herself.

“Thanks,” he had muttered after finishing. “I’ll message you.”

And just like that, the conversation had ended. Atlas had walked off with the same composed manner he had entered with, leaving Anika standing in the middle of the crowd, feeling her heart race in a way it never had before.

---

Anika returned home later that night, her mind buzzing with the evening’s events. It was a blur—her nerves, the awkwardness of their exchange, the strange sensation of Atlas’s presence. What was it about him that had made her feel like she couldn’t breathe right when he was near?

She glanced at her phone, hesitating. It wasn’t that she was waiting for a message. But then, why had she handed him her number in the first place? Why had she done it when she knew that someone like him could probably have anyone he wanted?

She bit her lip nervously and pulled up her messages. No new texts. Her heart sank a little at the thought. Maybe it was all a mistake. Maybe she had been foolish to think that something like that—something so spontaneous—would lead anywhere.

She sighed and set her phone down. As much as she tried to convince herself that it didn’t matter, there was a small part of her that couldn’t stop thinking about him.

---

The next day, Anika tried to carry on with her life. She went to work, completing the tasks she had been given, trying to focus on something other than the thoughts of Atlas. The minutes felt like hours, and no matter how hard she tried to concentrate, she found herself distracted. The uncertainty of whether he would actually text her played over and over in her mind.

By the time the workday ended, she was mentally exhausted, but the evening ahead seemed to stretch on with endless possibilities. What would she do? Would she hear from him?

As soon as she stepped into her apartment, her phone lit up. Her heart skipped as she saw the notification.

Atlas: Hey, Anika. It’s Atlas. How’s your day been?

A smile tugged at her lips, and for the first time in a while, she felt a flutter of excitement. He had messaged her. She hadn’t expected it, but there it was. She quickly tapped on the message, her fingers trembling slightly.

Anika: Hey, Atlas. My day’s been fine, just a bit busy with work. How about you?

It felt strange, texting him like this, but it also felt... right. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how much she had been anticipating his message.

Atlas: Same here. Busy as always. Glad to hear you’re doing well. I was thinking about what you said last night... about how you were a bit shy. You didn’t seem shy to me at all.

Anika’s breath caught in her throat. The comment took her off guard. She hadn’t realized he had paid that much attention to what she had said.

Anika: Really? I guess I was just nervous. I don’t usually do this, you know.

She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to share that with him, but it felt right to be honest.

Atlas: I can understand that. But you didn’t seem nervous at all. You seemed... genuine.

Anika’s heart fluttered at his words. It felt good to hear that from him. But she still wasn’t sure if he was just being polite or if he actually meant it.

Anika: Thanks. I’ll try to be less nervous next time.

Atlas: Looking forward to it. We should talk more, Anika.

The conversation lingered, both of them talking casually about work, life, and random things. The evening passed faster than Anika had expected, and soon enough, it was time to say goodnight.

Anika: It was nice talking to you. I’ll see you around.

Atlas: Goodnight, Anika. Sweet dreams.

Anika set her phone down, her heart still racing. She hadn’t expected this level of communication. What did it mean? She wasn’t sure yet, but she felt a sense of hope—a hope that maybe this wasn’t just a one-time thing.

She smiled to herself as she turned off the light and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow, maybe things would be clearer.