Chapter Eleven: Close Quarters
608 Words
Scarlett thought she could ignore him.
She really did.
But life had other plans.
Her professor dropped a surprise—group project, partners assigned randomly.
Her heart sank the second she saw her name paired with…
Blake.
She blinked.
“Are you serious?” she muttered under her breath, staring at the paper.
Blake’s name glared back at her.
Of course.
Of course it was him.
Next day, they met in the library to work.
Scarlett tried to act casual.
She sat across from him, spreading her notes out.
Blake leaned back slightly, arms crossed, smirking.
“You look… annoyed,” he said quietly.
Scarlett rolled her eyes. “You don’t say.”
He chuckled softly, leaning a little closer, just enough to make her pulse pick up.
“Relax,” he said. “It’s just a project.”
“Just a project,” she repeated, voice flat. “Right.”
And then—
Someone walked by.
A girl. Pretty. Confident. Flirty.
She waved at Blake.
“Hey!”
Blake waved back, smiling.
Scarlett felt her stomach twist.
Why am I even looking?
The girl lingered, pretending to talk, laughing a little too loud.
Blake didn’t move away. Didn’t shut her down.
Scarlett’s hands balled into fists.
Her face heated.
She slammed her notebook shut.
“I can’t believe this,” she muttered.
Blake looked up.
“What?”
“You—” she gestured vaguely at the girl, voice low and sharp. “—are ridiculous.”
Blake raised an eyebrow.
“Me?”
“Yes, you! Acting like you’re all charming and untouchable while you know exactly what you’re doing.”
“Ah,” he said, voice soft but teasing. “Jealous?”
Scarlett froze.
“No,” she lied immediately.
But Blake caught it.
Of course he did.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
“Sure,” he said slowly.
Hours later, they were at Blake’s place for the project—because the library closed early.
Scarlett tried to focus on her notes.
But Blake… didn’t make it easy.
He leaned close, pointing at her textbook.
“Here,” he said, brushing her hand lightly.
Scarlett jumped slightly, cheeks heating.
“Stop touching me,” she muttered.
He only chuckled.
“And miss all this fun?”
She groaned.
Then… Blake accidentally knocked over his coffee.
It spilled across the table, narrowly missing Scarlett’s notes.
“Oh my God!” she gasped, moving to grab them.
He jumped forward instinctively.
“Got it!”
But in the process…
He stumbled.
She stumbled.
And suddenly, they were both… on the floor.
On top of each other.
Close. Way too close.
Scarlett froze.
Her heart raced.
She could feel the heat of him—his chest, his arms—just inches from hers.
Blake froze too.
For a long moment, they just stared at each other.
Her breaths came faster.
His eyes… intense, fixed, unreadable.
Then Blake whispered, almost too close to her lips:
“You’re impossible.”
Scarlett’s cheeks flushed crimson.
“I—” she started, but stopped.
She scrambled backward slightly.
“Y-You’re impossible,” she repeated, voice higher than intended.
Blake chuckled softly, a low sound that made her shiver.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he murmured.
Scarlett shook her head, grabbing her notebook.
“I need a break,” she muttered, standing abruptly.
“Running away again?” he asked, still smirking.
“I—yes,” she said sharply, spinning around and almost bumping into the door.
Blake shook his head, still smiling.
But something flickered in his eyes—something she didn’t notice.
Something… real.
- Writer
