Almost Mine

Chapter 3

ARIA

I was stunned.

He was tall—effortlessly so—broad-shouldered, muscular, and undeniably good-looking. But it wasn’t just his appearance that caught me. There was something else… an energy that seemed to cling to him, quiet yet powerful.

I didn’t mean to stare.

I really didn’t.

But my eyes betrayed me.

There was something about him I couldn’t quite place, something that made my chest feel oddly tight. When our eyes met, I felt my breath hitch. His eyes were a striking shade of blue—mesmerising, almost unreal. The kind of eyes you could get lost in if you weren’t careful.

And I wouldn’t have minded looking at them for a while.

Before things could spiral into something embarrassing, I quickly looked away and found myself a seat. I opened my laptop, pulled out my notepad and pen, and pretended to be productive.

For thirty whole minutes.

Thirty minutes of absolutely nothing.

My laptop screen stared back at me as my thoughts raced in every direction.

Who is he?

Is he a new part-timer at the library?

Or a new student?

Because if he were a new student, surely I would’ve heard something. News travelled fast on campus—especially when it involved a handsome boy.

“I wonder what year he’s in,” I mumbled to myself, shaking my head as I tried to pull myself together and actually get some work done.

By the time I finished typing my introduction, my phone lit up.

A message from Josh—my next-door neighbour.

Let’s go, munchkin. It’s getting late. I’m in the parking lot waiting for you, and I know you’re in the library.

Josh?

Josh was back?

Excitement rushed through me so fast I didn’t even hesitate. I packed my things and hurried out of the library. A glance at the time made my eyes widen—8:07 p.m. I hadn’t realised it was that late.

Before leaving, I instinctively looked around, searching for him.

But he was gone.

I stepped outside and found Josh waiting in the parking lot, a burger in one hand and a soda in the other. I ran toward him and threw myself into his arms.

“Whoa, munchkin! You’re gonna make me drop the food,” he laughed.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” I asked, grinning.

“Surprise, surprise.”

“I missed you, Jo.”

“Missed you way more, munchkin,” he said, hugging me tighter.

We sat on the bonnet of his car and ate.

“Sorry, your favourite restaurant was closed,” he said apologetically.

“This is more than alright. I was starving,” I replied, taking a big bite.

“Isn’t today the first day of school? Why are you working so hard already?”

“You know I don’t have time to laze around.”

“Ah, come on, Ri.” He nudged me playfully. “Cut yourself some slack. You won’t fail just because you relaxed a little. Fun needs to be had.”

“Whatever, Josh. I don’t trust your advice—you always mislead me,” I said, smiling.

Josh had been my best friend since we were kids. Even though he was a year older and a class above me, we were inseparable. He was carefree, silly, and always chasing fun. With him around, life felt lighter—more bearable.

Since he’d moved to another state with his mum after his parents’ divorce, I didn’t get to see him often. But whenever I did, I was always the happiest.

“Yo, Jo,” I said as we drove home. “I saw a really good-looking guy in the library today. I think he’s new—I’ve never seen him before.”

“Come on, Ri,” he laughed. “That campus is huge. There are plenty of people you don’t know.”

“I know how it sounds, but the vibes he gave off were just… different. I’m telling you, he’s not from my school.”

“I don’t believe you, but okay. Let’s say he is new—what are you gonna do about it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You called him good-looking. That’s rare coming from you.”

“Ah, shut up.”

“So… you gonna befriend him?” he asked, flashing his most ridiculous grin.

“Hell no.”

“Then why even tell me?”

“I just wanted to put it out there.”

“Well,” he smirked, “I think your heart’s been stirred up, Miss Ri.”

“Oh, go away.”

“But you know I’m right.”

I rolled my eyes. “Enough about me. How long are you staying this time?”

“I’m not sure,” he sighed. “Things are a little complicated right now. Once they’re sorted, I’ll let you know.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you over the weekend. Don’t worry—I’m still around.”

He pulled up in front of my house. “Go inside before you get in trouble.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“You bet.”

I hugged him and stepped out of the car.

Inside, the house was busy as usual. My little brother ran to me, hugging my legs and instantly launching into stories about his day. I greeted my parents and carried him to the kitchen where my sister was washing plates.

“Was that Josh?” she asked.

“Yeah. He’s back for a little while.”

“Is he okay?”

“I’m not sure. He said we’d talk later. He seemed a bit down.”

“Well, let’s hope it’s nothing serious.”

I carried my brother upstairs, listening to his endless chatter about his first day at school. Apparently, he’d waited all day just to tell me—because I was his favourite.

I smiled.

After reading him his favourite story, he finally drifted off to sleep. Once everything was done, I collapsed onto my bed.

And just like that, my thoughts returned to the guy from the library.

Before long, I fell asleep.

ROWAN

I hadn’t planned on going to the library.

But the assignment left me with little choice. The courses I was taking this time around demanded serious attention, and it was better to start early than fall behind later.

I’d spent the whole afternoon with Jace and the basketball team. They’d been trying—very hard—to convince me to join them this semester. I even spoke to the coach, who told me to come for tryouts on Friday if I was interested.

I watched them practice for a while, and when the coach stepped out, I joined in.

It felt good.

Familiar.

I hadn’t realised how much I missed being on the court until I had a ball in my hands again.

When Mum texted to say she’d be late because work had kept her longer than expected, I figured I might as well use the free time wisely. So, instead of heading home, I decided to check out the library and see if I could get a head start on my assignment.

After parting ways with Jace, I headed straight there.

The library was bigger than I expected—spacious, quiet, and strangely peaceful. The kind of place where your thoughts could finally settle. I walked around for a bit before finding a spot that felt comfortable enough to claim as my own.

Then, I went in search of a book related to my assignment.

Once I found a section that looked promising, I pulled out a book and flipped it open, scanning through the contents.

That was when I felt it.

Someone was looking at me.

Not just a glance—something more aware.

By instinct, I lifted my head.

And I didn’t expect to see her.

The girl from class.

For a moment, I actually froze.

When her eyes lifted and met mine, I felt it.

That pause.

That split second, where everything else went quiet.

Surprise flashed across her face, followed quickly by curiosity. She stared—just a little too long—before catching herself and looking away. The way her fingers tightened around her pen didn’t go unnoticed.

I shouldn’t have kept looking.

But I did.

I just couldn’t help it.