Intertwined Destinies

CHAPTER FOUR

ABIGAIL

It's funny how you can spend months or even years living in the same space with many people, but you never really look at them until something happens and your lives intersect, after this, it is as if you see them everywhere, almost as if you were destined to be found in the deepest recesses of memory, and then you just don't remember what life was like before fixing that person's existence on yours.

And that is exactly what is happening to me with him, because even though Ezra has been in college for a semester now, I do not remember seeing him before that time at the council meeting, but after that, it is as if we were looking for each other in every single way, because I find him in the most unexpected moments, when I am leaving class, when I am arriving at the university, when I go to one of the many cafeterias on campus, he always seems to be there or to arrive a few moments after me, almost as if I had called him there myself.

It has become so common in the last two weeks, that it almost seems like a routine that I have been practicing for years, and now its presence has become so impregnated in me, that it has become one of my habits to arrive at a place and sweep it with my eyes to check if he is there or not, but the most curious thing of all, is that in the last days I can almost feel the disappointment growing in me when I arrive at a place and he is not there, and after scolding at myself for my stupidity, I spend the rest of the time looking towards the entrances of the place where I am, almost as if I was expecting to see him coming in at any moment.

He has not tried to get close to me since the day after we met at the council meeting, he texted me to ask me when we could meet so I could explain how the subject of tutoring works, but instead of accepting his proposal, I sent him a link to the university's website where all the information is found, and I told him to text me if he had questions about it.

But he never texted back to me.

So after his lack of response to my text message, I was left with the uncertainty for not knowing if he had really understood everything and therefore had no questions for me, or if my answer had bothered him in any way, because I know that people sometimes get upset with my way of being, they say that I am very direct and cold, so, many times they misinterpret it as an offense, or as my reluctance to help them.

However, when I tried to find him to approach him and explain that I was not being rude, but on the contrary, all I wanted to do was give him more tools to understand his new role as a tutor, I could not do it because every time I saw him he was with a different girl, or surrounded by a couple of dangerous looking guys, and he, although was aware of my presence, simply did not acknowledge me, he did not even look at me, so I opted to assume that my answer had indeed annoyed him, and consequently, I also got pretty upset.

Our serendipitous encounters where I just saw him across the room, became more common when I received a new request from the university to tutor a student who had not been able to pass his Chemistry I course for the third time, and when I got to the library, I found Ezra already there, tutoring a first-year girl in calculus who seemed more focused on him than what he was trying to explain, and it was even worse when the student that I was going to tutor, asked me to sit at the table next to them, because he wanted to be aware of his younger sister, since, as he himself said:

"I don't trust that i***t, he looks like he had the word 'trouble' tattooed on his forehead,"

So we sit at the table next to them and I start my lesson, the guy, named Alec, seems kind enough and it is clear that he is willing to learn, not like some others that I have had before and who only come to have fun with the fact that If they get too close to me, my bodyguard would come and look at them in annoyance, and some even seem to want free entertainment at my expense, however, Alec does seem genuinely interested in what I am telling him and constantly asks me questions, so midway through the section that managed to visibly relax me, after confirming that he is not one of those idiots.

"How come you failed this course twice if you learn so fast?" I ask curiously.

"Well, my teacher doesn't explain as well as you do, so it's difficult to understand him, especially when chemistry isn't my strong suit," he answers with a half smile, and I smile back at him.

"I am glad you are understanding, and now that you are learning the basics you can understand your teacher better," I tell him.

"I wish you were my teacher, I assure you that everyone would pass the course," he replies, and I feel the blush beginning to show on my cheeks.

"What Alec means, is that he wishes you were his girlfriend," the girl sitting with Ezra intercedes with a malicious tone, and Alec glares at her.

"Shut up, Violet," he snaps in annoyance, but I notice his ears turn red.

"Shall we continue with our thing?" the girl tells Ezra, who has his eyes set on Alec.

At the end of the tutoring hour, we stand up and start walking towards the library exit, right behind Ezra and Alec's younger sister, who seems to be saying something to Ezra, but Ezra doesn't respond.

"Abigail ... I am sorry, Miss Smith," Alec starts to tell me, and his ears turn crimson again.

"You can call me Abigail," I tell him, and he smiles.

"Abigail, one of my friends is going to have a party at his fraternity to celebrate his birthday, and I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come," he tells me and I stop suddenly, as it is the first time someone has invited me to a party since I started University.

"I would love to!" I exclaim almost immediately, and feel the gazes of Ezra, Violet and Al, my bodyguard, on me.

"I mean, I would love to go, but first I have to confirm that I don't have another engagement for that day," I tell him, and he nods, pleased with my answer.

"You already have my number, so as soon as you know if you can come, you can text or call me, it doesn't matter what time it is, and if you want, I can come to pick you up," he offers, and my bodyguard clears his throat.

"Sure, I will be informing you, but regarding going to pick me up, it won't be possible, I am not allowed to go in cars that are not authorized, I am sorry," I answer, feeling stupid and thinking that maybe Alec is going to regret inviting me, but instead he nods and says kindly to me.

"Oh, of course, I get it, we can meet there if you want,"

"Okay, thanks for inviting me, I will text you tomorrow with my answer," I reply before saying goodbye to him, and I notice Ezra's eyes on me as I walk with Al to the car.

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