Chapter Six
1103 Words
Unexpected Partners
Aurora should have known peace wouldn't last.
The moment she walked into Professor Harrington's Business Strategy class on Monday morning, she sensed something was wrong.
The professor looked far too pleased with himself.
That was never a good sign.
"Good morning, everyone," he announced.
A collective groan spread through the room.
Aurora slid into her seat beside Lily.
"What now?" she whispered.
Lily shrugged.
"No idea."
Professor Harrington smiled.
The kind of smile professors wore when they were about to ruin a student's week.
"As part of your final semester assessment, you'll be completing a partner project."
The room immediately erupted.
Some students cheered.
Others complained.
Aurora simply sighed.
Group projects were bad enough.
Partner projects were worse.
Because if your partner was terrible, there was nowhere to hide.
"Partners have already been selected."
More groans.
Aurora leaned back in her chair.
Maybe she'd get lucky.
She'd settle for anyone reasonably responsible.
Professor Harrington began reading names.
One pair after another.
Then—
"Aurora Kingsley and Lorenzo De Luca."
Silence.
For exactly two seconds.
Then Lily nearly choked beside her.
Aurora closed her eyes.
Of course.
Of course it was Lorenzo.
Who else would fate choose?
Across the room, Lorenzo raised an eyebrow.
He didn't look thrilled either.
That made Aurora feel slightly better.
"Congratulations," Lily whispered.
"This isn't congratulations-worthy."
"Oh, I disagree."
Aurora ignored her.
Class ended thirty minutes later.
Aurora was halfway out the door when a familiar voice stopped her.
"We should probably discuss the project."
She turned.
Lorenzo stood a few feet away.
His expression was neutral.
Businesslike.
Which was probably for the best.
Aurora adjusted her bag.
"I suppose we should."
"When are you free?"
The question sounded simple enough.
Yet for some reason, it made her nervous.
Maybe because this would be the second time in less than a week they'd be spending time together.
Not that she was counting.
"Wednesday afternoon."
"Library?"
Aurora nodded.
"Library."
"Good."
Simple.
Efficient.
No unnecessary drama.
Exactly how it should be.
So why did she walk away feeling disappointed?
Wednesday arrived faster than expected.
Aurora found Lorenzo sitting at one of the library's private study tables.
A laptop sat open in front of him.
Several books were stacked beside him.
He looked up as she approached.
"You're late."
Aurora glanced at her watch.
"By two minutes."
"Still late."
She dropped into the chair opposite him.
"Good afternoon to you too."
Something suspiciously close to a smile appeared on his face.
"Good afternoon."
Aurora hated that she noticed.
For the first hour, they focused entirely on the project.
Or at least they tried to.
The problem was that they worked very differently.
Lorenzo liked structure.
Aurora preferred flexibility.
Lorenzo planned everything.
Aurora adapted as she went.
Neither was particularly interested in changing.
"This section needs more detail."
Aurora looked up.
"We already have five pages."
"It should be seven."
"It doesn't need seven."
"It does."
"No, it doesn't."
"Yes, it does."
Aurora stared at him.
Lorenzo stared back.
Neither moved.
Neither blinked.
Finally, a student at a nearby table muttered,
"Just get married already."
Aurora nearly dropped her pen.
The entire table burst into laughter.
Even Lorenzo looked caught off guard.
Aurora wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
An hour later, they called a temporary truce.
Mostly because arguing required energy.
And both of them were hungry.
The campus café was crowded as usual.
They eventually found an empty table near the window.
For a few minutes, neither spoke.
Aurora stirred her drink.
Lorenzo checked his phone.
It should have felt awkward.
Instead, it felt strangely comfortable.
Which was somehow worse.
Aurora finally broke the silence.
"Were you always this stubborn?"
Lorenzo looked up.
"That's a bold question."
"It's a reasonable question."
"No."
Aurora blinked.
"No?"
"I used to be worse."
A laugh escaped her before she could stop it.
Lorenzo looked pleased with himself.
"You find that funny?"
"I find it terrifying."
For a moment, neither looked away.
The noise of the café faded into the background.
And suddenly Aurora became very aware of how close they were sitting.
She quickly looked down at her cup.
"What about you?"
Aurora frowned.
"What about me?"
"Were you always this argumentative?"
She laughed.
"I'm not argumentative."
Lorenzo raised an eyebrow.
The look alone made her smile.
"Fine," she admitted.
"Maybe a little."
"A little?"
"Okay, a lot."
"There it is."
Aurora shook her head.
"You enjoy this far too much."
"I really do."
The conversation drifted away from the project after that.
They talked about classes.
Professors.
Future plans.
Random stories from childhood.
Nothing important.
Yet somehow, everything felt important.
Aurora found herself learning things she hadn't expected.
Lorenzo wasn't obsessed with wealth or status.
He actually worked harder than most students.
He carried responsibilities few people understood.
For the first time, she saw the person behind the reputation.
And that person was far more complicated than she'd imagined.
As evening approached, they returned to the library.
The campus had grown quieter.
Most students had already left.
The setting sun cast golden light through the windows.
Aurora was reviewing notes when her phone buzzed.
A message.
From her grandfather.
Call me when you're free. It's important.
Her smile faded.
Immediately, Lorenzo noticed.
"What happened?"
Aurora locked her screen.
"Nothing."
He didn't look convinced.
But to his credit, he didn't push.
For a moment, guilt tugged at her.
She hated keeping secrets.
Especially from people she was starting to trust.
Then again, telling Lorenzo she was secretly a princess would probably end the conversation forever.
By the time they finished, the library was nearly empty.
Aurora packed her books into her bag.
"Not bad."
Lorenzo looked surprised.
"Not bad?"
"For someone impossible to work with."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I was about to say the same thing."
Aurora laughed.
They walked outside together.
The evening air was cool.
Campus lights glowed softly against the darkening sky.
For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then Lorenzo stopped walking.
Aurora turned.
"What?"
He hesitated.
It was brief.
But she noticed.
"There's a charity gala next weekend."
Aurora blinked.
"Okay."
"I'm attending."
She waited.
"So?"
His expression shifted.
Almost uncertain.
"I was wondering if you'd come with me."
Aurora froze.
The words hung between them.
A charity gala.
A public event.
Very different from lunch.
Very different from studying together.
Before she could answer, her phone vibrated again.
Another message from her grandfather.
This time it contained only four words.
Come home immediately.
Aurora's stomach dropped.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
And suddenly, the gala was the last thing on her mind.
- Writer
