THE BOY I WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO WANT

Maya Thompson stood outside the housing office with a printed slip in her hand, staring at it like it might rearrange itself if she looked long enough.It didn’t. “Apartment 4B,” she whispered under her breath. Behind the glass window, Professor Daniels was already calling the next student forward, barely sparing her a second glance. Everything about him looked tired. His tie slightly crooked, his tone robotic, like he’d repeated the same sentences too many times to care anymore. Maya clutched her bag tighter and made her way out. Fresh start.That was the whole point of transferring here. New city. New people. No history bleeding into her present. She just didn’t expect her “new life” to come with complications already. When she reached the apartment complex, the building looked too nice to be harmless. Clean glass balconies, trimmed hedges, students laughing as they passed through the entrance like they didn’t have a single problem in the world. Maya didn’t trust it . Well, she climbed the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Because she needed the delay, needed time to mentally prepare for whatever was waiting behind that door labeled 4B. She slid the key in,then the door opened.She stepped into the room. A backpack was thrown on the couch,two energy drink cans sat on the counter,a hoodie which was clearly expensive was draped over a chair like it belonged to the place. Then she heard someone say ; “Bro, if Coach asks, I was at physio early.”Maya froze. Another voice answered, laughing. “Yeah, sure. And I’m the President.” She heard footsteps then someone appeared.It was Noah Carter.She knew him instantly,Everyone did. He stopped mid-step when he saw her.Lucas, who had been leaning on the kitchen counter, blinked. “Uh… wrong apartment?” Maya looked at the housing slip in her hand and showed it to them. Apartment 4B was clearly written on it. Noah glanced at the paper and explained that the apartment belonged to him. Lucas quickly realized that Professor Daniels had made another housing mistake.The situation immediately frustrated Maya. She had just arrived at the university and already had nowhere else to stay. Noah seemed completely unbothered by the mistake. He simply explained that she was not supposed to be his roommate, while Maya made it clear that she was not happy about the arrangement either. Lucas eventually pointed out that, whether they liked it or not, they would now have to share the apartment.Noah offered her the second room and warned her to respect his personal space. Maya assured him that she had no interest in touching his belongings. Before leaving, he made it clear that he disliked people invading his space. As Noah went into the hallway, Maya remained standing in the middle of the apartment. Her fresh start suddenly felt uncertain. The confidence she had carried to the university was already beginning to disappear.The apartment itself felt unfamiliar. It looked more like Noah's home than hers. She entered the second room and found it simple and almost empty. There was a bed, a desk beside the window, and a wardrobe against the wall. After placing her bag on the bed, she sat quietly for a few minutes. She could hear Lucas talking in the living room while Noah spoke very little. Everything about him seemed calm, distant, and difficult to understand.This was not how Maya had imagined her new beginning. She only wanted to study, graduate, and move on with her life. She did not want problems, emotions, or people who could disturb her peace. A few minutes later, Lucas came to check on her. He explained that Noah was not an easy person to live with and warned her not to take his behavior personally. According to him, Noah acted the same way with everyone.After Lucas left, Maya stayed alone for a while before walking to the kitchen for some water.Noah was standing there, looking at his phone. The refrigerator was almost empty, which surprised her. Their short conversation quickly turned into another small disagreement. Noah noticed that she was uncomfortable, while Maya found his attitude irritating. Even so , the tension between them felt different from ordinary annoyance. While reaching for a glass, they accidentally moved toward the same space at the same time. They stood close to each other for only a moment, but it was enough for Maya to become aware of him in a way she had not expected. She stepped back first.Noah returned to what he was doing, but Maya remained standing there. The kitchen suddenly felt smaller, and the apartment no longer seemed as empty as it had when she first arrived. For the first time since coming to the university, Maya realized that Noah Carter might become much more than an inconvenience in her new life.