Before We Knew Us

Chapter Three — An Unlikely Beginning

Liana walked out of the lecture hall with her books pressed against her chest.

She had barely made it down the hallway before her mind returned to the same thing.

Tell my father I'll call him.

She frowned.

Why did that bother her?

It wasn't her business.

Ethan Cole was a stranger. She had known him for less than two days.

And yet, somehow, he had already managed to become a question in her mind.

Liana shook her head.

"Forget it."

She had enough questions of her own.

Her parents' letter was still tucked safely inside the drawer in her bedroom. Every time she thought about it, she felt that strange heaviness in her chest.

Don't believe everything you are told.

She didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Liana!"

She turned at the sound of her name.

Sienna Hart was hurrying toward her, slightly out of breath.

Liana smiled for the first time that morning.

"You're late."

Sienna stopped in front of her and placed a hand over her chest dramatically.

"I am not late."

"You are."

"I am fashionably delayed."

Liana raised an eyebrow.

"You've been using that excuse since high school."

"And it has worked every single time."

Liana laughed softly.

Sienna linked her arm through Liana's.

"Come on. I have exactly ten minutes before my next class, and I need food."

"You just ate."

"That was breakfast. This is emotional-support food."

Liana shook her head.

"You are impossible."

"And yet, you've been my best friend for years."

"Unfortunately."

Sienna gasped.

"See? You love me."

"I tolerate you."

"Same thing."

Liana laughed again.

For a few moments, the strange thoughts disappeared.

This was why she valued Sienna's friendship.

They had known each other since high school, long before Ravencrest, long before Liana became known around campus as the Campus Belle.

Sienna knew Liana wasn't someone who easily opened up. She knew there were things Liana kept locked inside herself, things she wasn't ready to talk about.

And she never forced her.

Instead, she simply stayed.

Sometimes that was enough.

They reached the café near the center of campus.

Sienna ordered something to eat while Liana stood beside her, checking the time.

After receiving her food, Sienna glanced at Liana.

"You're distracted."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm tired."

Sienna gave her a knowing look.

"That's different."

Liana sighed.

"Nothing is wrong."

Sienna studied her face for another second before shrugging.

"Okay."

Liana looked at her in surprise.

"That's it?"

"Yep."

"You aren't going to ask again?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

Sienna took a bite of her food before answering.

"Because if you want to tell me, you will."

Liana stared at her for a moment.

Then she smiled.

"Thank you."

Sienna grinned.

"Now, if you want to thank me properly, buy my food."

Liana immediately shook her head.

"Absolutely not."

Sienna placed a hand over her heart.

"Fake friend."

They both laughed.

Across campus, Ethan sat on a bench outside the Business School.

His phone was in his hand, but he wasn't looking at the screen.

He was thinking about the call from earlier.

His father wasn't going to stop asking him to come home.

Not yet.

Ethan had expected that.

What he hadn't expected was to see Liana again.

He remembered the bakery.

The frightened look she had tried so hard to hide.

The way she had told him she didn't need his help.

Most people would have thanked him repeatedly.

She had practically argued with him.

For some reason, that made him smile.

"You're smiling."

Ethan looked up.

Adrian Blake stood in front of him with his hands in his pockets.

Ethan glanced at his friend.

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"Then you should probably stop staring at my face."

Adrian sat beside him.

"I've known you too long to be fooled by that."

Ethan gave him a look.

Adrian grinned.

"So?"

Ethan frowned.

"So what?"

"The girl."

Ethan's expression immediately changed.

"What girl?"

Adrian laughed.

"There are thousands of girls at this university. I'm talking about the one you were looking at after class."

"I wasn't looking at anyone."

"Right."

Ethan shook his head.

"You're imagining things."

Adrian leaned back against the bench.

"Fine. I'll imagine things quietly."

Ethan's phone vibrated.

He glanced at the screen.

A message from his father.

Call me.

Ethan locked the screen.

Adrian noticed.

"You should call him."

"I know."

"You know he's going to keep calling."

"I know."

"And eventually he'll send someone."

Ethan turned to him.

"That's why you're here."

Adrian smiled.

"Exactly."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Ethan stood.

"I have class."

Adrian stood too.

"Try not to fall in love while you're gone."

Ethan stopped walking and looked at him.

"You're an idiot."

Adrian smiled.

"I've missed you too."

Ethan shook his head, but a faint smile remained on his face.

Later that afternoon, Liana returned to the lecture hall for Critical Thinking, Ethics & Society.

She took her usual seat.

A few minutes later, Ethan walked in.

Their eyes met briefly.

He gave her a small nod.

Liana returned it.

Nothing more.

The professor entered shortly afterward.

"Before we continue today's lecture, I have your first assignment," the professor announced.

A collective groan moved through the room.

The professor smiled.

"I see some of you are already unhappy."

Someone at the back muttered, "Very."

The class laughed.

The professor waited for the room to settle before continuing.

"You will be working in pairs. I will assign the pairs myself."

Liana opened her notebook.

The professor began reading the names.

She wasn't paying much attention until she heard her own.

"Liana Brooks..."

She looked up.

"...and Ethan Cole."

Liana slowly turned her head.

Ethan was already looking at her.

He raised an eyebrow.

She sighed.

Apparently, the universe had decided she wasn't allowed to ignore him.

When class ended, Ethan walked over to her.

"Looks like we're partners."

"Unfortunately."

A small smile appeared on Ethan's face.

"You really don't like me."

Liana closed her notebook.

"I barely know you."

"Fair enough."

She slipped her pen into her bag.

"We should meet tomorrow and discuss the assignment."

"Library?"

"After my medical lecture."

"Works for me."

Liana stood and gathered her textbooks.

Ethan glanced at the stack in her arms.

"Do you actually read all of those?"

Liana looked at him.

"Some of us are trying to become doctors."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully.

"Some of us are trying to graduate without becoming doctors."

Liana stared at him.

For a second, she tried to keep a straight face.

Then she laughed.

It was brief.

Almost accidental.

But Ethan noticed.

Liana quickly composed herself.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you."

She walked away.

Ethan watched her for a moment before turning in the opposite direction.

Neither of them knew it yet, but something had changed.

Not love.

Not attraction.

Not even friendship.

Just the beginning of familiarity.

And sometimes, that was where everything started.

That evening, Liana sat at her desk in her room, trying to study.

The textbook in front of her had been open for almost twenty minutes.

She hadn't read a single paragraph.

Her mind kept wandering.

To the letter.

To her parents.

To Ethan.

She frowned.

Why was she thinking about him again?

Liana picked up her pen.

"Focus, Liana," she told herself.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from Sienna appeared on the screen.

Don't forget tomorrow. Library. Your mysterious assignment partner. 👀

Liana rolled her eyes.

She typed a reply.

He's not mysterious.

Sienna responded almost immediately.

You literally know nothing about him.

Liana stared at the message.

She hated that Sienna had a point.

She put the phone down.

Then another thought crossed her mind.

Maybe she didn't know Ethan.

But she had a feeling there was more to him than he let people see.

And she wasn't sure why.

Across the city, Ethan stood near the window of his apartment.

His phone was pressed against his ear.

"I said I can't come back yet."

He listened.

His jaw tightened.

"No."

Another pause.

"Nobody can know I'm here."

He ended the call.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the city lights.

Then he lowered his phone.

The name on his screen was not one he wanted to see.

Dad.

Ethan closed his eyes.

For now, he was Ethan Cole.

And he intended to keep it that way.

But somewhere across the city, Liana Brooks was beginning to wonder who Ethan Cole really was.

Neither of them knew that the answer would eventually change everything.