The Billionaire's Revenge

Chapter 4: Green Eyes

Chapter 4

Camille froze the moment her eyes met Cameron’s.

He didn’t look away.

Neither did she.

It wasn’t intentional—at least not on her part—but something in her refused to break the connection first. The lecture hall buzzed around them, chairs scraping, students shifting, pens clicking shut, yet everything felt muted, like the world had stepped slightly out of focus.

Finally, she forced herself to look away, turning back toward the professor at the front. She pretended to listen, pretended to be normal, pretended her pulse wasn’t suddenly betraying her.

But she could feel it—Cameron still there. Still looking.

And that was the problem.

She was relieved when Rachel and Jasmine didn’t notice anything unusual. If they did, they didn’t say it. Camille clung to that small mercy like it mattered more than it should.

The class itself was unexpectedly engaging. The professor had a sharp humor, the kind that made even dense material feel lighter. Camille found herself actually enjoying it, scribbling notes with more attention than she expected on the first day.

This might be my favorite class, she thought.

Then, almost immediately after—

Plus Cameron is here.

She internally winced at herself.

“No,” she muttered under her breath.

“Hmm?” Jasmine turned slightly.

Camille blinked. “Oh—nothing. Sorry.” She gave a quick, awkward laugh and forced her attention back to the lecture.

Get it together, Camille. It’s the first day of college.

When the class finally ended at around 6:00 PM, the room erupted into movement. Chairs scraped back, backpacks zipped open, voices overlapped in tired excitement.

Outside, the air had cooled slightly, carrying the soft gold of early evening across the campus pathways.

Camille adjusted her bag strap and checked her phone as she walked with Rachel and Jasmine.

“So how was your first day?” Rachel asked.

“It was… a lot,” Camille admitted. “But good. I think I’ll like it.”

Jasmine nodded. “Same. That professor was actually funny.”

They continued talking until they reached a split in the path.

“I parked over there,” Rachel said, pointing.

“Same direction,” Jasmine added.

Camille smiled and waved lightly. “See you tomorrow.”

“Text us later!” Jasmine called.

As they walked away, Camille was left alone with the steady hum of students still scattered across campus. Her parking area wasn’t far, maybe a ten-minute walk, but something about it felt longer now that she was alone.

And then she felt it.

Footsteps behind her.

Not hurried. Not random.

Intentional.

Her grip tightened slightly on her bag strap.

She didn’t turn right away, telling herself it could be anyone. But deep down, she already knew.

“Camille.”

That voice.

She stopped.

Slowly, she turned.

Cameron stood a few steps behind her, hands in his pockets, the late sunlight catching the edges of his face just enough to make it unfair. He looked calm—too calm for someone who had just made her heart jump like that.

She gave a small, cautious smile. “Hi.”

He stepped closer, falling into pace beside her without hesitation. “I’m Cameron,” he said, as if they hadn’t already silently acknowledged each other half the class.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips, like he already knew the introduction was unnecessary.

“I know,” she replied before she could stop herself.

That earned a quiet laugh from him.

They walked together.

“So,” he said after a moment, “how was your first day really?”

Camille exhaled softly. “Overwhelming. But… good. I think I’m up for the challenge.”

“Yeah?” he glanced at her. “You seem like the type who actually means that.”

“And what type is that?”

“The kind who pretends she’s not nervous while being very obviously nervous.”

She shot him a look. “That’s very specific.”

He shrugged lightly. “Observational skills.”

Despite herself, she smiled.

The rest of the walk was easier than she expected. He talked casually—nothing heavy, nothing forced. Classes, professors, campus life, small pieces of advice dropped like they didn’t matter much but somehow felt useful anyway.

He made it feel… normal.

Too normal.

When they reached the parking area, Camille slowed slightly.

“Well,” she said, shifting her bag. “This is me.”

“Yeah,” Cameron nodded.

A brief pause stretched between them—not uncomfortable, but charged in a way she didn’t know what to do with.

“Drive safe,” he added.

There was something in his tone—simple words, but steady enough to linger.

“You too,” she replied.

She unlocked her car and slipped inside, exhaling the moment the door closed. For a second, she just sat there, hands still on the steering wheel.

Then she heard it.

An old engine starting nearby.

She glanced through the window.

A Jeep Wrangler sat a few spots away.

Cameron.

He looked in her direction just as she looked at him. He raised a hand in a small wave, casual and easy, like the moment meant nothing more than what it was.

She lifted her hand back.

Then she turned on her engine.

Music filled her car—something soft, familiar. LANY drifted through the speakers, grounding her thoughts as she pulled out slowly.

In her rearview mirror, she saw him still there for a moment, before his Jeep finally moved, heading in the opposite direction.

Camille stayed quiet for a while after that.

Even as the campus faded behind her.

Even as the music played.

Because somehow, on the very first day of college—

she had already met someone who made it hard to focus on anything else.